California Credit Union has partnered with the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU) to provide urgently needed aid for Ukrainians, offering a $100,000 donation match for the organization’s Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund.
Through the partnership, California Credit Union will match every dollar donated through its Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund campaign page, up to $100,000, through April 30th. The Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund initially will direct support to immediate humanitarian needs triggered by Russia’s continued targeting of civilians, which has caused a crisis for those still in Ukraine and for more than two million Ukrainian refugees who have fled the country.
“We have watched this tragic and unnecessary crisis unfold in Ukraine along with the rest of the world, and our hearts are with the brave Ukrainian people and all those impacted by this senseless violence,” said California Credit Union President/CEO Steve O’Connell. “Partnering with the WFCU is one way we can support our Ukrainian credit union family along with impacted citizens and communities, and we encourage everyone to support this very important humanitarian cause.”
WFCU’s Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund will help mitigate both short- and long-term impacts to Ukraine's credit union system and those that look to it for support, including both employees and members. WFCU, in partnership with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), is leveraging its global network to identify the immediate priority areas where funding can be used to support displaced credit union members and staff.
“We recognize that money is needed to assist the Ukrainian people right now, which is why we are working to identify partner organizations that can put the generous donations from the international credit union community to good use immediately. But we also know that credit unions, their employees, their members and their communities will need long-term assistance to get back on their feet, which is something we have always worked to provide in times of crisis,” said Mike Reuter, Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions’ Executive Director.
WFCU will donate more than half of all dollars collected in the initial weeks of the campaign to vetted non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are providing emergency humanitarian assistance in Ukraine or in neighboring European countries hosting Ukrainian refugees. The remaining funds, along with continued fundraising, will go toward longer-term credit union recovery efforts.
To keep the international credit union movement up to date on the challenges credit unions in Ukraine are facing, WOCCU has started a Ukrainian Crisis Response Blog. Look for frequent updates on the changing conditions for credit unions in Ukraine, and how credit unions and their industry partners across the world are taking actions to support them.