In 2018, Neighbors Federal Credit Union contributed an estimated value of $406,289 to charitable causes supporting the Greater Baton Rouge community in the form of cash donations, sponsorships, employee community service hours and goods donated by NFCU members and employees.
The contributions break down into the following areas of need:
| Education | $ 141,928 |
| Misc. Community Empowerment | $ 114,897 |
| Financial Literacy | $ 75,355 |
| Children's Services | $ 38,050 |
| Health Wellness | $ 20,492 |
| Veterans and Law Enforcement | $ 12,012 |
| Animal Welfare | $ 3,555 |
Neighbors FCU holds community involvement as one of its core values and believes it is a credit union’s role to improve and empower the communities it serves. Neighbors FCU started as Baton Rouge Teachers FCU, so investing in education is one of its founding principles and continues to be a priority for the credit union.
Neighbors estimates contributing a total value of $141,928 toward education, which includes $15,000 in scholarships from the Neighbors Way Tuition Assistance Award, $40,985 given back to local high schools from the Mascot Checking Program, and roughly $60,000 spent building new financial literacy centers at Walker High School and Denham Springs High School.
“One measurement of success is to evaluate the positive impact that we’ve made on our community as well as in the lives of our members,” Neighbors President and CEO Steve Webb said.
“As we look back upon 2018, I am proud of the work done by our organization and our team as we invest time, talent and donations to ensure the communities that we serve are better places because Neighbors FCU was present.”
The contributions were made in the following forms:
| Cash Contributions and Purchases | $ 250,009 |
| Community Service Hours | $ 143,980 |
| Goods Donated | $ 12,300 |
A volunteer hour is valued at $24.69 according to the Independent Sector, which was used to determine the monetary value of NFCU’s community service work. This included Neighbors Day where every NFCU employee took Columbus Day off to volunteer throughout the community. With more than 1,000 hours of community service throughout the Greater Baton Rouge area, the impact from Neighbors Day is valued at $26,813.
The total value of community service hours includes the volunteer value of two full-time employees who work exclusively in community involvement.
These contributions were orchestrated in conjunction with the Neighbors Capital Area Foundation.
“While 2018 was an exciting year for us, we’re dedicated to making 2019 even bigger and better,” Neighbors Community Outreach Coordinator Kacie Bizot said. “Our employees have a great desire to give back to the communities we serve.”
“We hope to continue to expand the opportunities that are provided to them and continue to connect with those in need throughout Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas.”
