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Great Lakes Credit Union has everything you need to help manage your money and plan for the future.
GLCU History
Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Northern Illinois, Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) is banking for a greater good. We’re a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative with over $1.6 billion in assets, and we’re proud to serve more than 116,000 members in Chicagoland and surrounding areas.
At the heart of our mission is the credit union philosophy of “people helping people,” with GLCU’s state-of-the-art technology and range of financial solutions in place for one goal: to enable members to live life on their terms. We’re dedicated to offering education, tools, and community development programs that make it easy to save, spend, and make a difference in our neighborhoods, whether members are just starting out on their financial journey, are seasoned investors, or savvy small business owners.
GLCU is focused on expanding access to essential financial services to those who need them most. These services include no-cost credit builder loans, fresh-start checking accounts, and more. GLCU also partnered with the Leaders Network – a group of multicultural, interfaith, and community leaders – to open the first-ever credit union branch in the Chicago neighborhood of Austin, which has long been considered a financial services desert.
GLCU offers HUD-certified housing and financial counseling to both members and non-members alike through the GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment. In fact, GLCU is one of five credit unions in the entire country to have a HUD-Approved Housing and Financial Counseling program, and the program is one of the largest of its kind in Illinois.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment is committed to building financial well-being for members, employees, and communities. The GLCU Foundation’s work includes adult and youth financial education, events, volunteerism, and more.
GLCU’s Standards of Greatness are the foundation for our continued success. These standards include Smart Growth, Cultural Transformation, Exceptional Member Service, Financial Empowerment, and Efficiency and Sustainability.
With these ideas as a central focus to every aspect of GLCU’s operations, we have earned numerous honors and accolades on the national stage. Some recent recognitions include a 2025 Diamond Award for our “Week of Volunteering” event, a 2023 Top Workplaces Industry Award for Financial Services, the 2022 Community Involvement Gem Award, the first-ever CUES DEI: Catalyst for Change Award in 2021, and more.
GLCU has also been designated as a “Juntos Avanzamos” credit union by Inclusiv, a group of community development credit unions (CDCUs) that focus on financial inclusion and empowering underserved communities. The Juntos Avanzamos designation (a Spanish phrase that translates to “Together We Advance” in English) recognizes credit unions that are committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant communities.
In recent years, GLCU has joined together with other credit unions that share similar visions, missions, and goals in order to position GLCU and the partnering organizations for future growth. Some examples of recent partnerships include the mergers with Encurage Financial Network Credit Union (EFNCU) and Chicago Municipal Employees Credit Union (CMECU), and the purchase of a credit union branch in Danville, Illinois from Vibrant Credit Union. These partnerships have allowed us to grow our membership base, as well as our products, services, and community giveback efforts.