GoWest Association is a regional credit union league and trade organization that represents and supports credit unions across six western states. com. Operating as a non-profit cooperative itself, GoWest serves as the primary advocacy, education, and support infrastructure for member credit unions and their leadership.
The organization provides a comprehensive suite of services designed to strengthen credit union operations and leadership. These include advocacy and regulatory compliance support, professional development councils covering eight different focus areas, community impact initiatives, and peer-learning forums. GoWest hosts major conferences like VisionBoard for credit union board leaders and CEOs, operates regional chapters (such as Valley of the Sun and King County chapters), and publishes educational content on topics ranging from AI implementation to financial wellness data.
The organization also maintains resource centers and facilitates connections between credit union professionals through programs like the Young Credit Union Professionals (YCUP) initiative. GoWest distinguishes itself as a mission-driven organization focused on promoting the credit union movement's cooperative, not-for-profit model. The organization emphasizes advocacy work to demonstrate how credit unions differ from traditional banks and banking institutions, positioning them as community-focused alternatives that prioritize member welfare over shareholder returns.
Their eight councils and multiple chapter structures create localized networks while maintaining a unified six-state presence, allowing for both national-level advocacy and regional relevance. It's important to note that GoWest Association is NOT a direct financial services provider to consumers. This is a B2B trade organization serving credit unions themselves, not individual borrowers or depositors.
While the organization supports credit unions that may offer loans, savings accounts, and other consumer financial products, GoWest does not directly issue credit cards, process loans, manage deposits, or provide any retail banking services. Consumers seeking banking products would need to work with individual credit unions that are GoWest members.