DUBLIN, Calif. – Patelco Credit Union earned two national awards from the Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC), recognizing financial wellness initiatives that reached hundreds of thousands of people, delivered critical relief to members facing financial hardship, and made practical financial guidance easier to access across Northern California communities.
Patelco received a Gold Award in the Financial Wellness category for Patelco’s Financial Wellness Programs and a Bronze Award in the Shoestring Superstar category for their podcast “Small Talks for Big Change: Simplifying Financial Topics to Power Financial Wellness.” Both awards were presented in the $2 billion-plus asset category.
“This recognition is a powerful affirmation of what Patelco stands for: making sure members have the right programs, services and support available to them when they need us most,” said Erin Mendez, President and CEO of Patelco Credit Union. “Financial wellness isn’t an initiative on the sidelines of our business – it is central to our mission and embedded in how we serve. Whether we’re helping a member through financial hardship, providing trusted guidance or bringing practical education to hundreds of thousands of members, our goal is to create meaningful change that people can feel in their lives. I could not be prouder of our team for turning that commitment into measurable impact.”
Patelco’s gold-winning financial wellness initiative brought together a comprehensive suite of programs around five core areas: financial education, expert guidance, hardship resources, community partnerships and member communication. The strategy was designed to respond to real financial pressures facing members, including rising living costs, layoffs and unemployment, fraud, and elder financial abuse.
Throughout 2025, those efforts delivered measurable support across Patelco’s membership and Northern California communities. Their Member Relief Hub received more than 31,000 visits, while targeted hardship programs helped members manage millions of dollars in loan balances through relief, deferral, and Fresh Start initiatives.
The credit union also expanded the reach of its financial wellness efforts through more than 150 community partners serving more than 70,000 employees and clients. Patelco’s team delivered more than 200 financial presentations to partners and nonprofits during the year, while its monthly Financial Wellbeing Newsletter regularly reached more than 350,000 members.
Patelco also earned Bronze in the Shoestring Superstar category for its “Small Talks for Big Change” podcast, which was created to cut through financial complexity and give listeners clear, practical guidance they can use in everyday life.
The podcast covers subjects including budgeting and saving, college planning, elder financial abuse, youth finances and inclusive banking. Episodes are designed to provide practical guidance in an approachable format and are distributed through podcast platforms, member communications, community partners and Patelco’s social media channels. It has generated over 10,000 podcast episode downloads. Since its inception in 2023, the podcast and its supporting content have generated more than 7.1 million video views and 6.4 million impressions, extending Patelco’s financial wellness mission to millions through engaging, educational content.
