Celebrate Financial Literacy Month — and win cash for taking charge of your finances.
This April, complete our Financial Well-being Survey, take one qualifying action, and you could win up to $250.
Contest period: April 1–30, 2026. Drawings held in May 2026.
How to enter
Start by completing the Financial Well-being Survey — then choose one or both options below. Each option earns you one entry, for up to two chances to win.
Option #1 — Save
Open a new savings account and set up a new automatic transfer to that account.
Qualifying accounts include:
- An additional regular savings account
- A Lucky Savers account
- The new Goal Getter certificate
💡 Tip: When opening your new savings account, you can give it a custom name — like “Emergency Fund” or “Vacation” — to help you stay focused on your goal.
How to set up an automatic transfer:
- Log in to Online or Mobile banking
- Click Transfers → Make a Transfer
- Choose the account suffix to transfer from
- Choose the Savings account suffix to transfer to
- Enter the amount and click More Options to set your frequency (weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, or monthly)
- Choose the start date and click Submit
Option #2 — Learn
Attend an Alternatives financial education webinar
Join one of our free online webinars hosted by our financial education team covering topics to help you take control of your finances.
Or schedule a one-on-one appointment
Meet with one of our financial education specialists for personalized guidance. (Spanish available)
Note: Your appointment may take place after April — as long as it’s scheduled during the contest period, it counts.
Prizes
A random drawing in May 2026 will award.
| Prize | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1 winner | $250 |
| 2 winners | $100 each |
| 4 winners | $50 each |
Prizes are deposited directly into your Alternatives savings account. Odds depend on the number of eligible entries received.
Lucky Savers Starter Boost
New to Lucky Savers? Our prize-based savings account rewards good saving habits with monthly cash prize drawings. The first 20 members to open a Lucky Savers account during April will receive a $25 deposit from Alternatives to kick off their savings — no strings attached.
Limit one Starter Boost per member.
Questions?
We’re here to help.
- 💬 Send a secure message through Online Banking
- 📞 Call 877-273-2328
- 📧 Email info@alternatives.org
See Official Rules for full eligibility requirements, terms, and conditions.
Official Rules
Sponsor
The April Savings Challenge (“Promotion”) is sponsored by Alternatives Federal Credit Union (“Alternatives” or “Credit Union”), located at 125 North Fulton Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
Promotion Period
The Promotion begins at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on April 1, 2026 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 30, 2026 (“Promotion Period”). Prize drawings will be conducted in May 2026.
Eligibility
The Promotion is open only to natural persons who, at the time of entry, are:
- members of Alternatives Federal Credit Union,
- eighteen (18) years of age or older, and
- legal residents of a jurisdiction in which the Promotion is permitted.
Employees, officials, volunteers, and immediate family members of such persons are not eligible to participate. “Immediate family members” means spouse, parent, child, sibling, and persons living in the same household.
Void where prohibited by law and subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
How to Enter
To participate, eligible members must complete the Financial Well-being Survey during the Promotion Period.
After completing the Financial Well-being Survey, eligible members may earn entries through one or both of the following options:
1. Save
An eligible member will receive one (1) entry if, during April 2026, the member completes the Financial Well-being Survey and completes one (1) of the following actions:
- Opens a new savings account with Alternatives, including a regular savings account, Lucky Savers account, or the new 12-month Goal Getter $500 savings certificate offered in connection with this campaign; AND
- Sets up a new automatic transfer to savings.
2. Learn
An eligible member will receive one (1) entry if, during April 2026, the member completes the Financial Well-being Survey and completes one (1) of the following actions:
- Registers for a financial education webinar offered by Alternatives in April 2026; or
- Schedules a one-on-one financial education appointment with an Alternatives financial education specialist during April 2026.
The one-on-one appointment itself may occur after April 2026, provided it was scheduled during the Promotion Period.
Members may receive a maximum of one (1) entry per option. A member who qualifies under both options may receive a total of two (2) entries.
Lucky Savers Starter Boost
Separate from the prize drawings described below, the first twenty (20) eligible members who open a Lucky Savers savings account during the Promotion Period will receive a $25 deposit into that account from Alternatives to help start their savings.
Limit one (1) Lucky Savers Starter Boost per member. Availability is limited to the first twenty (20) eligible qualifying account openings completed during the Promotion Period.
No Purchase Necessary
No purchase, payment, or account opening is necessary to enter or win. A purchase or payment will not increase the chances of winning.
