Our History

EECU was founded in 1934 during the midst of The Great Depression. That same year, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the landmark Federal Credit Union Act into law, which opened the door for credit unions to form and help the average person obtain credit more easily.

Nine teachers and administrators in the Fresno area worked together to form a credit union and offer small loans to help their co-workers make ends meet during a very challenging economic time. On April 21, 1934, Fresno Teachers Credit Union (FTCU) was chartered.

In the beginning, we operated out of a small desk drawer at Fresno Technical High School and served a few hundred members. By the end of 1937, the credit union had 156 members and assets totaled just over $10,000. In the late 1940s, we took up residence in donated office space at Fresno Junior College. In 1963, our board of directors approved plans for a new, freestanding building that would serve as the credit union’s only office until our first branch opened in 1975. 

In 1981, we changed our name to Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) to better reflect our field of membership, which has expanded over the years and now includes not just teachers but school employees, students, members of school organizations, and select employer groups as well. We are authorized to do business in Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, and Tulare Counties.

Today, EECU is the largest credit union based in the central San Joaquin Valley, serving more than 392,000 members with over $5 billion in assets. We are committed to delivering affordable products and services that help our members achieve their financial goals.

EECU takes great pride in providing significant funding to support programs and organizations that enrich the overall quality of life far beyond the limits of our membership throughout the Central Valley and Central Coast. We also have a longstanding commitment to financial wellness and uplifting our community by delivering high-impact education programs primarily to students, but also to people of all ages, that go far beyond traditional credit union services. From our award-winning Wise Up Financial Education Program to our student-run credit union branch at Clovis West High School, our efforts focus on equipping youth and adults with the knowledge and tools to achieve lifelong financial success.

You are an important part of your credit union - make the most of it by taking advantage of all we have to offer.