The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Nature Conservancy members now have the opportunity to join Ascend Federal Credit Union, thanks to a new partnership between the two organizations.

Headquartered in Tullahoma, Ascend serves 133,995 members from 15 Middle Tennessee locations. With nearly $1.4 billion in assets, Ascend is the largest credit union in Middle Tennessee and one of the largest federally chartered credit unions in the United States.

The Nature Conservancy is the largest and most effective conservation organization in Tennessee. Working across the entire state, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 270,000 acres of critical habitats and established 17 nature preserves. Nationally The Nature Conservancy has more than 1 million members and has protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide.

“While The Nature Conservancy promotes environmental stewardship, Ascend promises to educate and help our members become effective financial stewards,” says Ascend Vice President of Marketing Kim York. “This partnership presents a tremendous opportunity for both organizations. We look forward to working with the Conservancy to help make all our members’ lives a little greener.”

The joint membership program is easy and inexpensive. To become an Ascend member, eligible individuals must purchase at least one share by depositing $5 into a Share (savings) account. This is not a membership fee—it can be refunded if the individual decides to close the account. As long as $5 is kept in the Share account, the individual remains a member of Ascend. Once a person joins Ascend, members of his or her immediate family are eligible to join as well.

Nature Conservancy members who wish to join Ascend can bring a copy of their Tennessee newsletter (starting with the Spring 2011 issue) or their Nature Conservancy membership card to their nearest Ascend financial center as proof of membership. For a complete list of Ascend locations, visit  www.ascendfcu.org.

Those who are not currently Nature Conservancy members can make a $25 donation to the Conservancy at any Ascend financial center and immediately become eligible to join Ascend.