TACOMA, Wash. — Credit unions working with CU Strategic Planning have received more than $24.3 million in federal awards to expand lending and financial services in their communities, according to the company.
The funding came through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund’s fiscal 2025 Financial Assistance awards and fiscal 2026 Small Dollar Loan Program awards, according to CU Strategic Planning.
Among the recipients was Mazuma Credit Union in Kansas City, Mo., which received $621,000 to help families in low-income areas improve household financial stability through credit- and asset-building products and financial education, the firm said.
“We are so excited that we get to do more good in our community,” Laura Eblen, Mazuma’s vice president of member engagement and governmental affairs, said in a statement. “Working with CU Strategic Planning made it possible to not just win the funds but continue to develop the strategy that will allow us to help more than 1,000 households establish a strong financial foundation.”
Financial Assistance Awards
Thirty-three CU Strategic Planning clients received Financial Assistance awards, representing 53% of the 62 awards made to federally and state-chartered credit unions and 56% of the funding awarded to those institutions, the firm said.
The average Financial Assistance award among its clients was $697,515, nearly $80,000 more than the average among other credit union recipients, according to CU Strategic Planning.
“These credit unions have waited a long time for this news, while the needs in their communities have continued to grow and change,” President Stacy Augustine said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to see this funding finally reaching organizations that have thoughtful, practical plans for putting it to work. We’re also grateful to the CDFI Fund staff who helped bring these award rounds across the finish line.”
Small-Dollar Lending
Nine CU Strategic Planning clients also received fiscal 2026 Small Dollar Loan Program awards totaling $1,317,906. Each received $146,434, the highest award amount in this year’s round, according to the company.
CU Strategic Planning said this was its first year helping credit unions apply for Small Dollar Loan Program funding.
“These applications begin with understanding what a credit union is seeing in its community and where additional resources could make a meaningful difference,” Aaron Duffy, senior vice president of community advancement, said in a statement. “Our Community Development Managers work closely with each credit union to turn that need into a clear, achievable plan. It’s rewarding to see that work move from an application into something the credit union can now put into practice.”
Broader Funding Rounds
Across the fiscal 2025 CDFI and Native American CDFI Assistance programs, the CDFI Fund made 253 Financial Assistance awards totaling more than $186.2 million, according to CU Strategic Planning.
The latest notifications also included 31 Technical Assistance awards under those programs, adding to 56 announced in fall 2025. The fiscal 2026 Small Dollar Loan Program awarded nearly $9 million to 71 organizations, the firm said.
Financial Assistance and Small Dollar Loan awards provide resources that CDFIs can use to expand lending and other financial services in the communities they serve.
More Than $1 Billion Secured
CU Strategic Planning said it has worked with credit union CDFIs since 2008, helping institutions identify community needs, develop strategies and seek funding. Including the latest awards, the firm said it has helped credit unions secure nearly $1.1 billion across more than 600 awards.
CU Strategic Planning is a subsidiary of Callahan & Associates.
