Pull a dollar out of your wallet these days, and frankly there’s not much you can do with it. In fact, with the spread of fancy coffee specialty shops, it’s darn near impossible even to get a good cup of coffee for a buck.

But at your credit union, your buck, along with others from your fellow members, can do something special…and powerful. It can make the difference in defending the credit union option for yourself and millions of hard-working Americans who need the services and assistance provided by credit unions.

In 1998, credit unions won a tremendous political victory with the passage of the Credit Union Membership Access Act. The Act preserved the right of most consumers to choose credit unions for their financial business.

It was passed in spite of vigorous, well-funded opposition by powerful banking lobbies, committed to eliminating credit unions as a viable consumer option. And bankers’ attacks still continue.

Pro-credit union legislation was passed due to the extraordinary support by credit union members as shown to their members of Congress. But calls and letters are only part of the political equation. We must also encourage credit union-friendly candidates by supporting their campaigns financially. For the credit union movement, this is done through the Credit Union Legislative Action Council (CULAC).

You can contribute to CULAC through the “Deduct-a-Buck” program. This program is an easy, affordable method for credit union members to show their support for those who have championed them in Congress. All you have to do is contribute a dollar quarterly to CULAC. That’s only four dollars a year.

We encourage your support, but your decision to contribute is personal, confidential, and voluntary. One dollar per quarter is merely a suggested level of contribution, and your contributions are not tax deductible. Be assured that your credit union will not favor or disadvantage any members by reason of the amount of their contribution or their decision not to contribute.

So the next time you wonder just what a buck can do, think about what your credit union has done for you…and ask if that’s worth at least a good cup of coffee.

If you want to help protect what your credit union offers you as a member, please click here to download the Deduct-A-Buck Authorization Form. Then print it, complete it, and drop it off at any DEXSTA branch location. Thank you for your support!

Questions? Check out our answers to the most frequent ones.