By Jeff Rendel
Credit unions are entering one of the most consequential growth cycles in their history. Charter flexibility, digital reach, business services, and strategic mergers are opening doors to new markets and new members on an unprecedented scale. Growth is no longer optional; it is increasingly necessary.
Yet with expansion comes a real and reasonable concern: How do credit unions grow in new places, with new members and new lines of business, without alienating the very members whose capital and trust made growth possible?
This tension is not theoretical. Our research shows that organizations stumble when growth feels like a departure rather than an extension; when new members appear to displace loyal ones. For credit unions, the stakes are higher. Growth is not funded by shareholders; it is funded by members. That makes expansion not just a strategic choice, but a fiduciary one.
Long-term, highly performing credit unions, what we call 10XCUs ™, have learned how to grow boldly and stay grounded. Their success offers a clear blueprint.
Reframe Growth as Stewardship, Not Ambition
Credit unions do not expand because they are chasing scale for its own sake. They expand because remaining static in a rapidly changing environment is irresponsible.
Long-term members did not build capital so their cooperative could remain frozen in time. They built it so the institution could remain relevant, resilient, and capable of serving future generations.
10XCU™ leaders frame growth accordingly. Expansion into new markets, new fields of membership, or strategic partnerships is positioned as an act of stewardship: strengthening earnings, diversifying risk, and ensuring the credit union can continue delivering competitive rates, modern digital experiences, and trusted financial guidance.
When growth is tied to protection and longevity, not ego, members understand it.
Build New Market Value to Strengthen Every Member
High-performing credit unions do not enter new markets at the expense of long-term members. They expand because scale matters, and scale, when managed well, is one of the most responsible tools a cooperative has.
New markets bring new members. New members bring deposits, loan demand, and revenue. That revenue funds investments in technology, cybersecurity, compliance, staff development, and improved service models: investments that benefit all members.
High performance credit unions are explicit about this connection. Growth is not a redistribution of attention; it is the economic engine that sustains value. Without expansion, the cost of remaining competitive rises faster than the institution’s ability to absorb it
Improving Resilience
Growth also improves resilience. A broader membership base across geographies and industries reduces concentration risk and stabilizes earnings. That stability protects legacy members just as much as it supports new ones.
Most importantly, scale raises the service ceiling. Larger operations can negotiate better vendor contracts, deploy deeper analytics, and build specialized capabilities in business services, wealth management, and digital experience. These capabilities are not reserved for new markets: they elevate the experience everywhere.
Credit union leaders can reinforce a simple message: “We are growing so we can invest more, not less, in you.” To back it up, new-market growth is accompanied by visible reinvestment in existing communities: better facilities, enhanced advisory services, improved digital tools, and continued leadership presence.
Expand Offerings Without Creating Member Classes
Growth naturally introduces complexity: business members alongside retail members, digital-first users alongside branch loyalists, urban markets alongside rural roots. The mistake is allowing those differences to turn into perceived hierarchies.
Credit unions can avoid this by creating multiple access points to a single cooperative promise. Products and delivery models may differ, but values do not. Business services do not eclipse consumer priorities. Wealth management enhances inclusion rather than exclusivity. New markets widen access without narrowing identity. The credit union remains one institution, serving different needs with the same purpose.
Making Mergers About Member Value, Not Size
Strategic mergers are among the most powerful, and misunderstood, growth tools available to credit unions. When executed poorly, they feel like loss. When executed well, they feel like reinforcement.
Successful mergers are anchored in member outcomes: better technology, stronger talent, deeper product offerings, improved access, and long-term stability. Leaders communicate early and often, connecting the merger directly to member value and capital stewardship. The objective is not to become bigger; it is to become better positioned to serve.
Align Governance with the Expanded Cooperative
As credit unions grow, governance must evolve with intention. Boards that reflect both legacy communities and new markets send a clear signal: growth is inclusive, not extractive. Representation across geography, expertise, and member segments ensures expansion remains grounded in cooperative values while supporting strategic ambition.
Credit unions can grow into new markets, expand their fields of membership, add new lines of business, and pursue strategic mergers – without losing their soul. When growth is framed as stewardship, funded by cooperation, and reinvested for shared value, both long-term and new members win. That is the difference between growth that divides and growth that compounds.
Jeff Rendel, Certified Speaking Professional, is a leading strategic advisor to America’s credit unions and creator of the 10XCU™ framework, helping credit unions drive sustainable growth, relevance, and performance. Each year, he works with more than 100 credit unions, associations, and system partners on strategy, governance, leadership, and member experience. He is president of Rising Above Enterprises and a frequent keynote speaker at national credit union conferences. Contact: [email protected]; jeffrendel.com; 951.310.7275.
