Self-Help Federal Credit Union
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, nonprofit CDFI operating 44 branches across six states, delivering deposit, consumer, small-business, and community development loans to low-income, minority, immigrant, and rural members underserved by mainstream banks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersModesto, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Self-Help Federal Credit Union does
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, not-for-profit credit union established in 2008 and headquartered in Modesto, California, operating as a Community Development Financial Institution focused on serving working families and communities historically excluded from mainstream banking. The credit union distributes deposit and lending products through 44 branches across six states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin), supplemented by iOS and Android mobile apps, an online banking portal, 24/7 audio banking, and the CO-OP/Velera shared branching network.
The product set spans consumer and small-business banking: four checking-account tiers (Access, Personal, Business, Non-Profit), savings, money market, youth savings, club, term certificates, and Traditional and Roth IRAs on the deposit side; and auto loans (including EV incentives), home mortgages with flexible underwriting from 580 credit scores and 0% down options, HELOCs, signature personal loans, share-secured loans, Mastercard credit cards including a secured variant, CreditBuilder loans, green/energy-efficiency and solar loans, immigration loans (Citizenship and DACA), recreational vehicle and vacation loans, plus a full commercial lending suite (small business, SBA 504 and 7(a), commercial real estate, multifamily, charter school, and New Markets Tax Credit loans) on the credit side. Member services include free FICO credit score coaching, one-on-one financial coaching, and a GreenPath partnership for financial counseling.
The credit union generates revenue primarily through net interest income on its loan portfolio, supported by deposit account service fees (waivable at modest balance thresholds), interest paid on deposits, convenience fees on third-party loan payment processing, and mission-supportive deposits from foundations and impact investors. It is a wholly owned entity within the Self-Help family of nonprofit organizations under the Center for Community Self-Help parent, has executed 19 credit union mergers and 2 bank acquisitions historically, and together with sister Self-Help Credit Union serves over 235,000 people and has deployed more than $12 billion in financing over 45+ years.
Self-Help Federal Credit Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Self-Help Federal Credit Union
- Legal name
- Self-Help Federal Credit Union
- Website
- https://self-helpfcu.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, nonprofit CDFI operating 44 branches across six states, delivering deposit, consumer, small-business, and community development loans to low-income, minority, immigrant, and rural members underserved by mainstream banks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Self-Help Federal Credit Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Banking
- NAICS
- Credit Unions (52213), Credit Unions (522130), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)
- SIC
- Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) (FSABAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)
Keywords
Where Self-Help Federal Credit Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Modesto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices41 records
Markets served
Self-Help Federal Credit Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Interest Income from Loans: Primary revenue stream from interest charged on auto loans, home loans, personal loans, credit cards, small business loans, and commercial loans. Rates vary by product type and creditworthiness.
- Deposit Account Fees: Monthly service fees on checking accounts (Access Checking $5/month, Personal Checking $15/month, Business Checking $10/month) with fee waiver conditions based on balance or direct deposit thresholds.
- Certificate and Savings Account Interest: Interest paid on deposits including checking (0.10% APY), savings (0.30% APY), money market (1.60-1.61% APY), term certificates (0.10% to 3.82% APY), and IRA savings (3.65-3.72% APY).
- Loan Payment Processing Fees: Convenience fees for loan payments: $4.95 per debit card payment, $3.00 per ACH payment through online payment portal.
- Credit Card Fees: No annual fee, no transaction fees for purchases or cash advances on Mastercard products. Late payment and other standard fees may apply.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Access Checking - Basic checking with low fees |
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal Checking - Premium checking with higher requirements |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Checking - Small business checking |
| Other | Monthly | New Car Loans - Up to 84 months |
| Other | Monthly | Used Car Loans - Up to 84 months |
| Other | Monthly | Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) |
| Other | Monthly | Signature Unsecured Loans - Up to 48 months |
| Other | Monthly | Credit Cards - Mastercard |
| Other | Monthly | Citizenship Loan |
| Other | Monthly | DACA Loan |
| Subscription | Annual | Term Certificates - 3 to 60 months |
| Subscription | Monthly | Money Market Account |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Self-Help Federal Credit Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned credit union providing deposit products (checking, savings, money market, CDs, IRAs), consumer loans (auto, mortgage, HELOC, personal, credit-builder, green, immigration), and small business/commercial loans. It serves over 130,000 members across 44 branches in six states with mobile, online, and audio banking channels, while operating as a certified Community Development Financial Institution focused on underserved communities.
