Mission moment: Grants & sponsorships are great, but what about caring for nonprofit staff?

At the heart of every credit union is a mission to serve the community. Alongside your commitment to your members' financial well-being, credit unions also strive to create a positive impact by supporting local nonprofits. Through grants, sponsorships, and volunteer efforts, credit unions help lift the missions of organizations that strengthen the fabric of our communities.

Having served as a Development Officer, Grant Writer, and most recently as an Employee Engagement Manager for a corporate foundation before joining my current organization, I’ve seen firsthand how charitable giving fuels important work in sectors like affordable housing, education, and environmental advocacy. As a current employee of a nonprofit organization and a board member for both a foundation and a nonprofit, I continue to witness how essential charitable support is for nonprofits to achieve their goals.

But after years of working on both sides of the fence, I’ve come to recognize a key challenge that often goes overlooked in charitable giving: the well-being of nonprofit employees. It’s time for credit unions to think beyond the traditional model of external grants and sponsorships and ask themselves how they can also support the hardworking individuals behind the nonprofits they fund. And, I am not just talking about unrestricted grants.

Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on their staff to deliver services, build relationships, and drive impact in the community. Yet, despite the vital role they play, many nonprofit employees face poor pay, burnout, and a lack of professional development opportunities. For smaller nonprofits especially, employee wages, benefits, and retention strategies often take a backseat when funding is tight and programmatic needs take precedence.

When nonprofits struggle with retention and recruitment, the very missions that credit unions support through charitable giving can falter. Employees often leave for higher-paying opportunities or better benefits elsewhere, leaving gaps in service and leadership. If your credit union is already investing in grants and sponsorships, it’s time to ask: What about supporting the people who make those programs run?

To truly make a lasting impact, it’s essential for credit unions to engage in deeper conversations with nonprofit partners. It’s not enough to simply write checks or sponsor events—you need to understand what’s happening behind the scenes and how you can be a more strategic, supportive partner. Here are some key questions to guide these conversations:

In many ways, these are the same questions you are asking your own employees and your members.

By asking these questions, you can gain insight into the internal challenges that many nonprofits face, particularly when it comes to retaining and supporting staff.

Once you have a clearer understanding of the challenges nonprofits face, you can begin to identify creative ways to support their employees. Here are some ideas to consider:

Partner with organizations to offer interest-free loans to nonprofit employees facing financial hardship on your behalf. Nonprofit staff often live paycheck to paycheck, and offering this unique benefit can provide critical support during times of need, whether it’s for medical expenses, car repairs, or other emergencies.

Many nonprofit employees—especially those who are passionate about their work—are not always given the tools to manage their personal finances effectively. Offering access to your financial education and coaching programs, even for non-members, can provide valuable resources to help them build financial stability. This can include workshops on budgeting, saving for retirement, or reducing debt. And, by gaining their trust, you are likely to gain their membership.

Instead of simply organizing a one-time volunteer event for your staff, consider creating a pro bono volunteer program where your employees can use their professional skills to help nonprofit organizations. Whether it’s marketing, HR, legal advice, or IT support, nonprofits often have a gap in these areas that can be filled by your employees. This not only helps nonprofits but also strengthens your relationship with them.

Nonprofits often struggle to find skilled volunteers or board members who can provide strategic guidance. By creating a mentorship pipeline, or offering your staff as potential board members, you can help fill critical gaps in leadership. Many nonprofits are in need of mentors for their participants or guidance from experienced professionals in their fields.

You may be thinking, “Our charitable giving capacity is limited, and we only have so much staff to manage these programs.” That’s precisely why it's important to define your community-giving strategy clearly. By aligning your charitable giving efforts with a few key pillars and forming deeper relationships with your nonprofit partners, you can maximize your impact while making the most of your resources.

A well-defined giving strategy not only helps justify your gift allocations to your board but also enhances the stories of impact that demonstrate the value of your contributions. When you focus on long-term, strategic partnerships, you create a ripple effect that goes beyond just financial donations—it leads to greater community impact, stronger relationships, and a more robust organizational reputation.

Ultimately, isn’t your mission as a credit union to empower people to achieve their hopes and dreams?

Supporting the staff of nonprofit organizations helps ensure that the individuals who are on the frontlines of positive change have the resources, skills, and recognition they need to succeed.

Charitable giving in the form of grants and sponsorships is crucial for funding nonprofit programs, but credit unions have the opportunity to go deeper. By supporting nonprofit employees, you’re investing in the people who make those programs run.

This approach creates a more sustainable model of giving—one where nonprofits can thrive, not only through financial resources but also through the well-being of their staff. When nonprofits are able to retain talented employees, they can continue to drive their missions forward and make lasting changes in the communities they serve.

If you’re ready to make a difference by supporting nonprofit employees and elevating your charitable giving strategy, I’d love to connect. Reach out to me, Courtney Lussenhop, Director of Impact at The Community Impact Fund, at courtney@communityimpactfund.org. Together, we can work to empower the individuals who are making a positive impact in our communities.

About The Community Impact Fund (CIF)
The Community Impact Fund (CIF) is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit established in 2018 to empower organizations to maximize their community impact by helping to meet the financial needs of their employees, members, and community through Impact Loans and financial education.