Our Credit Union

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors, elected by our members, are all volunteers. They receive no compensation for their time and commitment to ensure the credit union's vision and values are upheld.

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Our Mission

Mission Statement

To earn the trusted position as your financial solutions partner. For all of life's moments. While remaining invested in our communities.

Core Values

• Curious
• Empowered
• Compassionate
• Accountable
• Present
• Remarkable

Our History

How We Started

In 1938, 20 founding fathers pledged a total of $755 to provide financial options to the large French-Canadian Gardner population and launched Gardner Franco-American (GFA) Credit Union from the Greenwood Street home of Linus Allain. The idea took hold and the first annual report issued on October 31,1939 recorded $5,038.20 members had on deposit and $3,301.16 in loans.

An official office was opened on Parker Street in 1941. In 1954 with approval by it's members and the Commonwealth, the charter was changed to eliminate the restriction of membership to those of Franco-American ancestory and with it, the name was officially change to GFA Federal Credit Union. In December 1963, Linus Allain thanked the many parties who made GFA possible, including “Our Members who stood by us with confidence and unwavering loyalty.” We are proud that this very statement still holds true today. GFA has never lost sight of the principles upon which we were founded. "Serving the underserved" and the credit union principle of "people helping people".

How We’ve Grown

Of course the expansions at GFA far exceed the Parker Street location. Today we operate 7 branches, offer a robust online banking system, allow members to deposit checks from their home or office and bank with their mobile phone. We serve over 35,000 people in Central Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. And, through our convenient technology based services we continue to serve many members who have moved to other parts of the country or abroad – taking comfort that they can still rely on the values, fiscal soundness and service of their credit union.

To bring our full range of solutions to their members, throughout the years other credit unions have also joined the GFA family. Seven credit unions including Fernald School, S. Bent Brothers, Collier Keyworth, Asnacomet, Fitchburg Community Federal, Marquette, and Cheshire County Federal have merged with GFA, each bringing additional strengths. As a pioneering leader in the credit union landscape, GFA was recognized as the first credit union in the nation to acquire a stock owned savings bank, the former Monadnock Savings Bank.

With continued growth, GFA’s basic cooperative structure remains unchanged – as a credit union, when a person opens their first account, they become an equal owner. As such there are no stockholders.

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