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The credit union industry’s philanthropic organizations are always eager to open their wallets for the sake of improving the lives of those in need in their communities, and this year has been no different. Here’s a peek at the eight biggest donations by dollar amount that have been shared with CU Times so far in 2025.
1. The FAIRWINDS Foundation’s $500,000 in Grants to Local Nonprofits for 2025
The charitable arm of the $4.7 billion, Orlando, Fla.-based FAIRWINDS Credit Union announced on Jan. 25 that it would be awarding half a million in grants across 16 organizations this year. The $500,000 total represented an increase of $100,000 compared to last year.
The chosen nonprofit organizations support Central Florida’s most economically vulnerable populations, including homeless and at-risk youth, victims of domestic violence, veterans and minority business owners. This year’s grant recipients are: 8 Cents in a Jar ($20,000), Black Business Community Development Corporation and Black Business Initiative Fund ($30,000), CareerSource Central Florida ($25,000), City Year Orlando ($15,000), Foundation for Foster Children ($25,000), FoolProof Foundation ($50,000), Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando and Osceola County ($40,000), Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka ($40,000), Harbor House Central Florida ($30,000), IMPOWER, INC. ($15,000), Junior Achievement of Central Florida ($70,000), Lighthouse Central Florida ($25,000), Prospera USA ($50,000), Quest Inc. ($20,000), United Against Poverty ($20,000) and United Way Suncoast ($25,000).
2. Mission Fed Credit Union’s $500,000 to Local Nonprofits Through Its ‘Community is Everything’ Fund
Also committing half a million dollars to local organizations this year is the $6.6 billion, San Diego, Calif.-based Mission Fed Credit Union. Through its “Community is Everything” fund, which helps provide financial resources to San Diego-area nonprofits supporting education, health care, the arts, social services and more, Mission Fed has awarded $225,000 total across nine nonprofits. Applications for the remaining $275,000 were open through March 31, with grants worth up to $25,000 per organization available.
3. Ventura County Credit Union’s $750,000 75th Anniversary Gift to Local Nonprofits
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To mark 75 years in business, Ventura County Credit Union ($1.4 billion, Ventura, Calif.) announced in early March that it would be contributing $750,000 to 10 local nonprofits throughout the year. The first two recipients were Food Share of Ventura County, which received $100,000, and Turning Point Foundation, a provider of mental health services, housing assistance and rehabilitation programs for individuals facing mental illness and homelessness in the county, which received $75,000.
VCCU said it will be announcing additional recipients, which have already been selected by a committee for their dedication to improving lives in Ventura County, in the coming months.
4. SECU Foundation’s $2 Million Grant to the North Carolina Aquarium Society
Known as one of the most prominent givers in the industry, the SECU Foundation – the charitable arm of the $52.9 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU – has already made several supersized donations this year. One was a $2 million capital grant for the North Carolina Aquarium Society, which will help fund the expansion of the organization’s North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. This development project will increase the interactive space at the state’s most visited aquarium and include a new education center to serve North Carolina students.
5. $2.2 Million Raised for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at the Credit Unions for Kids Wine Auction
For the past two decades, the Credit Unions for Kids Wine Auction has been raising big bucks for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Held on March 14 at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, Calif., this year’s event drew over 500 guests and brought in a record $2.2 million for 11 hospitals. That brought the total amount raised for CMN Hospitals through the annual event to more than $18 million over the past 20 years.
6. The Desert Financial Foundation’s $2.93 Million for Phoenix Children’s 1 Darn Cool School
The Desert Financial Foundation, the charitable arm of the $9 billion, Phoenix, Ariz.-based Desert Financial Credit Union, awarded $2.25 million to 1 Darn Cool School during a special event at Phoenix Children’s Hospital on Feb. 3. The program’s teachers also received oversized “toolboxes” filled with technology, such as iPads, Kindles, VR headsets and STEAM classroom kits, from the Desert Financial Foundation that day.
Then, on March 17, the Foundation raised $680,000 for 1 Darn Cool School – a fully accredited K-12 program that provides classroom and bedside instruction to help children keep up with their studies while undergoing medical treatment – at its Annual Charity Golf Tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. That brought Desert Financial’s total support for the program to $13.2 million over the past 28 years.
7. Rivermark Community Credit Union’s $3 Million Grant to Rebuilding Together PNW
Contributing a whopping $3 million in support of low-income homeowners in the Portland, Ore., area last month was the Rivermark Community Fund, the charitable foundation of the $3.3 billion, Oregon City, Ore.-based Rivermark Community Credit Union. With support from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, the Rivermark Community Fund directed a $3 million grant to Rebuilding Together PNW, a nonprofit that provides free home repairs and modifications low-income homeowners in the community. The funds will be used to build new roofs for 86 homes, along with numerous HVAC replacements, over the next three years.
8. SECU Foundation’s $3.45 Million in Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief Funding
Finally, the biggest donation announced to CU Times so far this year came out of the SECU Foundation, which launched a third phase of Hurricane Helene disaster relief funding totaling $3.45 million for seven nonprofits. The recipients, which will use the funds to assist residents and communities in Western North Carolina, included Baptists on Mission ($2 million to repair and rebuild up to 100 damaged homes), Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry ($500,000), Note in the Pocket ($250,000), Mountain Projects ($200,000), Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina ($200,000), Rutherford Housing Partnership ($200,000) and Crossnore Communities for Children ($100,000).
SECU Foundation initially provided a relief package of $3.75 million, and in December 2024, it added a second phase of giving at $1.75 million. This third phase brought the total to nearly $9 million for Hurricane Helene relief and recovery efforts.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
