As we close out another dynamic year, we at Catalyst are taking a moment to reflect on the key achievements and milestones of 2024. As President and CEO of Catalyst, I want to thank you for the year we are now concluding and hope you are as excited for the new year as we are. Catalyst is an organization founded on vision and service. We are focused on accelerating the success of our members and clients today, in the new year and beyond.
Catalyst anticipates ending the year on a strong financial footing, supported by healthy retained earnings, operational efficiency and strategic leverage – key factors for continued growth and enhanced service in 2025. A significant driver to this success has been a robust and engaged membership base, which welcomed 19 new credit unions utilizing Catalyst’s suite of services, while serving a total of 1300 credit unions nationwide.
Looking ahead, Catalyst’s ongoing efforts will prioritize innovation and impact, beginning with advancements in payment services and other key initiatives that support the evolving needs of our members.
Driving innovation in auto lending
Among the notable achievements of 2024 was the partnership between Catalyst and Origence/FI Connect bringing the FedNow® Service instant payment to the auto lending space. Working with one of the country’s leading electric vehicle manufacturers, the program is transforming the financing landscape by settling loans on the same day cars are purchased, including weekends. A powerful use case for instant payments, real-time loan funding helps participating credit unions pull in greater loan volumes and build their memberships.
Momentum continues to build swiftly in the faster payments arena. A notable achievement was securing a FedNow Receive, Send, and Settlement sale with a major member with assets exceeding $6 billion. That’s in addition to the numerous other FedNow engagements Catalyst has completed with other members this year. As a founding member of the FedNow Service, Catalyst has been and continues to be well positioned to lead the transition to a modern payment architecture.
Expanding financial services
Pivoting to Catalyst financial services initiatives, Catalyst continues to provide critical support services to credit unions of all sizes while making particular gains with larger credit unions trusting their sophisticated analysis to our team of experts. Currently, Catalyst supports more than 100 credit unions with assets greater than $1 billion through its Asset Management solutions; 70% of which are using multiple solutions.
In total, Catalyst assists more than 600 credit unions coast to coast with financial management and risk assessment, to drive better results for their memberships. Additionally, Catalyst’s Registered Investment Advisor service has Regulatory Assets under Management (RAUM) totaling $44.7 billion and Catalyst Broker/Dealer and SimpliCD program have combined Investments Outstanding totaling $5.4 billion.
Championing purposeful giving
While launching new services and hitting new records is exciting, one of the most rewarding aspects of Catalyst’s mission is purposeful giving to support the credit union industry and the many individuals credit unions impact across the country. Catalyst team members contributed to hurricane relief and participated in the Susan G. Komen Walk campaign among many other instances of giving, while Catalyst donated to multiple foundations to support credit union employees affected by the hurricanes in the Southeast.
Catalyst donated over $400,000 to charitable, and industry causes in 2024. Since 2015, Catalyst has contributed about $3.6 million to worthy causes.
Celebrating excellence and milestones
Achieving superior service is a cornerstone of Catalyst’s strategic plan. Catalyst surveys its members annually to gauge overall satisfaction with our solutions and service delivery. In 2024, members awarded Catalyst a positive Net Promoter Score of 82.5. Bain & Company, creator of the NPS survey, suggests that a score over 50 is "excellent" and over 80 is considered "world class” and we’ve scored above 80 nearly every year since we started measuring NPS in 2018.
Finally, the 2024 Catalyst Strategic Summit, held this October at the La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, marked a significant milestone as it was the first time the event was held outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area, hosting a combined total of nearly 185 credit union attendees. We invite you to mark your calendars for the fall 2025 Strategic Summit, to be hosted in Austin, Texas, as well as the Catalyst 2025 Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6.
Thank you from Catalyst
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the milestones and memories that have defined this remarkable year. At Catalyst, our members, staff and volunteers have been the heart of our success, working together to achieve incredible progress. Your unwavering support has made this year truly special, laying a solid foundation for continued growth and success in 2025. Thank you for being an integral part of the Catalyst family and for allowing us the privilege of serving you and your members every day.
