10/16/2025

Small and Smart

Microcommunities play a crucial role in helping members feel like they belong

There are a variety of ways to encourage your members to be a part of your online microcommunity. Last year, the Cornerstone League identified a simple one: Don't ask members to pay for the privilege.

Cornerstone League is a trade association representing credit unions in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. It had gone through a series of restructurings and mergers that were completed in 2023, which included online communities for its various council groups dedicated to different parts of credit union operations. Previously, Cornerstone had members pay an annual $25 fee for group access. After the merger, it changed tactics and decided to treat it as a member benefit.

"We thought, 'Let's rip that barrier off,'" said Cornerstone League VP of Operations and Engagement Sarah Bowman. "The Kansas and Missouri credit unions [whose group had merged with Cornerstone] are not used to paying that. It's not like we were dependent on that income."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.