Credit union donates $100K to expand financial literacy
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Advancing its mission to build strong communities by supporting financial well-being, OnPoint Community Credit Union announced Friday it has made two $50,000 donations to financial education partners Financial Beginnings Oregon and Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington.
OnPoint also continues to support both nonprofits with employees volunteering hundreds of paid work hours annually, impacting 3,500 students in 2019 alone.
"Learning how to manage money is an essential skill that will support you throughout your life," said Rob Stuart, president and chief executive officer of OnPoint Community Credit Union. "Expanding our partnership with Financial Beginnings Oregon and Junior Achievement will allow us to engage more people, equipping them with the personal finance skills they need to achieve their own definition of financial well-being."
OnPoint has partnered with Financial Beginnings since 2008, donating a total of $204,000 and sending 89 employee volunteers into schools and community groups to teach people of all ages about personal finance.
OnPoint's $50,000 donation is Financial Beginning Oregon's first $50,000 Impact Level sponsorship. This sponsorship will support the nonprofit's Pathways program (a statewide financial literacy program that helps students navigate the financial complexities of pursuing education after high school), events that promote financial literacy and volunteer trainings.
"Developing financial literacy skills supports equitable access to life opportunities such as homeownership, higher education and secure retirement," said Kate Benedict, executive director of Financial Beginnings Oregon. "The expertise and enthusiasm shown by OnPoint volunteers have changed thousands of lives by inspiring people of all ages to play an active role in their financial well-being. The credit union’s continued generosity will help inspire and empower many more communities across the region."
Since 2019, OnPoint has deepened its partnership with Junior Achievement, donating a total of $70,000 and sending employee volunteers into schools in Oregon and Southwest Washington to teach students about personal finance, money management and careers.
OnPoint's $50,000 donation will engage 1,300 students through in-person classes in the 2020-2021 school year and will support 4,000 volunteers and 500 teachers in the region with new online training materials. Junior Achievement recognized OnPoint as its 2020 Partner in Financial Literacy for its donation and continued partnership.
"As our partner in financial literacy, OnPoint's investment will help provide young people in our region with the knowledge, skills and experiences to be money-smart and career-ready," said Ryan Deckert, president of Junior Achievement. "Junior Achievement is proud to collaborate with such a fine, respected financial institution here in Oregon and SW Washington."
In addition to partnering with Financial Beginnings, OnPoint also partners with iGrad, a financial wellness company, to provide its members with personalized financial wellness education through its online Enrich platform.
ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 400,000 members and with assets of $7.2 billion. OnPoint membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932.
ABOUT FINANCIAL BEGINNINGS OREGON
Financial Beginnings is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides accessible and unbiased financial education to youth and adults. The generosity of community members, volunteers, businesses, and foundations enables Financial Beginnings to provide these programs at no cost to participants. All of Financial Beginnings programs are taught in the community by trained volunteers who bring financial education to life. Financial Beginnings brings free financial education to over 25,000 Oregonians each year.
ABOUT JUNIOR ADVANCEMENT OF OREGON & SW WASHINGTON
Junior Achievement of Oregon and SW Washington (JA) inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy through volunteer-delivered, experiential programs for K-12 students that promote work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Established locally in 1950, JA is an affiliate of Junior Achievement USA, which has worked for over a century to empower young people to own their economic success. Visit www.jaorswwa.org for more information.
