Staff Reports | Free Press Philanthropy
Arizona Financial Foundation awarded $300,000 in grants to 18 nonprofits through its Local Causes program. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 were distributed during an award ceremony at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.
The Local Causes program, launched in 2020, prioritizes grants for nonprofits with operating budgets under $2 million, according to a press release,
To date, the program has distributed $800,000 to more than 100 organizations. Grants are funded through Arizona Financial Credit Union’s Local Causes Visa debit card program, which also led to the launch of Arizona Financial Foundation earlier this year.
The ceremony featured a panel discussion with past grant recipients and partners, including Little Humble Entrepreneurs, Arizona Fire Training Committee and United Sound.
Grant recipients:
PV Community Food Bank
Armer Foundation for Kids
Every Child Plays
Solano’s No Limit Hoops
Lily’s Pad
Arizona State Organizing Committee
Kristi’s Klimbers Foundation
Avondale Professional Firefighters Charities
Children’s Cancer Network
Aspiring Youth Academy
Arizona Educational Foundation Inc.
A Mighty Change of Heart
Down Syndrome Network Arizona
Faith and Grace Inc.
Care Fund
Arizona First Responders Foundation
3rd Decade
Donkey Dreams Sanctuary
“When we launched this program, our goal was to make a lasting difference for small, local nonprofits,” said Amy Hysell, president and CEO of Arizona Financial. “Now, just a few years later, we’ve seen the ripple effect these grants have created—strengthening communities, supporting essential services and inspiring more of our members to get involved. That success led to the creation of the Arizona Financial Foundation, allowing us to grow this impact and support even more community partners across the state.”
Ms. Hysell noted that each time a credit union member makes a purchase with their debit card, the credit union donates to a community fund supporting the grant program. In total, Arizona Financial has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants and donations through its debit card programs.
