How the Credit Union of Georgia is building community, one initiative at a time.
By Michael J. Pallerino
Before every program, every event, every outreach initiative, the team from Credit Union of Georgia asks a simple question: “How can we add value to our community today?” The simple, yet powerful question has long been a part of the company’s DNA. It is this kind of thinking — derived from an intuition to help guide the communities it serves — that has fostered the creation of the Credit Union of Georgia Community Foundation. The newly launched initiative, rooted in Credit Union of Georgia’s mission of “People Helping People,” enables it to expand outreach, support meaningful causes, and invest in education, financial literacy and community well-being.
Dig deeper into the layers of the Foundation’s mission and you will see that it was a natural next step for a financial institution that has long viewed its role in the community as much more than banking. By creating lasting, positive change in the lives of its members and their neighborhoods, the Foundation is helping ensure that every member has a chance to succeed and grow.
“We’re not just chasing the next best thing,” said Brian Albrecht, President and CEO. “We’re identifying the gaps in our communities and figuring out how to fill them. If you think about the way our credit union has continued to grow over the years, it’s only natural to start funneling our charitable give back through a Foundation. This way, we can begin to raise more money outside of the credit union donations and open it up to more fundraising events to involve our membership, too.”
The Foundation mirrors the values the credit union was founded on, including:
- We Believe In… Empowering members’ financial decisions
- We Believe In… Enhancing members’ financial lives
- We Believe In… Educating our members financially
- We Believe In… Exciting members’ financial experience
Albrecht said the values can be expanded in a variety of ways through the Foundation. “We embody a member-first approach by prioritizing financial education both in the classroom and out in the field or streets. We want to provide the most advanced resources to help people stay on top of their financial decisions to improve their overall quality of life. Just as we focus on our members’ financial well-being, we extend that commitment to uplifting the broader community through volunteerism, fundraising, and partnerships.”
Credit Union of Georgia’s goal continues to focus on a stronger sense of community and increasing the level of support it offers across the community, especially how it involves its members. The key is encouraging partnerships that improve overall community wellness.
While the Foundation still is building out its pillars of support, it launched with a clear mission and already has begun identifying key areas of focus. These include financial literacy initiatives, especially in underserved areas; creative programs that merge life skills with real-world scenarios like youth sports; and scholarship opportunities for students. The overlying mission is to support individuals, schools, nonprofits and community organizations through giving, and volunteer efforts that enhance lives and strengthen neighborhoods.
Take the credit union’s work with schools. During the 2025-2026 school year, the Foundation is partnering with the Cobb Schools Foundation — a union that will celebrate school spirit while reinforcing the importance of teamwork, leadership, and community involvement. The goal is to not only prepare the next generation to learn, but to thrive by understanding the principles of budgeting, resilience, and strategic thinking — all through something fun and familiar like sports.
“This is going to be a big opportunity for us to make a larger impact on our youth and help provide basic life skills that are not always provided in standard curriculums,” said Michelle Dobbins, VP of Marketing. “We want this to be fun and entertaining while showing the connection to sports, financial literacy, and positive emotional intelligence. We are working on developing creative ways to integrate lessons with sports into financial education to help support youth develop stronger discipline, resilience, and strategic decision making. All of this can lead our youth to better financial outcomes and emotional well-being.”
“This is a truly special moment for all of us,” Dobbins continued. “It reflects our deep-rooted belief in the importance of giving back and the strength that comes from unity — people helping people, lifting one another up, and creating something greater than ourselves together. This Foundation is our heartfelt promise to stay engaged, to serve generously, and to invest in the people and communities that help shape who we are.”
One exciting aspect is the ability to bring third-party vendors into the giving process. With the Foundation, the Credit Union now can work with its vendors to help support community initiatives, expanding the impact significantly. “We want our members involved,” Dobbins said. “We want our partners involved. The more people who contribute, the stronger our community becomes.”
All for one and one for all
At the heart of the Foundation is the Credit Union of Georgia’s team — passionate employees who live and work in the communities they serve. Operating under the belief that meaningful change starts from within, the Foundation empowers its staff to get involved in causes close to their hearts. It is a people-first approach that reinforces the Foundation’s mission of being built by the community, for the community.
“Our employees drive our impact by volunteering, fundraising, and leading community outreach,” said Amanda Arnold, Director of Community Outreach. “We encourage them to champion causes they care about, making our efforts truly community driven. Our members support fundraising campaigns, participate in events, and help identify organizations for potential partnerships. Together, we make a real difference.”
More specifically is the participation of senior management, who are strongly encouraged to partake in community initiatives and join philanthropic boards to donate their time and expertise. For example, the Foundation Board of Directors is composed of upper management, which helps make sure its strategic initiatives in the community are agile and responsive to their current needs. Initiatives are continually evaluated to measure the ways they impact the community throughout the year, with adjustments made as needed.
To encourage active community involvement internally, the Credit Union offers each employee an opportunity for a full day of paid time off to volunteer in their community on the things that matter to them. Ideally, these will begin to funnel through the Foundation with additional funding toward the nonprofit of their choice.
“We are continuously identifying opportunities and finding the gaps,” Arnold said. “I think the biggest thing is just to know that we are here and there are ways our community can help make a larger impact with us in supporting local nonprofits, food drives, and volunteer efforts. We encourage the community to get involved and join us in giving back. Our fundraising efforts will continue to evolve, and we hope to make them fun and entertaining along the way.”
Measuring what matters
For the Foundation, success isn’t just about numbers — it’s about real impact. Yes, the Foundation tracks scholarships awarded, funds distributed, volunteer hours logged, and partnerships formed. But the true measure lies in the stories that unfold — a family that understands budgeting for the first time, a student who receives the resources to attend college, a nonprofit that can meet the needs of its community more fully.
The Foundation collects feedback from the individuals and groups it serves and uses that input to refine and evolve its programs. “This is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Albrecht said. “It’s about listening, learning, and improving continuously. The community should know that we’re here. We’re ready to work with them, and we’re just getting started.”
As the Foundation continues to grow, its leaders are focused on building an ongoing presence in the communities they serve. Plans include developing online donation capabilities to grow community giving; expanding scholarship programs uniquely tied to the Credit Union; deepening relationships with nonprofits through funding and volunteer advocacy; and increasing access to financial literacy resources across all age groups.
Plans also include establishing a way for the community to donate online — a goal that will increase year over year as the Credit Union of Georgia’s membership grows.
That spirit — collaborative, focused, and forward-thinking — is what truly defines the Credit Union of Georgia Community Foundation. “It’s not just about providing financial services. It’s about building a stronger, healthier, more informed community, one initiative at a time.
To learn more or get involved, visit cuofga.org/foundation. n
