The following post is provided by the Travis Credit Union Foundation, the charitable arm of Travis Credit Union, based in Vacaville, California, USA.

The Travis Credit Union Foundation announced it raised over $1M for the COVID-19 Relief Initiative, which was matched by Travis Credit Union, for a total of $2M which will be distributed to 83 local community organizations, many who are providing resources and services to individuals and families impacted by the pandemic.

Travis Credit Union matched every dollar raised by the Travis Credit Union Foundation up to $20,000, for a maximum of $40,000 total per agency. The campaign culminated on September 30.

“We focused where we know funds would immediately recirculate and strengthen communities, creating authentic community impact and financial wellness,” said Damian Alarcon, president of the Travis Credit Union Foundation. “We will continue seeking more resources to help non-profits survive and innovate as we all prepare for the ‘new normal’ in the aftermath of COVID-19.”

The Leaven was the first of many organizations participating in this initiative to raise the full $20,000 and receive a $20,000 matching gift from Travis Credit Union.

“We greatly appreciate this grant as these important funds are crucial,” stated Mark Lillis, executive director of the Leaven. “We lost two of our fundraisers from not being able to meet with COVID-19. Without these emergency funds, we would not be able to have the financial resources to remotely assist the hundreds of students who were left with very little educational assistance while the school season was terminated.”

The Travis Credit Union Foundation is dedicated to lifting communities through financial wellness. While business shutdowns, self-quarantines and “shelter in home” orders have kept people safe from the virus, they have also limited the capacity of families to access income, food and much needed resources. Community organizations are continuing to provide more services with less resources. The Travis Credit Union Foundation launched the COVID-19 Relief Initiative to help meet this demand for support in our communities.

“Empower Yolo is truly appreciative to be a grant recipient of the Travis Credit Union Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Initiative,” says Lynnette Irlmeier, executive director of Empower Yolo. “We are using the funding for eviction prevention for families hit hardest by the pandemic. Even though there are moratoriums on evictions we know that if families get behind now, they won’t be able to catch up.”

To learn more about the Travis Credit Union Foundation’s mission and how to participate in all it’s doing to build financial wellness in our communities, visit tcufund.org.

The Travis Credit Union Foundation supports financial education, literacy and wellness initiatives and is the philanthropic arm of Travis Credit Union (traviscu.org). The Foundation’s mission is to build financially empowered communities and its vision is to create philanthropic solutions for building sustainable financial wellness in communities for generations to come. 100 percent of funds raised go back to the community.