We Are What We Do

Through years thick and thin, our credit union has maintained that supporting our community, beyond banking, is core to what we do. The year 2021 was no different in that sense, and through our Community Investment Program (CIP), we gave more than $90,000 back to our community.

To us, community investment means scholarships for local students, grants for local organizations, donations, and sponsorships for local events, and much more. Our current CIP ensures that we commit at least 10% of our earnings before taxes and dividends to the program each year – making us a leader in community investment. In 2021, the program ensured that approximately $60,000 went back to our community from gfcu operating profits, while approximately $34,000 was issued in grants through our fund with the Phoenix Foundation.

This page shares some of the major highlights and stories from last year’s community investment efforts.

You can learn more about our community programs HERE at www.gfcu.com, and you can keep up-to-date on community initiatives by subscribing to our newsletter RIGHT HERE.

Organizations Supported in 2021

Phoenix Mountain Alpine Ski Society
Boundary Community Food Bank
GF Farmers Market – Meal Coupon Program
Gallery 2 Holiday Tree Fundraiser
CBAL Books for Kids
GF Piranhas Swim Club Society
Syilx FinS Program
Granby Wilderness Society
Grand Forks Pickleball Club
Boundary Women’s Coalition
And More

gfcu Scholarships & Education

Time and again, our members tell us that supporting the youth of this community needs to be a top priority. As such, we ensure that local students have access to a variety of scholarship opportunities and are continually working to ensure that those opportunities reflect the needs of local students. In 2021, we supported a number of different students pursuing different careers through trade scholarships, academic scholarships, and through our endowments with Selkirk College and the Phoenix Foundation. Through the year, more than $10,000 in scholarships were awarded to student members of gfcu.

Of all the community investments we make – investing in our youth is by far the most rewarding.

gfcu Grants – Perley’s Outdoor Classroom

In 2021, we had the chance to visit the Perley Outdoor classroom in-person – and were lucky enough to have Mrs. Peron share her vision and her story with us about the remarkable effort put forward to make it happen.

The project began construction in 2019, and gfcu was able to sponsor the construction of the outdoor structure. But this space goes far beyond that, and includes a sizable piece of fenced in land, trees, flowers, gravel, logs, and even a creek. Teachers like Mrs. Peron are using the space to provide a contemporary and engaging learning environment for their students – and given the pandemic condition of the last two years, the timing for this space was perfect.

The video provides some excellent insight and inspiration on all that has been done here so far.

gfcu Grants – GF Library Idea Lab

Another very timely and relevant grant project that we were engaged with last year involved the Grand Forks and District Public Library. Essentially, they had an old gathering / computer space that was due for a renovation, and plans were made to improve and innovate.

With help from gfcu and other funding partners, the library was able to convert this into a private, technologically oriented meeting space. Again, a timely piece, as the room is self-contained, with access to virtual meeting hardware and software. A room where anyone can go to learn, students can go to study, and remote workers can go to connect. It has been very inspiring to see how well our local library has handled the changing pandemic environment, and we were more than happy to help enable this great transformation.