Below are some exciting upcoming funding opportunities to help your credit union invest in leadership, deepen community impact, and grow stronger across the Carolinas.

Hamilton Small CU Grants* – Year-Round Application Window

CUDE/ICUDE Scholarships – Open from June 1 to August 15

CU FinHealth Scholarships - Due June 15 
Tech & Capital Improvement Grants* – Open from June 1 to October 1

P&P Scholarships* – Application Deadline September 4

These opportunities move quickly and we don’t want you to miss a chance to turn purpose into action. (*small credit union grants only)

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation's Wine Pull & Raffle is back at the Carolinas Credit Union League's Annual Meeting, and we are still looking for sponsors and wine pull donations. Every dollar raised supports the Foundation's Programs Fund — providing professional development grants to credit union employees, technology and capital improvement grants to small credit unions, and academic and needs-based scholarships to credit union members.

And here's the good news: you don't have to be at the Annual Meeting to participate. Raffle tickets are available online now, and you do not have to be present to win. This year's grand raffle prize is a $2,500 gift card to the Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island, generously donated by SC Federal Credit Union. The winner will be announced on June 3!

Credit union professionals who are financial counselors or educators in the Carolinas are invited to register for the 10th Annual CU FinHealth Conference, taking place September 22–23, 2026, in downtown Denver, Colorado. This milestone event celebrates a decade of advancing financial well-being and bringing together leaders, researchers, innovators, and partners from across the industry. 

New this year, the conference is being collaboratively hosted by the Cornerstone Foundation, Fuel Solutions Inc., and nine state credit union foundations - joining forces to deliver an engaging and impactful program focused on improving financial health for all.

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation will provide two $1,500 scholarships available for any professional, regardless of credit union asset size! Applications are due by June 15, 2026.

Credit union professionals are encouraged to register for the Northwest Chapter's Poverty Simulation next week in Winston-Salem. The simulation challenges participants to step into the real-life experiences of individuals and families living in poverty, helping to break down stereotypes and foster empathy.

Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the daily decisions, trade-offs, and barriers faced by millions of low-income individuals and feel inspired to identify opportunities for meaningful change at individual, organizational, and community levels.

For any questions, please contact Jeff Hardin at the Foundation.  

The Credit Union Awards are named after and honor credit union pioneers Desjardins, Maxwell, and Herring, whose contributions shaped the global credit union movement. Applications for the 2026 cycle are open until August 20, 2026. Applications for Credit Union Award nominees can be completed here.

In addition to Credit Union Awards, each year, the Foundation recognizes individuals and organizations making a transformational impact on the credit union movement as Hero Awards Recipients. Nominations are accepted for four categories: Lifetime Achievement, Individual Achievement, Partner in Philanthropy, and Advancing Equity, each recognizing leadership, innovation, philanthropy, and a commitment to our 8th Cooperative Principle. Submit your nomination letters via email to Lauren Whaley by September 24, 2026. 

Click here for more details on all of the Foundation's award categories.

Remember to mark your calendar - The Foundation's Awards Gala will be held February 10, 2027!! 

CUsTogether 2026 was a powerful reminder of why this work matters. The conference brought together 78 attendees representing 24 credit unions from across the Carolinas for three days of connection, professional development, and meaningful dialogue.

The conference opened with the Poverty Simulation, an experience that challenges participants to step into the lives of families navigating financial hardship with limited time, limited resources, and even more limited options. More than 30 attendees took part this year, and the impact of that experience carries well beyond the room.

We are grateful to Nick Wodogaza for his continued leadership in bringing CUsTogether to life year after year, and to the incredible volunteers who made the Poverty Simulation possible. Thank you to those simulation volunteers representing the African-American Credit Union Coalition, Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union, Cooperative Council of the Carolinas, Emergency Responders Credit Union, Georgetown Kraft Credit Union, SPC Credit Union, and SRP Federal Credit Union.

More than 60 credit union professionals came together on May 6 in Charlotte for the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation's Development Issues Workshop, and it delivered!

Thank you to our sponsors, Skyla Federal Credit Union and Vizo Financial Corporate CU, for making it all possible. And a heartfelt thank you to our speakers: Dr. Emily Jensen Wheeler (Dress for Success Charlotte), James Jeter & Annie Jones (Skyla Credit Union), Stacey Adams (Founders Federal Credit Union), Chelsea Newton (Spero Financial), Tashara Brown (Common Wealth Charlotte), Lauren Whaley (Carolinas Credit Union Foundation), Elizabeth (Sally) Gordon (United Way of North Carolina), Robert Dozier (Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union), Billy Boylston (Carolinas Credit Union League), Liz Clasen-Kelly (Roof Above), and Caitlin Duke and Becca Bender Mulvaney (SECU Foundation).



Beyond the sessions, the generosity in the room extended further. We also want to celebrate everyone who donated to the Dress for Success Charlotte drive. An entire rack of clothing, shoes, and accessories will go directly to women working toward economic independence.

Contact the Foundation:

Lauren Whaley, President | 919-600-8219 | E-mail |

Jeff Hardin, Director of Collaborative Programs | 336-601-1764 | E-mail |

Aisha Everett, Director of Strategy & Communication | 678-849-9677 | E-mail |

Melody Fisher, Program Coordinator | E-mail |

The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation was incorporated in 1993 as a charitable organization dedicated to the embodiment of the “people helping people” philosophy of credit unions. Its mission to empower and inspire credit unions in the Carolinas through collaboration and philanthropic leadership. The Foundation serves as a founding partner to Victory Junction, a year-round camping facility, located in Randleman, NC, for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Over the last 20 years, more than $5 million has been raised by credit unions in the Carolinas to support its camp and outreach programs. The Foundation also serves as a partner in philanthropy with credit unions, assisting charitable giving through donor-advised funds, managing scholarship programs, supporting small credit unions with professional development grants, and aiding disaster relief for the local, national, and global credit union communities.