Frequently Asked Membership Questions
Anyone can become a member by joining our nonprofit, the Center for Community Self-Help,
with a one-time $5 fee. Otherwise, many of our members are eligible because they live in
specific locations or have affiliations through their family or workplace. See our eligibility page.
You can join by submitting a secure online application, or apply in person at one of our branch locations.
Our mission is creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all. While we
serve members from all walks of life, our lending focus is on those who have been underserved
by conventional lenders, including people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth
families and communities
With 70,000 members, Self-Help has branches in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and
Virginia. Visit our locations page to find your nearest branch.
With our automated services you can access your accounts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We offer online, audio and mobile banking. We also partner with a network that offers over 30,000 ATMs
nationwide.
Yes, we have a full range of financial products and services to fit your needs, including home loans, loans for large and small businesses, car loans and credit-building loans.
Self-Help began in 1980 as a small initiative to help workers in rural North Carolina who had been
displaced from their jobs. Our start-up capital was $77 earned from a bake sale. Find out more about
our mission grew and evolved at Our Story.
As a not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution, Self-Help is owned by our members, not
shareholders, and we exist for the benefit of members. Our members serve as elected
representatives, giving all members a voice in governing the credit union. Our earnings are
returned to our members in the form of lower rates on loans and higher rates on savings.
From the beginning, we have witnessed the talent, determination and creativity within the
communities we serve. Our name reflects the reality that we are investing resources in people
who help themselves when given the opportunity to succeed.