While not as hefty in terms of dollar amount as some of the donations announced this past spring and summer, credit unions’ charitable giving efforts this fall left a tremendous impact on their communities in areas from health care to housing insecurity. And, their contributions to food banks in particular became critical as the government shutdown took away SNAP benefits for many Americans.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest donations by dollar amount that have been shared with CU Times since late September.
1. Mission Fed’s $230,000 Award to 26 Local Nonprofits
As part of the credit union’s pledge to award $500,000 to its local community through its “Community is Everything” fund, the $6.9 billion, San Diego, Calif.-based Mission Federal Credit Union gave $230,000 to 26 local nonprofits.
Announced in early October, the contribution included $25,000 each to the MiraCosta Foundation and Interfaith Community Services, as well as $10,000 or $5,000 grants to 24 organizations, including MANA de San Diego, San Diego Oasis, San Ysidro Health and Just in Time Foster Youth.
Mission Fed’s goal for the awards was to secure financial resources that make a lasting impact in areas such as education, health care, the arts, social services and more. Future giving through the “Community is Everything” program will support emergency and disaster-related needs, the credit union noted.
2. Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger
Credit unions in Maine broke a record in this year’s $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge, raising $238,217 to help feed people in the state, many of whom felt the pain of the government shutdown’s impact on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) this fall.
Spearheaded by the Maine Credit Union League, the campaign is now in its 35th year and raises funds year-round. In 2025, 25% of the campaign’s online proceeds generated in October – nearly $36,000 – were directed to Good Shepherd Food Bank.
3. American Heritage CU’s $250,000 Gift to Jefferson Health
Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia gained support for its Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Patient Support Center thanks to a $250,000 gift from the $5.1 billion American Heritage Credit Union, also in Philadelphia.
As part of the contribution, announced Dec. 2, the hospital’s Administrative Oncology Suite, Patient Support Center and Discharge with Dignity Program were renamed in recognition of American Heritage. The Discharge with Dignity Program ensures that all patients have the resources and essential items needed to leave the hospital and focus on recovering at home.
4. Chartway’s Support of Charity Partners During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
September 2025 was a big month of giving for Chartway Credit Union ($3.2 billion, Virginia Beach, Va.) and its charitable arm, the Chartway Promise Foundation. To mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, Chartway held its annual signature events – the Swings Fore Smiles golf tournament and A Night for Hope fundraiser – along with Wish and Dream Reveals, team member volunteer service projects and partner-powered experiences across Chartway’s Virginia, Texas and Utah communities. In total, the Foundation raised $275,000 throughout the month for its charity partners, surpassing its goal of $250,000 and keeping the organization on the path toward exceeding $1 million in funds raised in 2025.
At A Night for Hope: Roaring 20th Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 28, charity partners and community members gathered at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center for a 1920s-themed evening of cocktails, tastings, music, silent auctions, gaming tables and family testimonials. And on Sept. 29, the 26th Annual Swings Fore Smiles golf tournament at Broad Bay Country Club in Virginia Beach, Va., featured a surprise Dream Reveal with charity partner Toby’s Dream Foundation. Four-year-old Alexander “Zan” – who is in his third year of remission from liver cancer – and his family learned they would embark on a dream trip to Walt Disney World in October.
5. Veridian CU’s $300,000 Commitment to Fund Affordable Housing in Iowa
Veridian Credit Union ($8.3 billion, Waterloo, Iowa) pledged $300,000 in a three-year commitment to the Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity’s “Building Community Together” initiative, which aims to expand sustainable, community-driven solutions to housing affordability and neighborhood revitalization across Iowa’s Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan and Butler counties.
The initiative is expected to enable the Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity to serve 419 families within three years – more families than the organization served in its first 33 years combined. Services will focus on:
- Affordable new and rehab home construction;
- Critical home repairs and again-in-place modifications;
- Neighborhood revitalization projects;
- Expanded financial coaching and down payment assistance; and
- Launch of a new Homeownership Training Center.
By the end of 2027, the “Building Community Together” initiative is expected to generate 149 homeownership opportunities, 270 critical home repairs and 195 property acquisitions.
6. Michigan Credit Unions’ $303,000 Contribution to Organizations Statewide for CU Kind Day
On CU Kind Day, held on Oct. 13, 70 Michigan credit unions sent 3,859 volunteers to serve local nonprofits, contributing a total of 10,878 volunteer hours, supporting 581 organizations across the state and resulting in $303,007.63 in goods and donations for local communities.
These volunteers included a team from the Michigan Credit Union League, who spent the day volunteering at two local nonprofits, The Greater Lansing Food Bank and The Rainbow Connection. The Rainbow Connection grants wishes and provides support services to Michigan children battling life-threatening illnesses.
7 & 8: SECU Foundation’s $350,000 Grant to Imprints Cares & $500,000 Grant to Safelight, Inc.
The two largest credit union donations shared with CU Times this fall both came from the SECU Foundation, the charitable arm of the $56.7 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU.
In September, the SECU Foundation announced a $350,000 grant to Imprints Cares (IC) for the renovation of a property in North Carolina’s Forsyth County, which will become the nonprofit’s new family resource center. The facility will serve as its central hub for family support services and double IC’s capacity for onsite learning inclusion programs and provide new community programming and classrooms. IC works to address inequities in health and education, providing a holistic, multi-generational model of programming that focuses on enhancing child development, fostering academic readiness, and offering vital support for children and their families to help break the cycle of poverty.
And in late October, SECU Foundation announced a $500,000 grant to Safelight, Inc. for the expansion of the nonprofit’s domestic violence shelter in North Carolina’s Henderson County. The expansion will allow Safelight to serve an additional 150 individuals annually with programs and services that are offered free-of-charge in a secure, safe environment conducive to recovery.
Safelight provides support to survivors of violence, abuse or exploitation through a multifaceted approach with a continuum of programs and services that take someone from crisis to sustainability with onsite access to mental health, medical, legal, housing and employment services.
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