This week in the New York Minute, we’re announcing credit union registration for the 2026 Scholarship Program! Then, get all the info on the Association’s newest strategic partner, Pulsate, see insights from Origence, and more. Get all the latest statewide industry news with our weekly roundup!
Now Open: 2026 Scholarship Program Credit Union Registration!
Registration is now open for the Association’s 2026 Scholarship Program, giving your credit union the chance to help college-bound members achieve their educational dreams. With just one application, students can apply for up to three scholarships: the Association’s statewide scholarship, your credit union’s own scholarship, and your local Chapter’s scholarship.
Participation is simple, offering a meaningful way to strengthen relationships with young members. Credit unions can choose to participate in the statewide program, have the Association administer their own scholarship, or both. The Association provides all necessary marketing materials to help credit unions promote the program to members.
Registration for credit unions closes November 21, 2025, so don’t miss this opportunity to make higher education more accessible for your members. By registering, you’ll open the door to tuition, boarding, books, supplies, and more—while reinforcing your credit union’s role in supporting future generations.
Association Partners With Pulsate to Help Credit Unions Drive Digital Growth
The Association has announced a new strategic partnership with Pulsate, a leading intelligent member engagement platform designed specifically for credit unions. This collaboration will provide Association member credit unions with advanced tools to personalize digital engagement, increase product adoption, and strengthen member relationships and engagement across online and mobile banking channels.
Through Pulsate’s Opportunities Engine™, credit unions can leverage real-time member behavior and intent signals to deliver timely, targeted messages inside digital banking platforms. Already trusted by more than 270 credit unions and community banks nationwide, Pulsate helps drive measurable growth, including higher loan conversions, deposit product adoption, and eStatement enrollment.
By meeting members directly within their trusted digital experience, credit unions can ensure secure, relevant, and personalized communication that fosters loyalty and accelerates digital growth.
This strategic partnership underscores the Association’s commitment to equipping New York credit unions with innovative solutions to thrive in today’s evolving financial landscape.
To learn more, please reach out to Pulsate’s Director of Sales, Karen Fisher, at karen@pulsate.us.
Sunmark’s Foundation Celebrates Fifth Annual Summer of Kindness
The Sunmark Charitable Community Foundation has successfully wrapped up its fifth annual Summer of Kindness campaign, reinforcing its deep commitment to the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” Since launching in 2021, this initiative has become a cornerstone program, uniting volunteers, community partners, and young members around projects that uplift and inspire.
This year’s campaign featured a wide range of activities, from a Teacher Supply Drive to provide classrooms with essential resources to Fishing with Firemen, fostering connections between families and first responders. Sunmark also partnered with Girls Inc. to host financial literacy sessions and mentorship opportunities, distributed fishing poles at Albany’s PlayStreets, and joined National Night Out events across the region.
Beyond events, the program continues to engage children up to age 12, inviting them to “deposit kindness” by submitting ideas for community improvement—many of which are turned into real volunteer projects.
The Role of Automation in Your Credit Union’s Lending
By Origence
Today’s credit union lenders are seizing the opportunity to enhance member service at every critical touchpoint. As member expectations evolve, the demand for more convenient options, such as online membership and loan applications with swift decisions, is increasing. Delivering an exceptional online member experience is crucial for the success of credit unions.
The pressure from fintech brands, economic uncertainties, and rapid technological changes present a unique opportunity for credit unions to adopt technology and provide a superior borrowing experience. Among these technological advancements, automating loan processing and decisions can be a game-changer for credit unions.
Here’s how automation helps:
Efficiency gains
The goal is to fund more loans and make faster decisions without increasing risks. Providing loans to members who need access to affordable funds is central to the mission of credit unions. Automation facilitates this by making processes more efficient and reducing underwriting costs.
Enhanced accuracy
Despite initial hesitation within the credit union community, automated decision-making can enhance the quality of decisions. AI and machine learning can boost approval rates by up to 25% without escalating risks. Automation also improves accuracy, aiding in fraud detection and compliance, reducing errors, and offering a smoother experience for members.
Reduced friction
Automation accelerates processes and minimizes friction points. Automation can streamline funding processes for credit unions and give them the opportunity to expand their dealership relationships.
Automation helps credit unions meet the increasingly high digital expectations of members. By eliminating redundant information requests and streamlining funding processes, credit unions can strengthen dealer relationships and seize more lending opportunities. This optimization is essential in order for credit unions to remain competitive and ahead of fintech disruptors.
Implementing automation might be new for credit unions, which traditionally focus on personalized member service. However, modern automation solutions offer flexible configurations tailored to specific needs. Automated loan processing and decisioning enable quick, data-driven credit decisions. Teams can set up and fine-tune decision engines, making the review and deployment of automation easier for efficiency and accuracy.
As technology advances and more data is gathered, these automation models will continue to improve. Risk-based pricing models are already considering variations in default rates among borrowers with the same credit score. AI models can analyze vast amounts of data within seconds, identifying nuances that would take humans months to uncover.
Let’s get started
At Origence, we are committed to helping credit unions embrace automation to build an ideal, modern member experience. With best-in-class partners such as Informed.IQ, we are making document automation in lending faster and more efficient. In collaboration with Zest AI, Origence arc helps credit union lenders implement more accurate credit scoring and faster, automated decision-making.
In a rapidly changing financial landscape, automation is the path to efficiency, accuracy, and digital excellence for credit unions and their members. If you are ready to kickstart your credit union’s digital transformation, contact us today.
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