The Power of People Helping People

Golden 1 Credit Union abides by a “stronger together” approach that extends to our members throughout California. We take pride in our ongoing effort to become integral community partners. These values are woven into Golden 1’s vision statement: “A dynamic and trusted leader committed to enhancing the financial well-being of Californians and their diverse communities.” The first step in this process is identifying opportunities to build and grow programs that make a meaningful impact to people and organizations.

In 2012, Golden 1 launched a formal program to increase local engagement, understanding that an ongoing effort is necessary to meet year-round needs. This program originated with the formation of our Corporate Giving Program and an annual college scholarship program. In six short years, it has grown to consist of annual giving efforts plus larger, strategic initiatives aligned with Golden 1’s vision to give back to local organizations that make a positive impact on the people we serve. Through these efforts, Golden 1 has provided nearly $7 million in community contributions across California.

Golden 1’s philanthropic energies are focused on initiatives that promote educational opportunity, strengthen financial well-being and make our communities great. By funding local nonprofit organizations that improve people’s lives through our Community Grants Program and offering relief to people dealing with food insecurity via annual food bank donations, we’re making a difference and improving peoples’ lives.

At an individual level, Golden 1’s Scholarship Program, open annually to members and their dependents, helps deserving students to pay for college. Awardees receive up to $20,000 for post-secondary college education based on their academic achievements, community involvement, extracurricular activities and future goals.

For the past three years, we have also offered Golden 1 members the opportunity to help direct our charitable contributions through a match on the Big Day of Giving, an annual 24-hour, community-wide movement to raise funds for nonprofits in the Sacramento region. We provide a proportional match of up to $50,000 in additional donations for every charitable donation a member makes using a Golden 1 credit or debit card.

Additionally, Golden 1’s Corporate Giving Program has been strengthened through larger and more focused contributions. Working closely with our board of directors, we consistently evaluate and look to improve the impact of our program. As a result of this process, Golden 1 conducted comprehensive research and determined that homelessness is a significant challenge for children and young adults in the Sacramento region and throughout California. By recent counts, as many as 250 Sacramento youth do not have a safe place to sleep at night. While there are resources available for adults with housing insecurity, homeless youth, who need age-specific care, do not have access to the same resources. Through early intervention, including wrap-around services, homeless youth are less likely to become chronically homeless adults, and this leads to healthier youth and a stronger overall community.

Golden 1 answered the call to help beat youth homelessness. We made a three-year $1 million pledge to Wind Youth Services, a Sacramento County nonprofit organization that focuses exclusively on runaway, homeless and street youth. This investment funded the development of the Wind Youth Center, which opened in October and serves homeless young people across the region. The Wind Youth Center is a safe haven that provides people between the ages of 12 and 24 with access to vital services including mental health counseling, career and education services, and connections to permanent housing resources as well as 24-hour crisis support.

The impact of the Wind Youth Center inspired Golden 1 to expand our commitment and support organizations that help homeless youth in other California regions. Golden 1 recently donated $165,000 to three programs in the San Joaquin Valley – the Women’s Center – Youth and Family Services in Stockton, the Center for Human Services in Modesto and the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission. Our goal is to help break the cycle of homelessness for young people, and we believe our efforts to increase access to opportunities and resources are an important part of the solution to this extraordinary challenge.

It is in Golden 1’s DNA as a credit union to make a positive and lasting contribution to our members and the communities they call home. This takes many forms and starts with excellent financial products and services, and expands to academic scholarships, matching donations and investments to help people facing hardship recover. Everybody is better off in a healthy community, and Golden 1 recognizes a team of people, focused on making a positive difference, can achieve any goal. We’re all committed to a healthier, more prosperous California, and we’re working every day to help make that happen.

Erica Taylor is Vice President, Communications and Community Relations for Golden 1 Credit Union. She can be reached at 916-732-2900 or etaylor@golden1.com.