MADISON, Wis.–The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU) have announced what they are calling the “next major milestone” in the “Rally the Movement” campaign by launching a phased strategy to sustain vital credit union development efforts in Guatemala and Kenya.
The organizations said the initiative will build on their earlier commitment to support Ukraine’s credit union system amid the termination of USAID awards that funded WOCCU international development projects.
In 2025 WOCCU and WFCU said they plan to collectively deploy approximately $650,000 to implement phase one of the strategy, supporting targeted programs in those three countries. The remainder of the Rally the Movement funds will be reserved for future phases to ensure sustainability and long-term impact, the organizations aid.
What’s Planned
As previously announced, and reported by the CU Daily, WFCU disbursed a grant to the Ukrainian United Credit Union (UUCU) to expand agricultural and MSME lending. In-country specialists are supporting implementation, impact tracking and coordination with national stakeholders.
According to the organizations, WOCCU will train mobile credit union agents in Guatemala to deliver tailored savings products to underserved women, while expanding lending to small businesses through partner financial cooperatives.
WOCCU said it is implementing its SME Lending Toolkit in three Kenyan savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs), “helping to unlock finance for small businesses and youth-led enterprises while reducing portfolio risk and increasing outreach to women borrowers.”
Each country strategy includes detailed KPIs and deliverables, with workplans and impact reports, WOCCU stated.
‘Incredible Progress’
“This strategy ensures we can preserve the incredible progress made through years of development work and adapt to current challenges with targeted, high-impact solutions,” Paul Treinen, WOCCU’s interim president and CEO, said in a statement. “We’re proud to move these initiatives forward in partnership with World Council member credit union associations who share our commitment to cooperative finance and community empowerment.”
About the Campaign
WFCU reported its Rally the Movement campaign raised a total of $1.17 million—“driven by the extraordinary generosity of credit unions, credit union associations and industry partners around the world.”
For info: www.woccu.org and www.doglobalgood.org.
