Self-Help Federal Credit Union

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.

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

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

• Community development banking
• Consumer lending services
• Deposit account products
• Small business financing
• Credit union services

Headquarters

HQ city

Modesto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices41 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. Loan Payment Processing Fees: Convenience fees for loan payments: $4.95 per debit card payment, $3.00 per ACH payment through online payment portal.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• No Kid HungryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Partnership 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 WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationNational 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 ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlace-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-HelpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf-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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/SelfHelpFedCU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/selfhelporg
• Facebookfacebook.com/shfcu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/self-help-federal-credit-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/SelfHelpFedCU

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&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