1981

• First real estate loan.
• Reach ½ million deposits.
• Alternatives Energy Home Loans gives loans to innovative ways to improve homes by saving energy.
• End year with $817,334 in deposits, and $428,010 in loans

1982

• Annual meeting snowed out.
• March: We offer share drafts and reach $1,000,000 in deposits. By November we reach $2,000,000.
• Start home mortgage program.
• End year with $2,009,790 in deposits and $640,412 in loans.

 1983

• Alternatives gets its first alarm system.
• Green Star opens on Cayuga Street.
• Pledge to finance 3 INHS super-insulated houses.
• End year with $3,582,017 in deposits and $4,034,857 in loans.

1984

• First loan sent to collection agent.
• Alternatives moves to 301 West State Street.
• Start Alternatives Currents, our monthly newsletter.
• End year with $4,863,035 in deposits and $5,133,824 in loans.

1986

• Offer members pay credit life and disability insurance.
• Offer roundtable discussions with retailers and contractors.
• First issue of Alternatives Business Yellow Pages.
• Staff all dress up with "Bill Myers" masks for Halloween.
• End year with deposits of $6,452,443 and loans at $4,574,442.

1987

• Kick off our Local Small Business Venture Capital Network
• We start what we think is the first Socially Responsible Investment Club, modeled after the National Association of Investment Clubs (NAIC)
• Join "Lets Barter" system, a precursor to Ithaca Hours
• Offer seminars on Ethical Investing, Low Income Housing, Landlording,
• Personal Budgeting, Investment Club, Entrepreneurs Network, Small Business Employee
• Benefits, Business Plans, Accounting Systems.
• End year deposits $7,805,468 and loans $6,656,471.

1988

• Published first edition of "Home Buyers Guide to Mortgages"
• End year deposits: $9,189,528 and $8,135,013 in loans.

1989 Tenth Anniversary!

• End with $10,543,456 in deposits and $8,474,445 in loans.

1990

• Dollars for Dreams, our Student Credit Union is born.
• End year with $12,433,165 in deposits and $9,120,977 in loans.

1993

• Start Local Sustainable Quality of Life Economic Indicators meetings (the precursor to Livable Wage)
• End year with $17,929,456 in deposits and $12,655,143 in loans.

1994

• Start livable wage "wage watchers" clump and reach a formula on livable wage.
• Approval for SBA lending.
• First web page!
• End with $17,456,483 in deposits and $12,940,435

1995

• First SBA loan.
• Offer Merchant VISA to member businesses.
• First hire for micro-enterprise outreach and counseling.
• Start Credit Builder Loan.
• End year with $20,040,666 and $13,737,488 in loans.

1996

• Start Historic Preservation Lending program with Historic Ithaca.
• End with $21,225,706 in deposits and $14,502,615 in loans.

1997

• Begin lending for modular homes.
• First year we offer IDAs.
• Every staff person now has email.
• End year with $21,162,164 in deposits and $14,407,771 in loans

1998

• Hire our first full time business loan officer
• Take over the CEO (now called Business CENTS) program from the city
• Student Credit Union opens is first off-site branch.
• End year with $25,419,554 in deposits and $16,168,300 in loans.

1999 20th Anniversary!

• Start CU@home online banking services.
• Purchase 125 North Fulton Street, our future home.
• Happy 20th year!
• Ben Cohen (of Ben and Jerry's) is the guest speaker at our annual meeting
• Student Credit Union expands to ACS
• End year with $27,437,403 and $19,747,862 in loans.

2001

• Ground breaking for our new building with homing pigeons, drumming and 150 folks.
• End year with $34,475,413 in deposits and $21,295,326 in loans
• First Business from the Heart seminar

2002

• Grand opening on August 19, 2002!
• Launch the 1/10 Ithaca Hour
• End with $37,744,492 in deposits and $21,179, 490 in loans.

2003

• First year for Free Tax Preparation Program
• First year for RALs (Refund Anticipation Loans)
• The West End Diorama is now on display on the 2nd floor.
• First Credit Path seminar is offered.
• First "The Business of Making Art, the Art of Making Business" workshop.

2004

• Begin financial counseling program.
• 2nd floor build out is completed.
• Our new mural by Mary Beth Ihnken is unveiled.
• End year with $43,229,000 in deposits.