A New Year Message from Our CEO

Dear Valued Member,

As COVID-19 surges and a rapidly rising interest rate environment presented challenges during 2022, our employees remained fully focused on delivering exceptional service and value to our members.

Delta Community again achieved strong financial performance through sound, conservative investment strategies and effective cost management. Our annual earnings enable us to offer members consistently attractive pricing through any economic cycle as well as to invest in new services, such as our interactive teller machines (branded “Live Teller”). More than 59,000 new members joined Delta Community last year, reflecting a growth rate well above the industry average. Additionally, our direct loan portfolio rose by 14 percent as members responded to special promotions we offered for auto, home equity and other loans throughout the year. Of course, the most important measure of our performance was the ongoing confidence members expressed in our service. Delta Community’s member satisfaction score again led the nation among peer credit unions—for the fourth consecutive year.

Looking to this year, we have multiple initiatives underway to further enhance the member experience we offer:

• The wellbeing of members and employees is always top priority. COVID-19 continues to be a significant public health concern, and a severe flu season is expected to complicate the situation. We will follow public health guidance and enact prudent, cautionary measures when warranted in order to sustain access and effective operations across our branch network.
• Our Midtown Branch will be relocated to a larger, more convenient space on Peachtree Street in early second quarter. We will also continue our strategy of opening one new branch annually to better meet our members’ needs across our existing 16-county footprint in metro Atlanta.
• We will deploy additional Live Teller machines in branch vestibules and drive-thru lanes. Live Tellers have a video chat feature which enables us to extend one-on-one personal service beyond normal branch hours with trained Delta Community employees.
• An expanded suite of checking products will be introduced to cater to our members’ different preferences and interests. In addition to free checking, we intend to offer interest-bearing and student accounts. We will let you know as soon as the new options are available and detail their benefits.

In closing, I want to mention that we will hold our annual all-employee meeting on Presidents Day. We use the day to discuss our business purpose and review current priorities. Our theme this year is “Full Service, Full Satisfaction”, and the phrase reflects the difference we strive to make every day for our members, co-workers and local communities.

Thank you for entrusting Delta Community with your business. Please know that our desire is to foster lifelong relationships and assist members during every stage of life. I hope you will contact us whenever we can help you achieve your financial goals.

Best wishes,

Hank Halter

Chief Executive Officer

2023 Philanthropic Recipients Named 

We are excited to announce that we have selected our 2023 Philanthropic Fund recipients! Throughout the year, Delta Community will invest $150,000 in support of 20 nonprofit organizations that provide education and health and human services to its participants. An employee committee, pictured, selected the grant recipients from the many applications received last year. Among the 20 organizations to receive a grant are Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Women in Technology (WIT) and Atlanta Community Food Bank.

With the awarding of these 2023 grants, the Philanthropic Fund will have invested more than $1 million in grants to approximately 200 nonprofit organizations in metro Atlanta since its launch in 2014. Visit our Philanthropic Fund page for the full list of recipients and more information on how your organization can apply for a grant.

$10,000 Awarded to Two HBCU Students

In December, Delta Community and Atlanta radio station V-103 presented our final HBCU Scholarships of 2022, awarding $5,000 each to Isis Evans and Anthony Tucker.

Isis Evans is a senior at Spelman College, majoring in political science with a minor in writing. In the summer of 2022 she was a congressional intern drafting legislation, including the RAP Act of 2022. At Spelman she serves as the president of the Morehouse Spelman Prelaw Society, secretary of the Senior Class Council, a resident advisor, and is a First Year Study Group Lead for the Student Success Program. In addition to her many campus leadership responsibilities, Isis regularly volunteered at the Metro Atlanta Boys and Girls Club in 2022. Her career goal is to be an attorney.

Anthony Tucker is an engineering student at Westlake High. Among his many impressive academic achievements, Anthony has a 4.0 grade point average, and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, the National Honor Society, and received the Georgia Certificate of Merit for being in the top five percent of his class. Over the past four years, Anthony has been actively involved in extracurricular organizations such as College Inroads, DECA, Inc., and the United Way of Greater Atlanta. Anthony has also held an after-school job during much of his high school tenure. He plans to pursue an undergraduate degree in software engineering at Florida A&M University or Howard University.

