WASHINGTON — Responding to natural disaster needs emerging from last month's Alabama tornadoes as well as this week's Midwest floods, the National Credit Union Foundation said Monday it has activated a new mechanism for speeding relief checks to victims–whatever the calamity–by releasing early on $200,000 in donations originally designated for last fall's California wildfires.

In e-mails sent last week, NCUF noted that major requests for financial aid from credit union victims of the October 2007 San Diego wildfires have now been fulfilled enabling the foundation to redirect the funds “to provide urgent relief to other disaster areas.”

While on-line donations earmarked to California through the NCUF's CUAid program can easily be reallocated, permission is needed from donors to release funds drawn on individual checks, NCUF officials explained.

NCUF said also the re-designation of funds is supported by the California Credit Union League since “it does not anticipate additional grant requests.”

In the e-mails, Stephen M. Delfin, executive director of NCUF, did not refer to the most Missouri and Arkansas floods which hit last week but referred to aid requests from CU employees and members emanating from the Feb. 17 tornadoes that ravaged central Alabama and destroyed 700 homes across the South.

“NCUF has already received over 10 grant requests from Alabama credit unions employees and members,” wrote Delfin. “These requests will go unmet unless we can use the remaining disaster relief funds.” Those funds in response to the California fires are now needed “for use elsewhere,” he concluded.

Instant Insights /

NCUF Redeploying $200,000 for Disaster Relief

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