Sales

CX Diagnostics, Audience Analysis & Journey Mapping

Sales & Lead Generation

Sales Tool Analysis & Unified Process Enablement

Sales Performance & Optimization

Marketing

Omni-channel Marketing Strategy & Execution

Content Planning & Delivery

Experiential and Event Planning & Production

Thought Leadership Content & Speakerships

Business

Business Case Development & Modeling

Finance Strategy Modeling

Brand Development, Design & Strategy

Product Performance & Optimization

Bright Futures 4 Kids: How Credit Unions and Acumen Financial Advantage Are Powering Hope Through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

When Locke was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a complex congenital heart defect, his father, Ben, felt confident that Arkansas Children’s would provide the exceptional care his son needed. That confidence came from experience: Ben himself had undergone heart surgery at the very same hospital when he was an infant. As a proud member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Arkansas Children’s once again proved to be a place of hope and healing.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Locke received life-saving treatment, including two open-heart surgeries, before reaching nine months of age. Today, he’s a lively and energetic 6-year-old who loves playing soccer, performing on stage, and spending time with friends. Locke’s story is a shining example of how, with expert care and community support, children can rise above even the most difficult beginnings.

That’s the miracle behind the Bright Futures 4 Kids initiative, a national partnership between Acumen Financial Advantage (AFA) and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) that’s transforming the way credit unions give back– and how those gifts change lives.

At the heart of the credit union movement is a simple promise: people helping people. It’s a phrase that has guided generations of credit union leaders and members alike, from small-town branches to billion-dollar institutions.

Now, that same cooperative spirit is finding a new expression through Bright Futures 4 Kids, an example of a real solution to credit union problems– and the real people behind them, that we’re featuring on The Circuit.

The program connects financial innovation with human compassion– inviting credit unions, employees, and communities to join a social movement that funds life-saving care for children while strengthening their own charitable capacity. This ethos is what distinguishes credit unions from other financial institutions– it’s part of a credit union’s DNA to take care of its community.

How a Hashtag Becomes a Lifeline

The campaign is simple. Every time a credit union professional posts a photo on LinkedIn using #BrightFutures4Kids, AFA donates $10 to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, up to $10,000.

What begins as a social media moment — a smiling selfie, a team photo, a simple act of participation — becomes something far greater. Each post fuels donations that directly support local CMN Hospitals, which treat 10 million children each year. These are the kids in our neighborhoods — children fighting cancer, recovering from accidents, or receiving critical therapies their families could not otherwise afford.

As Scott Hinkle, Principal and Co-Founder of Acumen Financial Advantage, explains:

“Through the BrightFutures4Kids campaign, we’re showing that even a small action, like posting a selfie, can ignite a much bigger impact. But the real power comes when credit unions activate their balance sheets for good, like opening Charitable Donation Accounts. With every CDA or CEP opened, we’re not just funding financial futures — we’re funding brighter futures for children, families, and communities across the country.”

From Intent to Impact: How CDAs Multiply Giving

For decades, credit unions have generously supported CMNH through the Credit Unions for Kids program. What makes the Bright Futures 4 Kids initiative so unique is the way it connects that long-standing generosity with modern financial tools that make giving sustainable.

At the center of that model is the Charitable Donation Account (CDA) — an investment vehicle approved by the NCUA that allows credit unions to direct earnings from a small portion of their assets (up to 5% of net worth) toward charitable causes.

Here’s the magic formula to CDAs: at least 51% of a CDA’s earnings go to qualified nonprofits like CMNH, while up to 49% can be retained by the credit union to strengthen its own finances or fund future giving.

The result is a self-funding engine for philanthropy. Instead of writing checks from their annual budgets, credit unions can grow their charitable impact year after year — without sacrificing operational stability. Its purpose and performance work hand in hand like credit unions do with their communities.

To understand what this looks like in practice, look to Gerber Federal Credit Union. President and CEO John P. Buckley Jr. recalls how partnering with AFA changed their ability to give back:

“Before working with Acumen Financial Advantage, we were donating approximately $17,000 annually to nonprofit partners. However, after implementing their program, we project to triple our charitable giving, increasing our contributions to $51,000 per year.”

