From raising funds for local wildfire relief to donating ski goggles to doctors, our members and community came together to help one another in 2020 — even as we stayed six feet apart. Because of your support, we were able to make a big difference this year. Here are just a few of the ways we gave back.
Springing to action
At the beginning of the pandemic in the spring, the Elevations Credit Union team jumped in headfirst to help our members and community. We worked with Green Goo, a local business, to supply ourselves with bottles of hand sanitizer to give out to members. One of our employees made masks by hand and mailed them to a hospital in desperate need of PPE. We also contributed new and used ski goggles from our team and community to Goggles for Doctors. Like many other businesses, sending food to frontline healthcare workers in our community was a small way for us to show our support for them. We ordered those meals from local restaurants to contribute more to our community.
Elevations Foundation launched the Elevations Community Relief Fund in March, which has provided more than $157,000 to support those impacted by COVID-19 in our community. Elevations Foundation maximizes our members’ donations through partnerships with local organizations that are delivering funds and support to first responders, medical staff and their families, and those directly impacted by COVID-19. These funds work to mitigate the crisis across the northern Front Range in three areas: Northern Colorado, Boulder County and Southeast of Boulder County. Plus, Elevations Credit Union matched all donations made to the Elevations Community Relief Fund in 2020 to help each penny go even further.
Spreading joy not germs
In Northern Colorado, Elevations Credit Union staff created and delivered over 150 care bags for the residents at Columbine Health Systems. Each bag included essentials like hand sanitizer plus goodies from local businesses and a note to let them know that while they may be isolated, we were thinking of them. We also coordinated socially distanced outdoor summer concerts for Columbine Health Systems residents and staff. We were so happy to share the beautiful sounds of local musician Matthew Mahern with them.
On Halloween weekend, we spread joy with our Drive-Thru Boo event. For every trick-or-treater who came through an Elevations drive-thru, we donated $1 to A Precious Child or Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, two local organizations making a difference when it comes to early childhood development. We gave $1,000 total to these organizations with the help of our members and community. We also saw some great costumes!
Foundation scholarships for area students
School was a very different experience for students in 2020, but we were still excited to see local high school graduates start on their higher education journeys. The Elevations Foundation awarded $39,500 in scholarships to 16 local, college-bound students. The scholarship recipients are 2020 graduates of the following school districts: Boulder Valley, Douglas County, Jefferson County, Poudre, St. Vrain Valley and Westminster. The Elevations Foundation scholarship initiative has provided over $564,000 in scholarships for higher education during its first 10 years. Award criteria include financial need, merit and academic performance. Read more about one of Elevations Foundation’s 2020 scholars, Roman Garcia-Martinez.
Zooming into digital seminars
Elevations Credit Union’s free educational seminars are one way that we support the financial well-being of those in our community, with topics from first-time homebuying to retirement planning, and small business to classic films. Our team quickly pivoted to move these valuable seminars online, and we hosted over 84 seminars for 3,300+ households. Hosting our events online made it easier for us to reach more of our members and those in our community.
Wildfire relief
Before the snow came in October, our state was ravaged by a historic wildfire season. Our community stepped up in a big way and donated $182,000 to the Elevations Wildfire Relief Fund set up by Elevations Foundation. Elevations Credit Union matched $100,000, for a total of $282,000 provided to help those displaced in Boulder and Larimer counties — exceeding our $200,000 goal. Elevations Foundation provided the funds to Community Foundation Boulder County and United Way of Larimer County.
“We are beyond grateful for the generous gift from Elevations Foundation and Elevations Credit Union members to the Larimer County Fire Recovery Fund. This partnership of business support, individual gifts and our ability to distribute resources directly to those impacted by the fires is what makes us a united community and able to recover strong from all that has impacted Larimer County in 2020 and beyond.”
– Deirdre Sullivan, CEO & President of United Way of Larimer County.
A very special milestone
In November, we celebrated a very special milestone with our members and team. Elevations Credit Union became a two-time recipient of the only U.S. presidential award for performance excellence — the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. An independent team of examiners found Elevations to be best in class for continuously improving our products and services for members. Part of this award evaluated our ethics and community involvement. Our unwavering commitment will always be to empower you, our members and the community, with financial solutions and education.
By choosing to bank with us, you support our ability to provide exceptional financial services. Thank you for helping us on this journey.
What’s next?
None of this is possible without you — our members and community. Thank you for your support in 2020.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve you, no matter how you bank with us these days. And we look forward to empowering you with financial solutions and education into 2021 and beyond.
Want to see what we are up to throughout the year? Like us on Facebook to find upcoming events, photos of us out and about in the community, seminar dates, fun contests and much more. We look forward to seeing you there in 2021!
Did you know that your credit union has its own foundation? It’s true. Elevations Foundation was born in 2010 and Read more
In his monthly video blog, Gerry Agnes, our CEO & President, gives an inside look at what it's like to Read more
