A Labor of Love

America’s Credit Union Museum launches “A Labor of Love” giving day to honor the movement’s unsung heroes.

​By: America’s Credit Unions
 
This Labor Day season, America’s Credit Union Museum is calling on credit union leaders, members, and supporters nationwide to join A Labor of Love:  A Day of Giving on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, a national campaign to honor the everyday people who built the credit union movement from the ground up.  
 
From mill workers and farmers to teachers and shopkeepers, the credit union movement was born from a powerful idea: that financial institutions should serve people, not profit. This year’s giving day both celebrates that legacy and lays the groundwork for the Museum’s newest permanent exhibit, Woven in History: A Tapestry of Unsung Heroes, opening in September 2025.  
 
The Unsung Heroes exhibit will honor the lesser-known contributors whose work has often gone unrecognized, but who were essential to the growth and success of credit unions nationwide. Through first-person accounts, photographs, historic artifacts, and interactive digital elements, the installation will preserve and share their legacies for generations to come. 
 
A Living Exhibit Built by the Community 
What sets this exhibit apart is its participatory nature: Unsung Heroes will grow through the generosity and stories of donors. Each contribution supports the inclusion of a personal story, submitted by individuals or credit unions, into the digital exhibit. Stories will be added on a rotating basis, ensuring a continually evolving, inclusive portrait of the movement’s unsung champions. 
 
The Day of Giving on August 27 is a vital first step in building this exhibit. Funds raised will support the creation of the digital platform, the production and curation of story content, and nationwide outreach to gather stories that might otherwise be lost to history. 
 
Campaign Goal: 
Raise $25,000+ to support: 

• The launch of a new permanent exhibit: “Unsung Heroes of the Credit Union Movement”. 
• Digital storytelling and archival preservation projects. 
• Educational outreach that connects today’s members with the origins of the credit union mission. 

 
“We know the credit union movement was shaped not just by its pioneers, but by thousands of everyday people whose passion and purpose brought financial access to their communities,” said Stephanie Smith, Executive Director of America’s Credit Union Museum. “Unsung Heroes is about honoring those people, and the Labor of Love campaign will help us tell their stories.” 
 
How to Get Involved 
Donate:  

• Donations of $100+ are eligible for a name or tribute on the Faces of the Movement digital wall.
• All donors: Listed on our Giving Day Honor Roll and will receive a digital badge.  You can donate here. 

Partner: Organizations can sponsor a matching gift, promote the campaign, or share a founding story. 
Spread the Word: Use #LaborOfLoveCU to inspire others to give and share. 
 
America’s Credit Union Museum
Located in Manchester, New Hampshire, on the site where America's first credit union opened its doors in 1908, America’s Credit Union Museum is a vibrant and evolving institution dedicated to preserving and celebrating the credit union movement. More than a repository of artifacts, the Museum documents the past, showcases present-day achievements, and inspires the future of credit unions.

The Museum features dynamic exhibits such as “Credit Union Women Making History – Herstory,” launched during its 20th Anniversary celebration in 2022. This interactive exhibit honors the contributions of women in the credit union industry—past, present, and future—both onsite and through an engaging online platform. Additionally, the museum recently added “African American Voices in the Credit Union Movement” a multi-media exhibit, created in partnership with the African American Credit Union Coalition, highlights the rich legacy and impact of African American leaders in the credit union movement.
 
Through these and other initiatives, America’s Credit Union Museum continues to serve as a national hub for education, inspiration, and innovation in the credit union community. Learn more at www.acumuseum.org.