Series on PBS Featuring 9 Credit Unions Wins Prestigious Global and National Impact Awards
The groundbreaking television series on PBS, Opportunity Knocks, which featured staff from nine credit unions providing life-changing guidance to underserved members, has been awarded the prestigious Silver Anthem Award and Platinum and Gold Viddy Awards.
Opportunity Knocks showcases the transformative power of CDFIs and credit unions working with nonprofits to unlock opportunities for people to move beyond financial challenges to achieve their dreams.
Directed by veteran reality television producer Brian Spoor, executive produced the series with CDFI and credit union champion and creator, Jamie Strayer, Chief Innovation Officer at CU Strategic Planning, a Callahan and Associates Company, and Jenn George Hunter. Opportunity Knocks features renowned financial experts Jean Chatzky, Louis Barajas and Patrice Washington along with team members from the nine credit unions and numerous nonprofits over the first two seasons.
The nine credit unions that have participated in Seasons 1 and 2 include:
Pelican State Credit Union
Telhio Credit Union
Raiz Federal Credit Union
BECU
New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union
SkyPoint Federal Credit Union
Coastal Credit Union
Financial Partners Credit Union
Suncoast Credit Union
“The nine credit unions in Season One and Two truly changed lives in Opportunity Knocks,” Strayer said. “It was inspiring to see the impact these credit unions are having in their communities.”
The Silver Anthem Award, Gold Viddy Award and Platinum Viddy Award add to Opportunity Knocks' growing list of accolades, including The Silver Telly Award and Gold dotCOMM Award. The program is distributed by American Public Television and called the “Ted Lasso of Reality Television” on Rotten Tomatoes where it holds a 100% audience score. It is underwritten by Balance, Callahan & Associates, the National Council for Financial Opportunities and the Wells Fargo Foundation.
In the sixth episode of season one, Michelle Moore, a Tampa resident featured on the show, shares with the audience, “I didn't really know what a CDFI was, or the difference between a credit union and a bank. Now I'm a believer." Her experience exemplifies the power of Opportunity Knocks in raising awareness of community development finance.
Viewers can use The Opportunity Coach which creates a unique plan for each user to make and keep more of their own money based on the person’s unique situation - just like the coaches provide to the families in the show. Viewers also have free access to the Gold dotCOMM Award-Winning search database, The Opportunity Finder, which connects users to local nonprofits to find solutions to their specific needs, including legal assistance, business start-up help, eviction prevention, affordable childcare and résumé help.
