Affinity Federal Credit Union's charitable-giving arm, the Affinity Foundation is so confident in the credit union's ability to give back that it has upped the ante for its signature fundraising event next year, despite these tough times. Affinity's annual golf invitation raised a record $104,000 last year, despite the economy.

"We're excited about raising the bar again for our 2010 event because we all thrive on challenge," said Beth Degnan, executive director of the Affinity Foundation. "We have an extremely committed team who did a wonderful job orchestrating this event, which engendered the support of our invitees, business partners and vendors."

Degnan said that the amount organizations were able to give this year for the event varied. Some organizations were experiencing challenges stemming from the economy, while others continued to thrive. It depended on the location of the organization and the audience they support, Degnan said.