Credit Union Donates $235,000 to Arizona Nonprofits through Annual Grant Program

Arizona’s largest credit union increased its grant giving by nearly $100,000 this year, up from $137,500 in 2021.

“Giving back to our community is a driving force at Desert Financial,” said Jeff Meshey, Desert Financial Credit Union President and CEO. “Our team is committed to helping our members –and the communities they live in – thrive through programs focused on educating and preparing children and young adults for the future.”

Phoenix-based Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates (JAG) is one of the 19 nonprofits receiving grants from Desert Financial in 2022. The $10,000 grant to JAG will help provide career planning, job attainment, job survival and soft skills training to students at 17 high schools throughout the state. The training is designed to help teens prepare for a competitive job market and build long-term financial stability.

“Having financial support from organizations like Desert Financial is a blessing and also a validation that we as a program are doing the right thing in helping youth explore different pathways to success,” says Wendy Paez Gonzales, JAG coordinator at Coronado High School. “We hope to use this funding to create more opportunities for college and career exploration.”

The credit union’s grant program has provided more than $1.2 million in the past decade to local nonprofits focused on education, child and youth services, housing and human services, and hunger and food insecurity.

Other organizations receiving grants from Desert Financial in 2022 include:

• Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff – $10,000
• Tynkertopia in Flagstaff – $15,000
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona in Prescott and Prescott Valley – $10,000
• Candelen in Prescott – $15,000
• The Launch Pad Teen Center in Prescott – $15,000
• Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters in Yavapai County – $10,000
• A New Leaf in Phoenix – $10,000
• Arizona Sustainability Alliance in Maricopa County – $7,500
• Billy’s Place, Inc. in Glendale – $15,000
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley in Maricopa County – $15,000
• Diocesan Council for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocese in Phoenix – $7,500
• Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona in Phoenix – $10,000
• Jobs for Arizona Graduates in Phoenix – $10,000
• Laptops 4 Learning in Phoenix – $15,000
• Live the Solution across Arizona – $10,000
• Southwest Human Development in Phoenix – $10,000
• Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center in Phoenix – $10,000
• Save the Family Foundation of Arizona in Mesa – $12,500
• St. Joseph the Worker in Maricopa County – $12,500
• Native American Connections in Phoenix – $15,000

Celebrating more than 84 years in Arizona, Desert Financial is the state’s most trusted local credit union with over $8.5 billion in assets, 400,000+ members and 48 branches. Membership eligibility is open across Arizona with contactless solutions making it easy to click, call or come in. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Desert Financial takes pride in sharing success. In 2021, members received $15 million in dividends via the Member Giveback Bonus.