As temperatures soared across the nation this summer, so did credit unions’ support for various causes in their communities. Food banks, youth in need, educators and fair housing organizations were just a few of the season’s recipients of donations from their credit union partners.
As a follow-up to our July story of hefty credit union donations from May and June 2025, here’s a look at some of the biggest donations by dollar amount that were shared with CU Times in July, August and early September.
1. Robins Financial Credit Union’s $260,000 Donation to 18 Nonprofits
The $4.7 billion, Warner Robins, Ga.-based Robins Financial Credit Union announced Sept. 8 that it recently donated $260,000 to 18 local nonprofits through its annual Community Project initiative.
Each year, the credit union invites local nonprofits serving communities within its 45-county service area to receive funding based on their mission and impact on the community. This year’s recipients were: Achieve Foundation, American Heart Association, Athens Land Trust, Inc., Books for Keeps, Boys & Girls Clubs of Athens, Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia, Boys & Girls Club of Laurens & Johnson Counties, Chard Wray Food Pantry, Communities in Schools Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Happy Hour, Houston County Volunteer Medical Clinic, Loaves & Fishes of South Houston County, Meals on Wheels of Houston County, Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, Middle Georgia Regional Library, Rehoboth Baptist Association, Rockdale Emergency Relief and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
2. InTouch Credit Union’s $279,650 Donation to Local Food Banks
This $810 million, Plano, Texas-based credit union’s summer charitable giving mission was to stamp out hunger in its community. As part of its “You and Us, Fighting Hunger Together” campaign, InTouch Credit Union said on Aug. 5 that it donated $279,650 to local food banks, including North Texas Food Bank, Three Square Food Bank and Gleaners Food Bank.
The credit union’s goal is to contribute $1 million to provide over three million meals to those in need. Launched in 2022, the campaign channels a portion of revenue generated from new loans and every ITCU credit or debit card transaction to local food banks affiliated with Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.
3. Gesa Credit Union’s $440,000 Distribution to 31 School Districts
The $6.4 billion, Richland, Wash.-based Gesa Credit Union announced Aug. 15 that it awarded nearly $440,000 in funds through its Affinity Debit Card program to 31 partner school districts across the Pacific Northwest, marking the program’s largest annual giveback since its launch in 2015.
In eastern Washington, 21 schools and districts were awarded more than $310,000. In western Washington, six school districts and college foundations were awarded more than $75,000. And in the inland Northwest, four school districts were awarded more than $45,000.
The funds, which were generated through the 2024-2025 school year when participating members used their Affinity Debit Cards, will go towards enhancing academic programs, supporting technological needs, and funding extracurricular activities and athletics.
4. Chartway Promise Foundation’s $1.1 Million Award to 25 Charitable Partners
While originally announced in January, the Chartway Promise Foundation’s award of $1.1 million in grants to 25 nonprofit charitable partners coincides with the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, and it’s been celebrating the milestone with fundraising events throughout the year. These included the Chartway Virginia Beach 10-Miler & 5K at the Virginia Beach, Va., oceanfront, which took place over Labor Day weekend in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. Still to come is A Night for Hope, a roaring 20s themed cocktail party set for Sept. 28 at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, and the 26th annual Swings Fore Smiles golf tournament scheduled for Sept. 29 at the Broad Bay Country Club in Virginia Beach – both also being held in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The Chartway Promise Foundation, the charitable arm of the Virginia Beach-based, $3.1 billion Chartway Credit Union, distributed the $1.1 million in grants – raised during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September 2024 – to 25 charitable partners last December. The grants funded programs in 2025 that support medically fragile children across the credit union’s Virginia, Texas and Utah markets. What’s more, the grant payout broke the Foundation’s previous dollar-amount record and represented the largest number of recipients in a single year in the Foundation’s history.
5. Nusenda Credit Union’s $1.5 Million Commitment to the Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces
On Sept. 9, the $4.7 billion, Albuquerque, N.M.-based Nusenda Credit Union and the Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces (BGCLC) announced a partnership to support the Club’s facility expansion and strengthen opportunities for youth and families across Southern New Mexico. Nusenda’s $1.5 million charitable investment, to be distributed over five years, includes naming rights for the Club’s new gymnasium and the launch of a collaborative effort to deliver comprehensive financial literacy programming to young people and their families.
Through the BGCLC’s Building Great Futures Capital Campaign, the organization aims to raise $10 million to renovate and expand its existing facility. This major transformation will turn the building into a modern, 30,000-square-foot facility, the Club’s first new home since 1965. In addition to the gymnasium, the new facility will feature a state-of-the-art STEM lab, spaces focused on the arts, learning spaces and an entire wing dedicated to teens, providing opportunities for after-school programs, summer camps and leadership development.
6. SECU Foundation’s $1.5 Million Grant for the Western Youth Network
While the SECU Foundation, the charitable arm of the $56.2 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU, announced several large donations this summer, its largest was a $1.5 million challenge grant for Western Youth Network (WYN), revealed on July 14. The grant will assist with the construction of a new youth resource center to serve residents in the five-county High Country region of North Carolina, allowing the nonprofit to expand its continuum of care for students from kindergarten through 12th grade and help create an ideal setting for academic, social, physical and behavioral health services. WYN has been serving youth in the region through prevention and intervention programs since its establishment in 1985.
7. LMCU’s $2 Million Donation to the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan
Lake Michigan Credit Union ($14.8 billion, Caledonia, Mich.) announced on Aug. 6 a series of major investments to help under-resourced residents across Michigan afford their first home. The credit union gave $2 million to the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, a nonprofit organization that works to increase homeownership through education, advocacy and outreach in West Michigan and across the state.
That sizable donation coincided with an announcement that LMCU’s Board of Directors approved a $12 million multi-year commitment to the credit union’s own programs designed to improve borrowing opportunities for those looking to buy their first home in the state.
The commitment includes more than $2 million in 2025 for LMCU’s HomeAssist Downpayment Program, which launched in August 2024 with an initial $1 million in funding to provide economically under-resourced borrowers access to funds that can be used towards a down payment and closing costs on their first home. Since its launch, HomeAssist has helped more than 180 first-time homebuyers achieve homeownership with a grant of $10,000 or more, according to LMCU.
8. First Tech FCU’s Northwest Classic Golf Tournament That Raised $2.1 Million for CU4Kids
On July 21, First Tech Federal Credit Union ($17 billion, San Jose, Calif.) marked the 25th anniversary of the Credit Unions for Kids (CU4Kids) Northwest Classic golf tournament, held at the Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club in Aloha, Ore. The event raised $2,134,809, which will support children and families receiving care at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
This year’s campaign was bolstered by a collaborative member fundraising campaign, where First Tech, in concert with 11 Oregon and Southwest Washington credit unions, collectively launched a pop-up on their online banking platforms throughout the month of June. Additionally, First Tech double-matched employee donations and single-matched member donations throughout June. Altogether, these contributions alone added more than $320,000 to the campaign’s total.
9. Ent Credit Union’s $2.5 Million Investment at Children’s Hospital Colorado
Finally, the largest credit union donation announced to CU Times in July, August or early September came from the $10.3 billion Ent Credit Union, which is investing $2.5 million to establish the Ent Credit Union Endowed Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
The gift will support innovation, research and recruitment in one of the nation’s largest pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) programs – a fitting area of medicine for Ent to support, given the Colorado Springs-based credit union’s name.
With support from Ent’s endowment, the program’s inaugural endowed chair, Dr. Soham Roy, and his department will be able to expand access to care, enhance clinical excellence and drive forward new treatment breakthroughs.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.