Virginia Credit Union Honored with National Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award

Virginia Credit Union (VACU) has been named Organization of the Year by the Institute for Financial Literacy, receiving the prestigious 2026 Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award in recognition of the credit union's exceptional innovation, dedication, and commitment to financial education.

VACU was selected from among numerous nominations nationwide for its comprehensive, data-driven, and inclusive approach to financial education — reaching more than 130,000 children, youth, and adults in 2025 through workshops, seminars, one-on-one counseling, online resources, and community partnerships.

"Financial education has the power to transform lives, build stronger communities, and create pathways to long-term financial well-being," said VACU Senior Vice President of Financial Education Cherry Dale. "This recognition reflects the dedication of our team of financial education professionals and the incredible staff supporting and amplifying their efforts. As an organization, we have an unwavering commitment to empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to take control of their financial futures and achieve greater success.

“We're honored to be recognized with the EIFLE Award,” said Dale, “and privileged to stand side by side with so many amazing organizations doing such incredible work to advance financial education."

VACU’s EIFLE Award recognition highlights several key innovations:

• The credit union last year launched “Pay That Bill,” a financial education podcast that has generated more than 44,000 episode plays and reached over 430,000 individuals through social media.
• VACU continues to pursue innovative personal finance programming that reach some of society’s most-vulnerable populations, including incarcerated individuals preparing to reenter society, seniors, young people aging out of foster care, individuals with disabilities, and multilingual communities.
• VACU’s Financial Success for Women Summits have garnered national recognition for their success in addressing the growing need to provide women with the tools, knowledge, and confidence necessary to achieve financial success.
• The credit union partners with schools, universities, employers, correctional facilities, and nonprofit organizations to deliver financial education where people live, learn, and work — including through specialized programs with Richmond Public Schools, the Roanoke-based Kids Square Children’s Museum, and the nationally recognized Financial Success Center at Virginia Commonwealth University.
• As needed, VACU’s programs incorporate hearing interpreters, bilingual support, and other accessibility features to ensure financial education is accessible to all.

The credit union was also recognized for its many accomplishments related to its financial education programs.

• VACU ties its financial education work — along with its products, services, and resources — to measurable financial health outcomes for members. The credit union’s work has produced documented improvements in member financial health, driving a single-year drop in members categorized as financially vulnerable from 11% in 2024 to 7% in 2025. At 7%, the percentage of financially vulnerable members was less than half the national benchmark of 15%. Additionally, 37% of members are financially healthy, significantly outperforming the 31% national benchmark. VACU uses the Financial Health Network’s FinHealth Score framework to measure members’ financial resilience.
• The Credit Union Financial Education Network, the national organization that tracks and promotes credit union financial education initiatives, ranked VACU No. 1 in the nation for both the number of adults reached through in-person presentations and live virtual meetings (20,223) and the number of financial education presentations conducted for adults (461).
• VACU engaged more than 73,000 individuals through its personal finance-focused web resources in 2025.

"At Virginia Credit Union, financial education has always been at the heart of our mission to improve the financial well-being of our members and the communities we serve," said VACU President/CEO Chris Shockley. "This national recognition affirms what we've long believed — that when you invest deeply in people, equip them with knowledge, and meet them where they are, you create lasting, measurable impact. We're grateful to the Institute for Financial Literacy for this honor, and we’re proud of our team's tireless work to champion financial education and empower individuals across Virginia."

For more information about VACU’s financial education programs, visit vacu.org/learn