Free Alternative Method of Entry
Eligible members may enter without completing a qualifying action by mailing a 3 x 5 card with their full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address to:
April Savings Challenge Entry
Alternatives Federal Credit Union
125 North Fulton Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Mail-in entries must be received by April 30, 2026. Each mail-in entry will count as one (1) entry. Limit one (1) mail-in entry per member per track, for a maximum of two (2) total mail-in entries if the mailing clearly specifies entry into both participation tracks.
Alternatives is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, illegible, misdirected, delayed, or postage-due mail.
Prize Drawings
A random drawing will be conducted in May 2026 from among all eligible entries received.
Alternatives will award the following prizes:
- One (1) prize of $250, deposited into the winner’s savings account
- Two (2) prizes of $100 each, deposited into the winners’ savings accounts
- Four (4) prizes of $50 each, deposited into the winners’ savings accounts
Total prize value of prizes: $650
Total promotion prize value, including Lucky Savers Starter Boost incentives: $1150
Prizes are non-transferable and no substitution will be made except at the sole discretion of Alternatives. Alternatives reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if an advertised prize cannot be awarded for any reason.
Winner Notification and Prize Conditions
Potential winners will be notified by phone, email, mail, secure message, or another contact method available in Alternatives’ records.
To be confirmed as a winner, the selected entrant must:
- remain an Alternatives member in good standing at the time the prize is awarded, and
- comply with these Official Rules.
If a selected winner cannot be contacted, fails to respond within the time period designated by Alternatives, is found to be ineligible, is not in good standing, declines the prize, or otherwise fails to comply with these Official Rules, Alternatives may disqualify that person and select an alternate winner from the remaining eligible entries.
Prizes will be deposited into the confirmed winner’s Alternatives savings account.
Odds of Winning
Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received in each applicable drawing.
Verification; Disqualification
All entries and participants are subject to verification by Alternatives. Alternatives reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who:
- tampers with the entry process or operation of the Promotion,
- submits incomplete, false, fraudulent, or misleading information,
- fails to meet eligibility requirements,
- attempts to obtain more than the stated number of entries, or
- otherwise violates these Official Rules.
Alternatives further reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether an entry satisfies the Promotion requirements.
Decisions of Sponsor
By entering, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Alternatives, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Promotion, including interpretation of these Official Rules, eligibility, entry qualification, prize awards, and dispute resolution.
Release and Limitation of Liability
By participating in the Promotion, entrants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless Alternatives Federal Credit Union and its respective directors, officers, employees, volunteers, agents, and representatives from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising out of or related to participation in the Promotion or acceptance, use, misuse, or possession of any prize, except where prohibited by law.
Alternatives is not responsible for:
- technical, electronic, or human error in the administration of the Promotion;
- incomplete, inaccurate, lost, late, misdirected, delayed, or garbled entries or communications;
- interruptions in service, system failures, or unauthorized intervention; or
- any injury or damage resulting from participation in the Promotion or acceptance or use of a prize.
Publicity Release
Except where prohibited by law, acceptance of a prize constitutes the winner’s consent for Alternatives to use the winner’s name, city, state, likeness, voice, photograph, and prize information for promotional, advertising, and publicity purposes in any media now known or later developed, worldwide, without additional compensation, notice, review, or approval.
Taxes
Winners are solely responsible for any applicable federal, state, or local taxes and any other expenses associated with acceptance or use of a prize.
Privacy
Information collected in connection with this Promotion will be used by Alternatives for the administration of the Promotion and otherwise handled in accordance with Alternatives Federal Credit Union’s privacy practices and applicable law.
Social Media Disclaimer
If the Promotion is promoted on or through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform, the Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with such platform. By participating, entrants release all such social media platforms from any responsibility or liability related to the Promotion.
General Conditions
Alternatives reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, suspend, modify, or terminate the Promotion if fraud, technical failures, human error, or any other factor impairs the integrity, administration, security, or proper operation of the Promotion, as determined by Alternatives in its sole discretion.
Alternatives also reserves the right to amend these Official Rules or disqualify any participant at any time if necessary to ensure fair administration of the Promotion or compliance with applicable law.
In the event of any conflict between promotional materials and these Official Rules, these Official Rules shall control.
Governing Law
The Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Any disputes arising out of or related to the Promotion shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of law principles, except where preempted or prohibited by applicable law.