Patelco CU, Greater Nevada CU win California/Nevada State Maxwell, Desjardins awards
DUBLIN, CA (August 10, 2017) — Pleasanton, CA-based Patelco Credit Union received first-place honors at the California state level in the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award, Desjardins Youth Financial Education, and Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Outreach Award programs. Carson City, NV-based Greater Nevada Credit Union received first-place Nevada state honors in the Dora Maxwell program. All entries will now compete in the national credit union recognition programs.
Greater Nevada was honored for its “Holiday Challenge to Help More People Live Greater” campaign. The holiday challenge was for credit union staff to take the paid hours of time they have available for community service and use it during the month of December by volunteering at least two hours at one of the credit union’s approved charitable organizations. The credit union tallied an impressive 97-percent employee participation (244 employees) with more than 728 hours of community service provided to 15 local organizations (exceeding the original goal of 500 hours) during the holiday season.
Patelco CU won a first-place award in Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award in the more than $1-billion asset category. Technology Credit Union in San Jose came in second in the same program. In the Dora Maxwell Award, Patelco came in first place in the more than $1 billion asset category. Manhattan Beach, CA-based Kinecta Federal Credit Union was a very close second with Technology CU receiving an honorable mention.
Patelco CU was recognized both for its work in providing financial education to adults as well as young people in the communities it serves. By working with local organizations and schools, the credit union has reached children throughout the community, including middle- and high-school students, college students, homeless adults, as well as employees of different companies and organizations such as Children’s Hospital and the county library system.
Patelco received a first-place Dora Maxwell Award for its Pay it Forward campaign, a new and unique community giving campaign tied to the credit union’s 80th anniversary celebration. Each of Patelco’s 700 employees was given $80 with the opportunity to “Pay it Forward” in the best way they saw fit. The more than $50,000 donated by the employees, affected not only 40-plus nonprofits, but impacted thousands of seniors, adults, families, and children in need.
Technology Credit Union came in second in the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Awards for its partnership with a variety of local organizations, including training AmeriCorps members on the importance of savings and smart credit usage and the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, where it provided financial education to those who are working in and for our community at the nonprofits it support. In the Dora Maxwell program, the credit union was recognized for its partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank’s Stand for Kids campaign in which it raised money to more than 7,000 meals to families in need (exceeding the credit union’s goals).
Kinecta FCU was honored for its holiday food drive. In 2016, Kinecta and its subsidiary, Nix Neighborhood Lending (Nix), raised more than $98,000 at its annual food drive, which resulted in more than 1,000 Los Angeles area low-income families each receiving a $75 grocery store gift card as well as additional non-perishable grocery store items.
Each awards program is administered at the state level by the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, and nationally by the Credit Union National Association. Entries were submitted to the Leagues and judged by a committee from the Mountain West Credit Union Association.
The Dora Maxwell Award honors credit unions for their community outreach efforts. The Desjardins Adult Financial Education Awards honor credit union efforts to educate adult members and nonmembers. Only first-place winners in each asset category advance to the national competition.
About Patelco Credit Union
Dublin, Calif.-based Patelco Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union committed to serving the financial health and well-being of its membership. With more than 400,000 members, primarily in and around northern California, Patelco is committed to improving its members’ financial well-being and fueling hope and opportunity for its members by offering personalized solutions, advice, and expertise that empower them to achieve personal financial freedom. Founded in 1936 with $500 in assets by employees of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Patelco is in the top one percent of U.S. credit unions with more than $8.9 billion in assets. For more information, visit https://www.patelco.org/.
