VENTURA, Calif. — Ventura County Credit Union has launched The Foundation of Ventura County Credit Union.
The foundation was established as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity with a mission to provide financial assistance and education to the local community.
“While the foundation’s wide-reaching goal is to foster goodwill and charitable giving in the communities we serve, we felt compelled to focus on three key areas: the underserved, the beautification and/or preservation of our environment, and the health and well-being of the region,” said Natalie Yanez, board president of the foundation and VCCU’s director of community partnerships, in a released statement.
Since its founding in 1950, VCCU said it has maintained a longstanding commitment to charitable giving. In the past five years, VCCU has donated more than half a million dollars to local organizations and causes. With the credit union’s healthy financial returns and the generosity of its member base, VCCU said it hopes to increase its philanthropic efforts in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County through the foundation.
“The foundation will serve as an extension of VCCU, streamlining and enhancing our charitable giving,” said Joe Schroeder, vice president of the foundation and CEO of VCCU. “We have a collective goal to raise $150,000 for our community by the end of 2016.”
The foundation has already raised more than $20,000 from VCCU employees, volunteers and several longstanding credit union members. The funds raised by the foundation will go to grants for 501(c)(3) nonprofits based in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and the foundation’s grant cycle will run from Wednesday, June 1, through Sunday, July 31, 2016.
For a limited time, community members have the opportunity to become a member of the Founder’s Circle with a donation to the foundation of $500 or more. The Founder’s Circle memberships will last from May 1 to June 30, 2016, and all funds that are raised through the Founder’s Circle, as well as through general annual memberships, will go directly back into the local community.