Page 6 - Michigan Credit Union League: 2017 Contact Q4

NOT JUST A CHECK WRITER:

4FRONT TAKES MARKETING
SPONSORSHIP TO A NEW LEVEL

Sometimes, we can 4Front first worked with Groundwork in 2016 as a spon-
sor of their annual event, Harvest at the Commons — a
get stuck in a rut. Both celebration of both community and everything northern
Michigan has to offer its residents. Keith Carey, the credit
personally and profes- union’s vice president of marketing, had a basic aware-
ness of Groundwork and their ongoing projects and was
sionally, it’s easy to formally connected with them by 4Front Vice President of
Commercial Lending Geoff Streit. Carey knew they would
become stagnant and be an eligible recipient of a community marketing spon-
sorship. “They were approaching important issues in a
content with doing thoughtful manner — in a way that had merit,” said Carey.

things the way they’ve Based on their experience, 4Front planned on being a
perennial sponsor of Harvest at the Commons. Carey saw
always been done, that Groundwork was a mutually like-minded organization
that he wanted to continue supporting.
because more often
Fast-forward to summer 2016, when Groundwork attended
than not, that gets the 4Front’s ribbon-cutting event for their downtown Traverse
City location. “I was able to talk more in-depth with Ground-
job completed. A good work’s team and find out how much common ground
existed for what both organizations value about our area of
way to get out of that Michigan,” stated Carey. “4Front has five pillars that make
up our community investment guidelines — community
routine is to get an building, environmental stewardship, financial literacy,
health and wellness, and youth empowerment — and we
Keith Carey outsider’s perspective. give preference to organizations impacting one or more of
Outsiders can offer us those focus areas. Groundwork more than fit our criteria,
so I wanted to know what more we could do together.”
a critical reevaluation,

a new way of looking at what we’re doing, in order for us to

figure out how we can be smarter about what we’re doing

and where we’re going.

This is exactly the frame of mind that brought Traverse
City-based 4Front Credit Union together with Groundwork
Center for Resilient Communities, a Traverse City-based
nonprofit organization previously named the Michigan
Land Use Institute. Per their website, Groundwork has
a mission to “protect the environment, strengthen the
economy and build community.” They do so through
projects that are based on solar energy, clean water,
transportation, healthy food and farming initiatives.

Sponsorships can be more A Deeper Collaboration
involved than merely sending
a check to an organization or If two organizations are working toward similar goals, how
placing a logo on a tent. can they work together to bolster each other’s efforts to
reach a stronger outcome? This was Carey’s line of thinking.
He was no longer satisfied with being a sponsor. “We’re
not just a check writer,” he said, implying that marketing
sponsorships can be more involved than merely sending a
check to an organization or placing a logo on a tent.

6 FOURTH QUARTER 2017  I  CONTACT