History & Purpose

Our Purpose

The idea for the Foundation was created by credit union leaders who were seeking a meaningful way to give something back to a credit union system that provided much to them over the years and in 1993 the North Carolina Credit Union Foundation was formed. It grew to include the credit unions of South Carolina in 2001 and formally became the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation. Since its inception, the Foundation prides itself as a charitable organization dedicated to the embodiment of the “people helping people” philosophy of credit unions.
People holding a check
Little boy and girl smiling with props

Our Mission

The mission of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation is to empower and inspire credit unions in the Carolinas through collaborative opportunities to enrich our communities. With the support of credit unions, their employees and their members coming together, the Carolinas Foundation is making a lasting investment in families’ lives.

Our Success

The Carolinas Foundation has a rich heritage of doing great things across the two states. Traditionally, the Foundation has promoted large projects as part of its social responsibility efforts. Credit unions have raised dollars for Prevent Child Abuse, the Duke Pediatric Bone Marrow Center, the Levine Children’s Hospital and the Greenville Children’s Hospital. The most notable fundraising efforts are for Victory Junction, where credit union have invested more than $4,000,000 and serve as one of the largest corporate contributors. From 2015-2019 the Foundation serves as the exclusive sponsor of Victory Junction’s Reach Program. Through the $900,000 financial commitment by the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, Victory Junction takes the magic of camp beyond its gates and bring specialized camp-style programming to children and families year round at hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses in North and South Carolina.
little girl in hospital
Relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey

Charitable Programs

Other programs include awarding our credit union heroes, providing small credit union professional development grants, managing charitable giving programs for chapters and credit unions and providing scholarship opportunities to North and South Carolina credit union members. Additionally, the Foundation has awarded disaster relief grants to members, employees and communities throughout North and South Carolina. When the need arises, the Foundation assists with credit union disaster relief needs in other states as well as in foreign countries.

The financial and volunteer support of the credit union system in the Carolinas ensures that the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation continues to thrive. Thank you for your trust, dedication and generosity through our rich 25 year history.