President's Message: Your generosity is appreciated!
2018 is off to a magnificent start for the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation. Not only does 2018 mark our 25th year of service but it also represents the strongest year of engagement from credit unions in the Carolinas. During the recent League dues process, credit unions stepped up in a big way to show their support.

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation was one of the first foundations in the country to encourage credit unions to support its state foundation via the League dues process. The support in the Carolinas has grown each year and this year, more than $117,000 was raised! THANK YOU!
 
These funds go directly to support the daily operations of the Foundation, our scholarship program for credit union members in need of financial assistance for higher education, and our small credit union professional development grants. The Foundation's Disaster Relief Fund and the Victory Junction Reach Fund are separate fundraising initiatives with 100% of those donations going to support each fund’s individual purpose.
   
Thank you for your continued engagement and support. The Foundation has a few exciting things on tap for the coming months and I hope you will consider becoming more involved in our efforts to enrich the lives of children in the Carolinas!

Best,
Lauren Whaley
Showcasing the talent in the Carolinas
More than 150 credit union supporters gathered at the Foundation's sold-out 2017 Awards Gala held on February 1st in Charlotte to celebrate the many accomplishments of credit unions and credit union professionals in the Carolinas. The evenings honorees included Dorinda Edwards retired President and CEO of  American Partners Federal Credit Union , Cathy Pace, President and CEO of  Allegacy Federal Credit Union , John Radebaugh, President and CEO of the  Carolinas Credit Union League , and Maria Scanga, Co-founder and Board Chair of  Latino Community Credit Union . Congratulations to all of 2017 honorees and award winners !


The online portal is now open for the 2018 state-level CUNA awards competition for the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award, the Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Award, and the Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education Awards. All entries are due by June 30th and winners will be recognized at the 2018 Gala (exact date TBD).
Nearly 700 Applicants for Scholarships in 2018
Through the Foundation's online scholarship portal, close to 700 applications were received by credit union members in the Carolinas - a new record! The Foundation awards both academic and needs-based scholarships each year and also manages scholarship funds for 13 different credit unions through our Scholar Vision Fund.

If your credit union wants a more streamlined approach for scholarships, the Carolinas Foundation can be your resource! By selecting the Foundation to manage a scholarship fund, your credit union is provided with a turn-key offering including notification to all student applicants and fund distribution to the student’s attending school.

We will be announcing all of the scholarship winners in the Carolinas later this summer.
#creditunionsgiveback
$9,000 from Piedmont Advantage for the Foundation's Reach Fund supporting Victory Junction
$10,000 from MTC Federal for the Foundation's
Disaster Relief Fund
$22,256 from Sharonview from its CDA returns for the
Foundation's General Fund
Upcoming Events: Mark your Calendars!
Become a Reach Volunteer and help deliver "Camp Magic"
We are excited to invite credit union volunteers to participate in the Reach Program being offered at all of the Ronald McDonald Houses in the Carolinas. Volunteers are able to assist Reach staff in hosting family nights (from 6-8 pm), which provide a comforting distraction to parents, siblings, and on occasion the kids being treated. The full year's volunteer schedule can be found here .

The Foundation will also host several Reach Carnivals in 2018 and the first one is slated for May at Brenner's Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem. Volunteers can email for more details!
Cast and Blast 2018

We are once again organizing a day of world-class outdoor entertainment at the  King Fisher Society  in Laurel Hill, NC on May 11th. All event proceeds go towards the Foundation's Scholarship Program.

Wine Pull & Silent Auction
Donations are needed at the League's upcoming Annual Meeting to help make the Foundation's silent auction a success! We are also adding a wine pull to this year's fundraising efforts with all proceeds benefiting our sponsorship of Victory Junction's Reach Program.

Supporting our mission through investments
Through the Foundation's partnership with Vizo Financial, credit unions are able to financially support our mission and our programs by sharing a portion of interest earned on investments with Vizo. Many years ago, this was referred to as the Community Investment Fund and with $150 million in investments, this allowed the Foundation to fuel its community grants program and other initiatives.

In the last two years, the Foundation has revived this partnership with Vizo and currently $4 million is earning interest for the Foundation thanks to the support of Lion's Share, SC Telco, Greenville Federal, Carolina Foothills and Greenville Heritage.

Credit unions who are interested in supporting the Foundation can work with Vizo to choose the best investment option for its asset-liability strategy and share any portion of the interest from those investments with the Foundation. All you need to do is talk to Scott Wood and the interest sharing f rom any investment option you choose can be arranged for the Foundation. It is that easy!
Contact the Foundation:
Lauren Whaley, President | 919-600-8219 | E-mail |

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation was incorporated in 1993 as a charitable organization dedicated to the embodiment of the “people helping people” philosophy of credit unions. Its mission is to enrich the lives of children in the Carolinas. The Foundation is currently partnering with Victory Junction to power its new outreach program called Reach, bringing specialized camp-style programming to children and families year-round at hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses in the Carolinas. It also serves as a partner in philanthropy with credit unions, assisting charitable giving through donor-advised funds, managing scholarship programs, supporting small credit unions with professional development grants, and aiding disaster relief for the local, national, and global credit union communities.