The Irish League of Credit Unions’ first all-island community impact report reveals that 305 credit unions gave almost €8 million to support communities across the island of Ireland in 2024 alone.

Key Findings on Community Impact

The key findings of the report are:

• Credit unions across the island of Ireland gave just under €8 million out in community funding; sponsorship and education bursaries in the financial year ending September 2024.
• This funding is going to the heart of communities where credit unions are both financially empowering their members and building better, more sustainable places to work and live.
• The range of donations goes from small to large but it’s all big impact. Credit unions are helping schools with essential equipment, supporting much needed sensory rooms, funding defibrillators right across the country, setting up cafes for our older people with dementia, promoting sustainability and environmental awareness in schools and so much more.

To view the report, click here 

When you choose local, your community benefits

If you journey around the cities, towns and villages of the island of Ireland, you’ll spot a credit union on a high street or a local shopping centre, at the heart of the community. This visibility is symbolic of the unique ethos of credit unions – they are set up and exist to financially empower and bring benefits to their members and the communities they exist in.  

This first ‘For Communities’ report looks closely at that purpose and what it means on our island – the ways in which credit unions support their local communities and the financial value of that support. When we took a deep dive into quantifying this impact, incredibly, the figure was just shy of €8 million for just one year.  This means, when you join your local credit union, your community benefits.

To find out more about how Credit Unions support local communities visit the Irish League of Credit Unions page  Community