Product overview
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a community-focused credit union offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services. The organization operates a multi-channel banking platform comprising deposit products (checking accounts in four variants, savings accounts, money market accounts, youth savings, club accounts, term certificates/CDs, and Traditional/Roth IRAs), loan products (auto loans with EV incentives, home mortgages with 0% down options, HELOCs, personal/signature loans, share-secured loans, Mastercard credit cards including secured options, CreditBuilder loans, green loans for energy efficiency/solar/EVs, immigration loans for citizenship and DACA, recreational vehicle loans, vacation loans, and full business/commercial lending including SBA financing, commercial real estate, multifamily housing, charter schools, and New Markets Tax Credit loans), and member services (mobile and online banking, audio banking, financial coaching partnerships, ATM networks, and loan payment processing). The products are distributed through 44 branches across six states, mobile/desktop banking platforms, and phone banking systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Access Checking
- Personal Checking
- Business Checking
- Non-Profit Checking
- Savings Account
- Money Market Account
- Youth Savings Account
- Club Account
- Term Certificates (CDs)
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Auto Loans
- Home Loans
- Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
- Signature Loans
- Share Secured Loans
- Mastercard Credit Cards
- Share Secured Mastercard
- CreditBuilder Loans
- Green Loans
- Citizenship Loans
- DACA Loans
- Recreational Vehicle Loans
- Vacation Loans
- Small Business Loans
- Commercial Real Estate Loans
- Business Savings and Money Market
- Business Certificates
- GoLocal Term Certificate
- Audio Banking
- Mobile Banking App
- Online Banking
Quantifiable outcome
- Deposits reinvested 10 times or more to multiply community impact
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Self-Help Federal Credit Union
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Self-Help Federal Credit Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Self-Help Federal Credit Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- No Kid HungryminorPartnership with No Kid Hungry campaign (run by Share Our Strength) to fight food instability by providing children access to three meals a day. Self-Help joins the fight against food insecurity as part of its commitment to economic opportunity for all.
- GreenPath Financial WellnesscorePartnership with GreenPath, a nonprofit financial counseling organization, to provide free financial counseling, debt management services, 24/7 online training access, and educational tools to Self-Help Federal Credit Union members. GreenPath serves members who don't have a Self-Help coach in their region or need services outside traditional business hours.
- CO-OP / Velera NetworkcoreNational CO-OP shared-branching network partnership allowing Self-Help Federal members to access thousands of surcharge-free ATMs and shared branch services nationwide. Velera provides the ATM network infrastructure and IDCheck authentication for shared branch transactions.
- GoLocal Bay Area Certificate ProgramminorPlace-based certificate program allowing investors to support lending in the Bay Area. When investors choose place-based impact, funds are responsibly lent to low and moderate income individuals with less access to traditional capital in the community.
- Center for Community Self-HelpcoreSelf-Help Federal is part of the Self-Help family of nonprofit organizations including Center for Community Self-Help. Non-eligible members can join by paying a $5 one-time fee to Center for Community Self-Help. The Center provides over $12 billion in financing over 45+ years across all affiliated organizations.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Self-Help Federal Credit Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Self-Help Credit Union: Self-Help Credit Union is the sister organization to Self-Help Federal Credit Union under the Center for Community Self-Help umbrella. Both are CDFIs serving underserved communities with overlapping products and shared back-office; Self-Help Credit Union operates branches in NC, FL, VA, GA and SC where Self-Help Federal does not.
