National Youth Saving Challenge

The Credit Union National Association is sponsoring the Saving Challenge for affiliated credit unions. This free program helps credit unions build strong relationships with youth and their families. The Saving Challenge will take place during National Credit Union Youth Week, April 20-26, 2008, when youth are encouraged to make deposits at their credit unions. We'll report the deposits, plus offer $100 cash prizes to youth at 10 participating credit unions.

Register Your Credit Union
Report your results by noon, May 1

• Free Youth Page
• Steps to Participate
• Questions & Answers
• Rules
• Download Registration Slips (Word document)
• Download Tally Spreadsheet

Free, Customizable Youth Page to Put on Your Site

In an effort to connect with youth online, credit unions registering for the National Youth Saving Challenge receive a free link to a customizable page.

This page challenges youth to begin saving for their future and protecting the environment. It also gives youth access to all the activities and games through Googolplex.

Even better, you can add your credit union's message to this page in the white box. (Click here for suggestions.) The page is available now through the end of April.

Steps to Participate

1. Set goals. We recommend that you set three goals for Youth Week:
   • The number of members under age 18 you expect to make deposits
   • The number of new accounts you hope to open
   • Total amount you expect youth to deposit during the week
   There's no magic formula. The point is to set goals and plan for them. Based on the 393 credit unions that reported last year, the average participating credit union saw 182 young members, including 23 new members, deposit $141.00 each.
2. Register. Come back in January to record your goals (if you have not previously registered with CUNA's Web site, you'll first have to answer a few questions). That's it! Then return during Youth Week to report youth deposits and new accounts opened.
3. Select prizes. You may wish to award additional prizes during Youth Week (CUNA will award ten $100 prizes nationwide). For ideas on products to purchase, click here.
4. Make the rules known. For the contest rules page, click here. You may add a link from your Web site to this page and print out copies for easy reference. Also, we strongly recommend that you add this message to all your materials announcing the challenge: "For contest details, visit www.cuna.org and enter SavingChallenge in the search box."
5. Promote the Saving Challenge. Hang a poster in your lobby (click here to order additional lobby and teller window posters). Publish this free ad in your newsletter and any sponsor group newsletters. Announce the challenge on your Web site, using free Youth Week logo art.
6. Determine a point person. Select one person to coordinate tracking the deposits. We recommend that you have each child (with parental permission) complete a registration slip (click here for a WORD document with two versions of registration slips that you can modify). Have children deposit registration slips in a central location (decorated contest box with slit on the top works well). During Youth Week, the coordinator should tally the registration slips each night (click here for a free spreadsheet), report online to CUNA, and put out additional registration slips for the next day.
7. Award prizes. The contest ends midnight, April 26. Your coordinator will have until noon Thursday (May 1) to report totals online. That afternoon, CUNA will randomly select ten participating credit unions to receive $100 prizes.

   IF your credit union is selected, you then randomly pick a single child to receive the $100 prize. To collect the $100 from CUNA, you must respond with the name of the child on or by May 5.

8. Shout out. Announce the results of your credit union's Saving Challenge along with the national results. CUNA will send participating credit unions a press release with the national results, which you can modify by adding your results. Distribute this to local press. Publish the results on your Web site and in your newsletter. Send the results to your sponsor groups.