CIRCLE, Montana— Grasslands Federal Credit Union recently donated $100,000 to 18 local organizations in need across eastern Montana in celebration of International Credit Union Day on Oct. 21. These funds will boost the impact of community projects and the efforts of organizations dedicated to serving their communities, the credit union said.
The 18 organizations receiving Grasslands FCU’s donations were identified through a survey of the credit union’s employees and board members. The credit union also looked at its total member concentrations in each community and loosely divided the $100,000 up based on those percentages, with the vast majority of the donations going to either local schools or emergency service providers in Eastern Montana. The donated funds are contributing to projects such as after-school programs, city clean-up, suicide awareness, emergency services, and more.
“Baker Public Schools is beyond grateful for the generous donation Grasslands FCU is willing to give our school district,” said Jen Mettler, District Clerk at Baker Public Schools. “One of the projects we plan to use the money for is our After School Program. These funds will assist our efforts in providing the kids additional activities and support throughout the school year.”
Grasslands FCU said this is the first time it has embarked on a campaign of this magnitude. However, the credit union has since established a new policy that will allocate a minimum of five percent of its net income to community contributions in the future.
“We couldn't imagine a better way of celebrating credit unions than by putting our philosophy of people helping people to action," said Emily Guldborg, Manager at Grasslands FCU. "We are committed to doing our part in uplifting the people and organizations that do so much to keep our community running, and we look forward to continuing with these efforts for many years to come.”