Ventura County Credit Union Launches Philanthropic Foundation

    VENTURA, CA, May 27, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU), a community-chartered financial institution with more than 70,000 members, announces the launch of The Foundation of Ventura County Credit Union. The foundation was established as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity with a mission to provide financial assistance and education to the local community.

"While the foundation's wide-reaching goal is to foster goodwill and charitable giving in the communities we serve, we felt compelled to focus on three key areas: the underserved, the beautification and/or preservation of our environment, and the health and well-being of the region," said Natalie Yanez, board president of the foundation and VCCU's director of community partnerships.

Since its founding in 1950, VCCU has maintained a longstanding commitment to charitable giving. In the past five years, VCCU has donated more than half a million dollars to local organizations and causes. With the credit union's healthy financial returns and the generosity of its member base, VCCU hopes to increase its philanthropic efforts in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County through the foundation.

"The foundation will serve as an extension of VCCU, streamlining and enhancing our charitable giving," said Joe Schroeder, vice president of the foundation and CEO of VCCU. "We have a collective goal to raise $150,000 for our community by the end of 2016."

The foundation has already raised more than $20,000 from VCCU employees, volunteers and several longstanding credit union members. The funds raised by the foundation will go to grants for 501(c)(3) nonprofits based in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and the foundation's grant cycle will run from Wednesday, June 1, through Sunday, July 31, 2016.

For a limited time, community members have the opportunity to become a member of the Founder's Circle with a donation to the foundation of $500 or more. The Founder's Circle memberships will last from May 1 to June 30, 2016, and all funds that are raised through the Founder's Circle, as well as through general annual memberships, will go directly back into the local community.

With Yanez and Schroeder at the helm, the foundation's leadership team also includes Linda Rossi of VCCU along with board members Terry Ball, Robert Marshall, Alma Medina, Stacy Oates and Sandra Tolks. To learn more about the foundation or to become a member and donate, visit http://www.tfvccu.org. For more information on Ventura County Credit Union, visit http://www.vccuonline.net.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION OF VENTURA COUNTY CREDIT UNION
In 2015, Ventura County Credit Union formed its own nonprofit to foster goodwill and charitable efforts by giving in the communities it serves. The foundation came into fruition based on many years of giving -- including donations of nearly half a million dollars to local nonprofit organizations and causes -- and will continue to provide funding, grants, assistance and education to VCCU's local nonprofit partners. It focuses on three main categories: the underserved, the beautification and/or preservation of the environment, and health and well-being of the region. To donate and learn more, visit http://www.tfvccu.org.

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