Over here at BankingBridge, we have the privilege of working with more than 100 different mortgage companies across the country. That means we get an inside look into how a wide range of lending institutions function. We’re proud to partner with companies that demonstrate a commitment to serving not just their customers, but also their communities. We’re always excited when someone approaches us because they want to use our tools to build in more transparency about their rates or more responsiveness from their loan officers, or to free up time so they can allocate it to good causes. 

Ultimately, it’s a big mortgage market out there, and a lot of different companies are doing a lot of different things to make their slice of the world a little bit better. So we wanted to start highlighting a few of them. 

As we did some exploring, we came across a shining example. Full disclosure: we don’t even work with this lending institution. But we were so impressed by their community engagement that we wanted to put a spotlight on it. 

Meet Idaho Central Credit Union

Like all credit unions, Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) is a non-for-profit organization. That means that instead of focusing on raking in the revenue to pad the company coffers, its team can focus on serving its members and the community that surrounds them. 

And it does precisely that. With that goal of community service in mind, Idaho Central Credit Union built its Green Team. Through the Green Team, the credit union supports schools, charitable causes like Habitat for Humanity and food banks, and more. 

At the same time, Idaho Central Credit Union offers extremely competitive rates on loans and accounts with advantages like high earnings and few fees. Combined, it’s no surprise that ICCU is the fastest growing credit union in all of Idaho. 

ICCU’s community engagement

So what, exactly, does the Green Team do for people in Pocatello, Boise, and communities throughout the Gem State? 

For starters, you can look to a dollar amount. In 2022, for example, between individual team member contributions and Idaho Central Credit Union as a whole, $1.12 million was donated across three categories: community involvement, community economic development, and scholarships.

The Green Team isn’t writing a check and walking away, either. Idaho Central Credit Union has tallied up more than 29,000 volunteer hours across more than 1,500 community events. That opportunity to roll up your sleeves and get involved is probably a big part of why ICCU has been named one of the very best places to work in Idaho. 

To give a few specific examples of ICCU and the Green Team’s giveback efforts, you can look to:

• Its sponsorship of Idaho Gives, a major statewide fundraiser for causes like The Peregrine Fund and Boise Bicycle Project. Of this giveback, CEO Brenda Worrell says, "Idaho Gives is important because it shines the spotlight on hundreds of Idaho nonprofits and all the wonderful work they do for our state. It's really inspiring to see the diversity and depth of the work they do in our communities.”
• Its work with Idaho State University (ISU), including an endowment of the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition (ICBSC), which challenges top-level ISU seniors and readies them for the business world after graduation, and a Professorship in Management endowment.
• Its engagement in notable community events like Shoshone Falls After Dark.
• The webpage it maintains allowing people to request sponsorship or other community involvement.

Individual ICCU team members also go out of their way to support key causes. Michael Watson, the credit union’s Chief Marketing Officer, is a Board Representative for the Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI) and is on the local Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) board, too. 

Worrell, who took the CEO slot this summer, also works to activate real change in financial management through technology as a member of the Curql Collective board. She also sits on the Idaho Business for Education Board, among others, and earned Idaho Central Credit Union the Juntos Avanzamos (Together We Advance) designation for her work to reach underserved communities in Idaho. 

Supporting Idaho Central Credit Union members

When she took the CEO post, Worrell said, “I love our mission and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our members and help them achieve financial success.” It shows. 

We’ve talked a bit about how Idaho Central Credit Union lives out its mission, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t also highlight how it tailors its products and services to best meet the needs of its members. 

ICCU calls itself the financial success fan club for its members. It lives out that title by offering competitive rates on loans along with low-fee, high-earnings accounts. But the credit union doesn’t stop there. 

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