SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION RECEIVES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

TAMPA, Fl. (October 9, 2014) - Suncoast Credit Union is the recipient of a three-year Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification from the U.S. Treasury’s CDFI Fund, effective immediately. As the largest CDFI-certified credit union in the history of the CDFI Fund, Suncoast Credit Union is among 897 loan funds, credit unions and community banks throughout the country with an active certification. To receive this certification, financial institutions must have a primary mission of promoting community development and provide development services in conjunction with its financing activities. “As a not-for-profit cooperative, we believe in improving the lives of our members and the communities in which we serve. This certification verifies our ability to attend to the needs of underserved markets and will support our efforts to develop new financial programs moving forward,” says Tom Dorety, president and CEO of Suncoast Credit Union. This certification allows Suncoast Credit Union to better serve the low and moderate-income consumers and promotes financial inclusion in 17 counties in Southwest Florida. The benefits of certification include access to financial grants from the CDFI Fund, partnership opportunities with banks that are seeking Bank Enterprise Awards, access to New Market Tax Credits and the enhanced ability to raise funds from foundations, corporations and state and local governments. Suncoast Credit Union worked with the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions’ consulting group, CU Breakthrough, on CDFI certification. “CDFI certification is a valuable credential that helps credit unions increase their capacity to meet the needs of low-income consumers and to develop strategic partnerships to better connect with the community,” says Pablo DeFilippi, VP of Membership and Business Development at the Federation. “Low income designation combined with CDFI certification are the building blocks for

sustainable growth in communities in Southwest Florida. In March 2014, Suncoast Credit Union received a low-income designation from the National Credit Union Administration. This designation allowed Suncoast Credit Union to join the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, better serve the underserved population and apply to be a CDFI by the U.S. Department of Treasury. About Suncoast Credit Union

Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, the ninth largest in the United States based on membership and the 15th largest in the United States based on its $5.8 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 57 full-service branches and serves more than 595,000 members in the following Florida counties: Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota and Sumter. For more information visit: suncoastcreditunion.com facebook.com/SuncoastCreditUnion or @SuncoastCU. About CDFI Fund The CDFI Fund was created for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). For more information visit: cdfifund.gov About CDFI Certif ication

CDFI Certification is the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s recognition of specialized financial institutions serving low-income communities. The first step to utilizing many of the CDFI Fund’s programs, trainings, and financial assistance is CDFI Certification. CDFI Certification was established in 1994 to provide guidelines and eligibility criteria for any organization looking to become a certified CDFI. Many certified CDFIs offer more favorable and flexible loans than traditional lenders. In accordance with their mission, certified CDFIs also provide educational services like business planning, credit counseling, and homebuyer classes to help their borrowers use credit effectively. For more information visit: cdfifund.gov or http://1.usa.gov/1vJAMoL

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