Community First Credit Union - Appleton Wisconsin

What Community First Credit Union - Appleton Wisconsin does

Community First Credit Union is a member-owned, federally NCUA-insured credit union headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving consumers and small businesses across the Greater Fox Cities region. Founded in 1975 and operating with approximately 325 employees, the institution offers a full retail banking product set — checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, credit cards, auto loans, and home equity loans — alongside a business banking vertical and a financial advisory offering operated through Community First Financial Advisors. The technology footprint consists of a standard digital banking platform and mobile application supporting online account opening, loan applications, and member self-service, delivered through the communityfirstcu.org web property (Routing #275982801).

The credit union's revenue model combines net interest income from lending and deposit products, fee income on deposit and card services, and commission-based revenue from financial advisory services. Distribution is anchored by a regional branch network supplemented by digital channels, with member acquisition primarily geographic and community-driven. Strategic emphasis in the most recent reporting window has been on member savings initiatives (Mission to Save program targeting $50M in aggregate member savings), community engagement through scholarship programs and disaster relief partnerships, and ecosystem extensions such as the NetGiver digital giving platform — moves designed to deepen existing-member wallet share rather than pursue geographic expansion.

As a not-for-profit cooperative, the entity reinvests earnings into member rates, dividends, and community programs rather than pursuing external equity or M&A activity. No acquisitions, mergers, leadership transitions, or capital raises were disclosed in the available input, consistent with the operating profile of a stable, regionally focused community credit union.

Name

Community First Credit Union - Appleton Wisconsin

Legal name

Community First Credit Union

Website

https://communityfirstcu.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Member-owned, federally insured credit union in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving consumers and small businesses across the Greater Fox Cities region with checking, savings, loans, credit cards, business banking, and financial advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Credit Unions (52213)

SIC

Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus) (FSABAEAA)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Consumer lending products
• Credit union membership
• Deposit and savings accounts
• Business banking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Appleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Revenue generated from interest charged on loans including home equity loans, auto loans, personal loans, and credit cards. Primary revenue stream for credit union.
2. Deposit Interest Income: Income from investing member deposits in securities and loans, generating spread income.
3. Fee Income: Various banking fees including account service fees, ATM fees, loan origination fees, and other financial service charges.
4. Financial Advisory Services: Investments and insurance products offered through Community First Financial Advisors, generating advisory and product commission revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community First Credit Union provides retail banking, lending, and deposit products to consumer members and small businesses in the Greater Fox Cities area of Wisconsin. Core offerings include checking and savings accounts, home equity loans, personal auto loans, credit cards, and certificates of deposit, alongside a business banking division and investment/insurance services through Community First Financial Advisors.

Product overview

Community First Credit Union offers a comprehensive suite of traditional banking products organized around everyday banking, borrowing, and investment/insurance services. The core offerings include checking and savings accounts, home equity loans (featuring a 6-Year Home Equity Loan), personal auto loans, credit cards, and Certificates of Deposit. The institution differentiates through member-focused programs including the Mission to Save initiative, Financial Wellness education, and exclusive Member Discounts. Business Banking services provide specialized products for business members. The portfolio is anchored by the member-ownership model, with Community First Financial Advisors handling investment services. The credit union emphasizes digital banking access through its online portal at digital.communityfirstcu.org while maintaining physical branch presence in the Appleton, Wisconsin area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Equity Loans
• Personal Auto Loans
• Credit Cards
• Certificates of Deposit
• Checking Accounts
• Savings Accounts
• Business Banking
• Investment and Advisory Services
• Credit Union Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• $50 million in member savings targeted through Mission to Save initiative on auto and home loans

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Fox Cities Chapter of Credit UnionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Greater Fox Cities Chapter of Credit Unions to sponsor annual $1,000 scholarship for Community First members. Demonstrates commitment to community education and credit union movement support.
• Area Credit UnionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity First partners with other area credit unions to co-host annual Secure Shred & Electronics Recycling events. Supports community sustainability and security awareness.
• NetGiverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetGiver program mentioned as member benefit, potentially offering charitable giving or donation matching services to members.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU): Digital-first credit union competing primarily on online and mobile banking experience—a model Community First would need to emulate to defend against member migration to digital-native peers.

Direct peers

• Connexus Credit Union: Wisconsin-originated credit union offering comparable deposit, lending, and digital banking products with overlapping service area in the upper Midwest and similar member-owned model.
• Educators Credit Union: Wisconsin-based credit union offering consumer banking, lending, and digital services similar to Community First's product mix and regional member focus.
• CoVantage Credit Union: Wisconsin-headquartered community credit union operating in similar Upper Midwest markets with comparable consumer and small-business banking services and member-owned structure.
• Royal Credit Union: Wisconsin and Minnesota-based credit union with overlapping member base and similar cooperative structure, deposit products, and consumer and business lending offerings.
• Summit Credit Union: Wisconsin-based community credit union serving similar geographic markets with comparable consumer lending, deposits, and member-owned cooperative model directly comparable to Community First.
• UW Credit Union: Wisconsin-headquartered credit union offering similar full-service banking including home loans, auto loans, deposits, and credit cards with comparable community focus and product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Alliant Credit Union: Large national credit union offering online-first banking including credit cards, deposits, and lending—broader scale but overlapping products with Community First and a comparable member-owned model.
• BECU: Major US credit union offering full-service consumer and business banking, mortgage, and deposit products with broader geographic reach but similar member-owned cooperative structure.

Regional players

• Consumers Cooperative Credit Union: Midwest regional credit union with comparable consumer banking, lending, and community cooperative model operating in adjacent geography to Community First's Wisconsin footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-first-credit-union-appleton-wisconsin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community First Credit Union - Appleton Wisconsin