- Patelco Credit Union: Patelco is a large California-based credit union with a similar consumer-and-community banking focus, comparable checking/savings/CD products, and digital banking. While not a CDFI, it competes directly for the same retail members in Northern California with assets of $7B+.
- Mission Federal Credit Union: Mission Fed is a San Diego-area community-focused credit union serving consumers and small businesses with a similar suite of deposit and loan products. Both are California-based CDFI competitors targeting working families in their respective regional markets.
- Kinecta Federal Credit Union: Kinecta FCU is a Southern California credit union with a comparable community-development orientation, including the Management of federally chartered credit union products. Both serve diverse Southern California communities and compete for small business and consumer members.
Broad incumbents
- BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union): BECU is a Washington-state credit union with a comparable community-focused mission and similar Pacific Northwest member base. At $25B+ in assets, it dwarfs Self-Help Federal but overlaps on products (checking, auto, mortgage, small business) and competes for similar middle-class and underserved members in Washington.
- SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union: SchoolsFirst FCU is one of California's largest credit unions (>$25B assets) serving K-12 educators. It competes with Self-Help Federal for California consumer banking relationships and offers a similar product suite (checking, auto, mortgage, small business).
Emerging players
- UFCW Federal Credit Union: UFCW FCU is a smaller federally chartered credit union serving union workers and their families. While not strictly a CDFI, it has a similar community-serving mission, niche member base, and comparable deposit-and-lending product set.
- One PacificCoast Bank (CDFI): One PacificCoast Bank is a CDFI bank serving West Coast underserved communities with deposits and small business lending. It directly competes for community-development deposits and small business lending in Northern California where Self-Help Federal has multiple branches.
Others
- Center for Responsible Lending (CRL): CRL is part of the same Self-Help family of nonprofits, sharing the parent Center for Community Self-Help. It is a policy/advocacy organization rather than a lender, but represents a sister ecosystem participant with closely aligned mission.
- Self-Help Ventures Fund: Self-Help Ventures Fund is part of the same Self-Help family of organizations and provides venture capital and loans to small businesses and CDFIs. It is an ecosystem-related party and supply-chain connector for small businesses that borrow from Self-Help Federal.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Self-Help Federal Credit Union social profiles
Digital presenceSelf-Help Federal Credit Union compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Self-Help Federal Credit Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Self-Help Federal Credit Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Self-Help Federal Credit Union subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Self-Help Federal Credit Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Self-Help Federal Credit Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Self-Help Federal Credit Union
What does Self-Help Federal Credit Union do?
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered, member-owned credit union providing deposit products (checking, savings, money market, CDs, IRAs), consumer loans (auto, mortgage, HELOC, personal, credit-builder, green, immigration), and small business/commercial loans. It serves over 130,000 members across 44 branches in six states with mobile, online, and audio banking channels, while operating as a certified Community Development Financial Institution focused on underserved communities.
Is Self-Help Federal Credit Union a public or private company?
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Self-Help Federal Credit Union founded?
Self-Help Federal Credit Union was founded in 2008. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Self-Help Federal Credit Union based?
Self-Help Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Modesto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Self-Help Federal Credit Union make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Interest Income from Loans are the primary driver. The others are deposit Account Fees, certificate and Savings Account Interest, loan Payment Processing Fees and credit Card Fees.
Who are Self-Help Federal Credit Union's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Self-Help Credit Union, Patelco Credit Union, Mission Federal Credit Union and Kinecta Federal Credit Union. Broad incumbents are BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union) and SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union. Emerging players are UFCW Federal Credit Union and One PacificCoast Bank (CDFI). Others are Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and Self-Help Ventures Fund.
Does Self-Help Federal Credit Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for Self-Help Federal Credit Union.
What industry is Self-Help Federal Credit Union in?
Self-Help Federal Credit Union's product category is Community Development Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAEAC, Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs), with a secondary code of FSAKAAAL, Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment). Its NAICS code is 52213 and its SIC code is 6035.