This dramatic increase strengthened their support for existing nonprofit partners and opened the door to expanding their giving to new initiatives, particularly those benefiting local children's programs in their community. For Gerber FCU, the benefits weren’t just charitable — they were financial.

“In addition to the increased charitable giving, we’ve been able to enjoy an additional $49,000 returned to our bottom line each year, which has been a valuable boost for our business finances,” Buckley says. “The decision to utilize Acumen was a no-brainer — it made too much sense not to take advantage of the opportunity.”

“In addition to the increased charitable giving, we’ve been able to enjoy an additional $49,000 returned to our bottom line each year, which has been a valuable boost for our business finances. The decision to utilize Acumen was a no-brainer — it made too much sense not to take advantage of the opportunity.”

The story echoes what many credit union leaders are discovering: doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive. With the right tools, the two can reinforce each other.

EVOLVE FROM CREDIT UNION OUTSIDER TO TRUSTED INDUSTRY INSIDER.

Momentum, Measured

At just 15, Nazaria was no stranger to hospital visits, having managed a chronic skin condition for much of her life. But during what seemed like a routine appointment, doctors noticed a lump on her neck– an unexpected finding that led to a life-altering diagnosis: a rare type of thyroid cancer. The news brought fear and uncertainty to Nazaria and her family as they were suddenly thrust into a flurry of medical tests, specialist visits, and the daunting reality of upcoming surgery.

Fortunately, Children’s Wisconsin, a proud member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, was there to help. With compassionate care, vital community donations, and ongoing fundraising support, the hospital made sure Nazaria received top-quality treatment. The journey has been long and demanding, but Nazaria has met every challenge with courage and resilience. She now treasures time with family and friends, enjoys discovering new places, and finds happiness in the simple moments of everyday life. Her experience is a powerful reminder of how Bright Futures 4 Kids and credit unions help make miracles possible for children everywhere.

Credit unions are built differently. They exist not to maximize profits, but to maximize impact for their members and their communities. That cooperative DNA makes them natural champions for causes like CMNH.

Through Bright Futures 4 Kids, AFA helps them take that mission to the next level. The initiative gives credit unions the means to amplify their impact — by engaging employees through social media, connecting members to community causes, and turning their balance sheets into beacons of hope.

And because the CDA model is NCUA-approved and fully auditable, it brings peace of mind to boards and examiners alike. Each dollar donated is backed by a sound investment strategy and transparent reporting.

As the campaign unfolds, the momentum is tangible. Each selfie and post adds to the wave. For AFA, the $10,000 cap is only the beginning — an entry point to spark broader awareness.

The larger vision is to empower credit unions nationwide to open their own CDAs, multiplying millions of dollars in new charitable giving each year. The goal isn’t just to fund care — it’s to create a sustainable pipeline of compassion that grows with every institution that joins the movement. The Bright Futures 4 Kids campaign isn’t just about fundraising — it’s about storytelling. Every post, every share, every credit union that joins in adds another voice to the chorus of community care.

Here’s how you can be part of it:

Post a photo on LinkedIn with the hashtag #BrightFutures4Kids. Each post triggers a $10 donation from AFA to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Share your story. Tell your members and teams why your credit union supports CMNH.
Learn how CDAs can multiply your giving. Visit Acumen Financial Advantage to explore how your credit union can turn purpose into performance.

Brighter Futures, Together

Every miracle starts somewhere — sometimes with a smile and a hashtag.

As the Bright Futures 4 Kids initiative shows, the cooperative spirit of credit unions doesn’t just balance books; it balances lives. Together with Acumen Financial Advantage and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, credit unions are proving that when purpose meets strategy, the results are nothing short of miraculous.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the dollars donated or the accounts opened– it’s about the children whose futures get a little brighter because people cared enough to act.

Join the movement. Post your selfie. Spark a miracle. #BrightFutures4Kids

Learn More

Our deep bench of vetted fintech and CX strategists, experience designers, writers, producers, journey mappers, sales engineers, content creators (and beyond) is highly versed in bringing our strategic recommendations to operational fruition.