Our CUSO...

There are lots of CUSO's out there but we are a little different from most.  Well actually, we are a lot different.  We support all CUSO's and as a member of NACUSO, we are actively engaged in the promotion of the CUSO business model in all their varying shapes and colors.  But we are different than most and here's how...

Only credit unions can own

We believe that your invoice should be an investment - an investment in your future and the future of the credit union industry.  That's why there can be no "private hands" in the money.  Every dollar you spend needs to stay with credit union for the benefit of credit unions and at CU*NorthWest - it does.  This concept also extends to solution strategies and the relative ownership of those strategies.  When possible, if a critical component is needed for our solution "suite", the extended CUSO network will work to position as an owner of that solution or at least a partial owner rather than simply a customer. 

One owner - one vote

The amount of money a member has in the credit union does not give that member a louder voice or a stronger voting proxy.  Credit unions were founded on the guiding principle of "one owner - one vote" and we seek to emulate this structure.  We believe all credit unions are important (large or small).  Frankly, we believe the concept of large or small should be irradicated from credit union thinking.  A sense of identity on the part of the credit union is far more important and providing value to the member every day is what makes the difference.  There is room for many different kinds of credit unions - size doesn't matter here.  At CU*NorthWest, all credit unions are equal as owners - just like your members. 

Only clients can own

We believe that being vested as a customer is a pre-requisite for ownership and is a critical component for successful governance.  At CU*NorthWest, you must be a core processing customer in order to own stock in the CUSO.  Ownership is a chance to participate in directing the company and having a frame of reference as a client is critical for this task.

Ownership is not a requirement

Although you must be a client to be an owner, it is not true going the other direction.  We believe any credit union should have access to what we offer whether they are necessarily interested in investing as an owner or not.