Case Study: SafeAmerica Credit Union achieves a culture of appreciation through modernized recognition and communications with Reward Gateway

Community-chartered credit union modernizes its approach to recognition and communication to transform company culture

SafeAmerica Credit Union, a $470M community‑chartered credit union serving ~39,000 members with 75 employees across six locations, struggled to engage both unionized and non‑unionized staff and relied on an outdated intranet that failed to communicate mission, build belonging, or adequately recognize top performers. To modernize communications and recognition, SafeAmerica partnered with Reward Gateway and adopted an all‑in‑one employee engagement platform called “The Hub.”

Reward Gateway’s solution combined targeted communications (blogs, hashtags like #SACUNews and #PeopleNews), social recognition (performance and greeting eCards), monetary “You Rock Awards” at four levels, a public recognition wall, and employee discounts — all accessible on any device. In the first three months after launch, employees sent 426 eCards, issued 119 awards and published 108 articles, helping SafeAmerica build a more transparent, collaborative and family‑oriented culture, according to their HR leadership.

SafeAmerica Credit Union

Stefany Chadbon-Hooke

Vice President of Human Resources