Credit Unions Give Big During the 2024 Holiday Season

Every year as the holiday season approaches, credit unions find new ways to give back to their communities. Here are a few examples of how credit unions nationwide gave people and organizations in need a reason to be thankful as 2024 draws to a close.

SECU Foundation, the charitable arm of the $57.2 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU, said its Board of Directors approved a phase two disaster relief package to build upon a $3.75 million relief package announced in October to help expedite provisions of water, food, supplies, shelter and other emergency services to Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Phase two included a $1 million grant for Baptists on Mission to support its Essential Rapid Repairs program, a $500,000 grant for the Salvation Army of the Carolinas to help ensure the organization can provide financial aid to impacted families, and a $250,000 grant for MANNA Food Bank to fund a six-month produce distribution pilot program that expands access to fresh fruits and vegetables for affected communities.

What’s more, SECU Foundation awarded a $300,000 grant to Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina, which will pay for the development and implementation of a new centralized software system to support the organization’s advocacy and work for foster children. According to SECU Foundation, the platform will provide a statewide focus for managing professional trainings, certifications and enhanced onboarding to help improve the enlistment and retention of foster parents in the state.

Also supporting families impacted by Hurricane Helene was SAFE Federal Credit Union ($1.8 billion, Sumter, S.C.). The credit union’s “SAFE After the Storm” fundraising initiative resulted in $11,000 in donations from members, non-members and employees, as well as a corporate contribution from SAFE that brought the total donation to $22,200. The funds were equally distributed between the Salvation Army of South Carolina and the United Way of South Carolina, and will be used to provide essential resources and long-term recovery assistance to families affected by the hurricane.

Robins Financial Credit Union ($4.5 billion, Warner Robins, Ga.), which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, said it reached its goal of donating $1 million to local nonprofits and initiatives in 2024. The $1 million impacted more than 230 organizations and included supporting 70 organizations during the credit union’s annual Holiday Giving program, funding 14 nonprofit projects through its Community Projects initiative and helping teachers stock their classrooms with learning materials through its annual GRANTED program.

Also marking $1 million in donations in 2024 was the $9.8 billion, Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Teachers Federal Credit Union. The funds given impacted 105 nonprofits across the country and included a $50,000 donation split between three organizations during Teachers’ Season of Giving campaign. The three organizations chosen for this year’s Season of Giving campaign were Island Harvest Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity International and Junior Achievement USA.

Breaking holiday season giving records was a theme this year for TVFCU ($2.7 billion, Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Cobalt Credit Union ($1.3 billion, Papillion, Neb.). TVFCU provided holiday gift bags for about 185 children and senior adults through The Salvation Army Angel Tree program, along with an estimated 390 additional gifts through various other programs in Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, with this year’s donations marking the credit union’s largest contribution to date. TVFCU has hosted an employee food auction the day before Thanksgiving since 2006 to raise funds for the Angel Tree program; the auction raised $11,500 this year – $1,339 more than the previous year and enough to adopt 62 angels.

TVFCU employees with holiday donations at the Dayton, Tenn., branch. (Credit/TVFCU)

Cobalt broke its previous holiday giving records by donating $24,000 to 24 nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves. The credit union’s 2024 efforts included contributing $525 to Wreaths Across America to honor the gravesites of those who have served at Omaha National Cemetery, providing curated bags filled with thoughtful items to deploying airmen and their spouses through the 97th Commander Spouse Initiative, and contributing $20,392 to the United Way as part of an annual campaign.

Out West, Redwood Credit Union ($8.8 billion, Santa Rosa, Calif.) stepped up to fulfill holiday wishes as part of the Secret Santa program in California’s Sonoma County. When more than 2,500 Secret Santa “wish hearts” (representing people who may not otherwise receive holiday gifts) were at risk of not being adopted, Redwood President/CEO Brett Martinez, Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership CEO Linda Jacobs and Bill Freidman of local business Friedman’s Home Improvement (pictured above) visited Sonoma County radio station KZST’s morning show on Dec. 20 with a last-minute call to action for the community to help fill these gifts. Martinez then announced that RCU would cover the cost to fill the Secret Santa shortfall, supporting the program as the first and only Secret Santa Champion Sponsor and providing $75,000 to fulfill the remaining wishes.

Finally, families in Tennessee got a break from high grocery prices when several credit unions gave away $62,000 in groceries to shoppers at 32 stores across the state as part of a two-day Grocery Giveaway campaign spearheaded by the Tennessee Credit Union League.

“We watched one man as he traveled through the store and he was obviously counting how much he was spending,” Sandra Griffis, manager at one of the participating credit unions, CN/IC Employees Credit Union ($10.1 million, Memphis), said. “When we told him we wanted to pay for his groceries, he wanted to know, ‘What’s the catch? No one ever gives anything away.’ We explained that the credit union philosophy is people helping people. He was very thankful.”

A lucky shopper receives a grocery giveaway at a Kroger in Memphis, Tenn. (Credit/Tennessee League)

Pam Case, CEO of another participating credit union, Jack Daniel Employees’ Credit Union ($50.3 million, Lynchburg, Tenn.), added, “We had four employees at two locations in Lynchburg. Several individuals were thrilled to receive assistance with their grocery bill or have all their items paid for. [We received] some of the sweetest hugs and comments explaining that this was such a blessing. Employees at both locations enjoyed seeing the spirit of people helping people. They were thrilled to see customers who they knew were struggling receive assistance. What a blessing that day was.”

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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.