For nearly 70 years, Good Neighbors Credit Union has provided personalized financial services that help people thrive.
What began as an institution serving one school district in New York’s Erie County has gradually expanded to neighboring districts, local businesses, Buffalo’s West Side refugee community, and the broader Erie County community. Today, Good Neighbors Credit Union serves more than 10,000 members across the county.
Good Neighbors lives out cooperative values by putting relationships first. The credit union provides free financial literacy workshops at branch locations, covering topics such as saving and credit building so members can make informed decisions with confidence. The credit union’s staff work one-on-one with members from all walks of life to navigate financial challenges and opportunities, from credit rebuilding to mortgage lending. This personalized, ‘one-size-fits-one’ approach reflects a core belief that every person deserves the tools, resources and encouragement to build financial stability.
Good Neighbors also invests in young people by partnering with local schools and youth programs to provide hands-on financial education. Through recurring workshops, students learn how to open their first savings accounts and build practical money management skills. Simulations like Mad City Money, an annual interactive financial planning game for local middle school students, has become a major event. The most recent Mad City Money competition held in February 2026 included about 450 eighth grade students and 70 high school students.
Good Neighbors also supports higher education through its Walter J. Kostecky Scholarships for local university students. Five students were awarded scholarships in 2025.
The impact of all this work with individual credit union members, students and the broader community reaches across the local economy. As a credit union chartered to serve Erie County, Good Neighbors reinvests members’ deposits right back into the community. Those dollars help neighbors finance cars, buy homes and access affordable credit. In this way, Good Neighbors keeps money circulating locally, supporting household financial health and strengthening Erie County’s long-term economic resilience.
Good Neighbors also embraces Principle 6, or “cooperation among cooperatives,” through its active participation in Buffalo’s annual Co-op Fest, a celebration of Buffalo’s growing cooperative ecosystem hosted by Cooperation Buffalo. Each year, local co-ops, partners and community members come together for an afternoon of connection, shared learning and mutual support. The event features co-op vendors, live music, family-friendly activities, and food and drink—all while highlighting the strength of a community-owned economy. For Good Neighbors, Co-op Fest is a space to build relationships with other cooperatives, collaborate and collectively promote the co-op model. It’s a tangible example of how co-ops support one another while engaging in the broader community.
That belief is also why Good Neighbors values its NCBA CLUSA membership. “We’re proud to be a member of NCBA because it connects us to a broader network of cooperatives who are working toward a shared vision of a more inclusive, people-centered economy. We enjoy and value the opportunities NCBA offers to learn and collaborate with one another,” Good Neighbors Marketing Director Maria Fernandez said. Fernandez is also a member of the 2026 Cooperative Leader and Scholars cohort.
At Good Neighbors Credit Union, being a good neighbor is more than a name. It is a daily practice of cooperation, care and community investment. As CEO Emma Smalley explains, “Being a good neighbor means having a sense of pride in your community and feeling that all of these little things that we do really matter.”