Throughout 2022, Delta Community awarded a total of $20,000 in scholarships to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The HBCU Scholarship is part of our annual Scholarship Program. Visit our website to learn more about all of the scholarships we offer.

Go for Your Goal Youth Savings Challenge

This new year, Delta Community is helping teach our youth account holders the importance of setting savings goals. The 2023 "Go for Your Goal" Youth Savings Contest is a great opportunity for young savers to start envisioning these goals. Have your child use our contest entry form to share what they are saving for with a drawing, picture, fun video, song, poem, or any other creative way! Entries will be accepted through January 31 and we'll select 10 winners, based on creativity, to each receive $100 for their Youth Savings Account. Visit our website for more information on how to enter. We look forward to helping your young savers reach their goals! 

Make the New Year Easier with Zelle^® and Bill Pay

Ring in 2023 with new, easier ways to send money and pay bills. At Delta Community, we offer simple solutions to help you get the most out of your finances and we want to set you on the right track this new year with our convenient payment options. Our Bill Pay service makes paying bills easier than ever! The user-friendly platform helps you pay your bills on time, every time and whenever and wherever you want. The service is free and you can easily register under the Bill Pay tab within Online Banking.

We also offer Zelle^®,^* a fast and easy way to send and receive money using our Mobile App and Online Banking. Once registered, you can send money to trusted friends and family at any time with only the recipient’s email address or phone number. Zelle^® is useful for splitting the cost of a dinner bill, requesting a payment and more. To get started, log in to Online Banking and select Send Money with Zelle^® under the Transfers tab or under More in our Mobile App.

Activate Your Bonus Reward Points

Each quarter, we offer an opportunity for members who have our Visa® Platinum Rewards Credit Card to earn Bonus Reward Points for purchases in select categories from restaurants to retail.

If you’re a Platinum Rewards Credit Card holder, be sure to enroll each quarter to earn 2x or 3x the Reward Points on the purchases you make every day. Activate bonus categories for January through March to earn 3x Reward Points for eligible purchases with Restaurants and Fast Food, 2x Reward Points for eligible purchases at Gas Stations and Grocery Stores, and 1x Reward Points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases in categories outside the bonus categories.

To activate, log in to your account and select Reward Points under the Additional Services tab or More in our Mobile App. Click the link to enroll for the current quarter or an upcoming quarter. When you’re ready to redeem your points, you can choose from a wide variety of Cash Back, Gift Cards, Merchandise and Travel with no blackout dates.

Financial Education Center Seminars

At Delta Community, we know that knowledge is the key to reaching your financial goals and establishing good financial habits. That’s why we’re offering a series of workshops each month focusing on a different aspect of personal finance. Whether you’re planning for a major milestone or trying to better manage your finances, our Financial Education Center offers the tools to help you achieve financial success.

January’s series will focus on Money Management. We’ll discuss what to do after a holiday spending spree, how to set up and stick to a budget, ways to make better spending decisions, the convenience of digital banking and how to improve your savings. Our financial counseling service BALANCE will also review the basics of personal finance. 

• January 10: How to Recover from Holiday Financial Stress | Live Webinar
• January 17: The Psychology of Spending | Live Webinar
• January 24: Digital Money Management | Live Webinar
• January 26: Serious About Saving | Live Webinar

 Check our Events & Seminars page for more information on upcoming seminars.

Monthly Blogs

• Avoid Fake Check Scams—Have a Check Clear Before Sending Money: Fake checks are big business for crooks, and their ability to convince victims that they are reliable people or businesses means that everyone should be careful when receiving a check from a stranger. Read our blog to learn how to protect yourself against fake check scams.
• How to Start Saving for Retirement with an IRA: An individual retirement account (IRA) is a type of personal retirement plan offered by many different financial institutions that provides preferential tax treatment on retirement savings, usually through tax-free growth or tax-deferred growth. Read more to learn how to start saving for retirement with an IRA.