Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation Reaches Milestone, Awards $1 Million in Grants

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association and the state's credit unions reached the $1 million milestone in grant distributions. This is the first time the foundation has hit this mark since its founding nearly 10 years ago. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded 223 grants including $127,957 for financial literacy; $51,800 for children's aid; $25,680 for family savings and outreach; $86,722 for debit card and share draft development; $228,602 for worldwide disaster relief; $163,904 for technology development; $62,354 for marketing projects; $114,213 for National Credit Union Foundation support; $60,000 for Habitat for Humanity housing; and $24,766 for credit union staff training. Foundation Chairman Ron Lasich said, "Providing grants to credit unions enables them to better serve and meet the needs of their communities, particularly those that are underserved or low-income. Whether the grants are used to launch a service, such as debit cards, or to provide financial literacy to students, all consumers benefit by having interactive credit unions in the marketplace." The foundation board includes 13 credit union representatives and four Ex-Officio members throughout Pennsylvania.