Redwood Credit Union Donates More than $56,000 to Local Nonprofits for International Credit Union Day

From left to right, RCU’s SVP of Community and Government Relations Matt Martin; Karlene Rebich, Office Manager, State Senator Mike McGuire’s Office; Jenny Chamberlain, Chief of Staff, Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore’s Office; RCU’s Chief Operating Officer Mishel Kaufman; Assembly member Damon Connolly; RCU President & CEO Brett Martinez; Brendan Sweeney, Senior Field Representative, Congressman Mike Thompson’s Office; Riley Ahern, District Representative, Congressman Jared Huffman’s Office; and AnnaMaria Tamayo, Senior Field Representative, Assembly member Damon Connolly’s Office.

Santa Rosa, CA – On October 17, Redwood Credit Union (RCU) joined credit unions around the world in celebrating International Credit Union (ICU) Day, a day for credit unions to reflect on their history and commitment to serving their members and communities.

RCU honored ICU Day by donating 25 cents per card transaction to local nonprofits each time members used their RCU Visa^® debit or credit cards on October 17. In total, $56,434 was donated to five nonprofit partners across six counties:

• Marin: Community Action Marin
• Lake and Mendocino: North Coast Opportunities
• Napa: UpValley Family Centers
• Sonoma: La Luz
• San Francisco: Larkin Street Youth Services

This represented a 15 percent year-over-year increase, RCU’s largest ICU Day donation to date. All of the multi-service nonprofit recipients specialize in empowering communities, providing job training, and offering financial wellness education. These trusted partners ensure access to resources, training opportunities, and empower individuals to make informed financial decisions, ultimately leading to greater financial stability.

RCU also hosted federal, state, and local officials and their staff at its Cleveland Avenue offices in Santa Rosa on October 17 to provide education about the credit union movement and the benefits credit unions provide to the communities they serve.

"International Credit Union Day celebrates the positive impact and unique role credit unions play in communities every day," said RCU President and CEO Brett Martinez. "We’re honored to be part of an industry that supports financial empowerment and is passionate about investing in the well-being of our members, team members, and communities."

Credit unions are member-owned, not-for-profit cooperatives built on the principle of "people helping people." Credit union earnings are returned to members through better rates, fewer fees, and access to competitive services such as a nationwide network of more than 30,000 fee-free ATMs. Most credit unions are community based, which means they can serve anyone living or working in a specific geographic region or sharing other common bonds such as working in a specific industry.

About Redwood Credit Union

Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. With a mission to passionately serve the best interests of its Members, team members, and communities, RCU delivers many ways for its Members to save and build money through checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, digital banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $8.5 billion in assets and serves more than 465,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn for news and updates.