A core value of credit unions is to give back to the communities we serve. But what does that look like at Piedmont Advantage Credit Union?

It looks like the PACU Foundation, our charitable affiliate.

In this episode of Headlines and Fine Print, PACU President & CEO Dion Williams interviews a PACU Foundation Board Director, Fundraising Committee Chair and PACU’s Talent Development Supervisor, Megan Brooks, to talk about how the foundation makes an impact and what’s ahead this year.

History of the PACU Foundation

For years, PACU collaborated with a foundation supporting emergency or disaster relief across the state and in surrounding states. But we wanted to do more. We wanted work that directly touches the communities we serve every day.

So, in 2020, we created the PACU Foundation.

Since then, the foundation has donated over $140,000 to local nonprofit organizations aligned with our mission to improve the lives of individuals and families in the communities we serve.

It’s powered by PACU employees who volunteer their time to run the foundation, and more than 90% financially support its work.

Communities We Serve

Each year, the PACU Foundation awards funds to six or seven area charities, at least one in each community within PACU’s footprint. Those North Carolina counties are Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg and Rockingham.

The awarded nonprofits have a focus on financial literacy, education and disaster relief. They use the funds provided by the PACU Foundation to advance their missions, whether that is providing food or medical services or hosting budgeting courses for domestic violence survivors, all free of charge.

How We Raise Money

The PACU Foundation is fueled by a mix of small fundraisers and a large signature event, like:

• Bake sales in our participating branches, where members and employees can purchase baked goods made or donated by employees
• 50/50 raffles and other smaller fundraisers
• “Foundation Fridays,” where employees contribute through payroll deduction in exchange for dressing casually on Fridays.

And then there’s the signature event, Flying Colors Charity 5K and Fun Run.

The foundation’s largest fundraiser each year is the Flying Colors Charity 5K and Fun Run, which brings the community together through corporate sponsorships, registration fees and a whole lot of color.

It is a color run, where runners and walkers are doused with color powder as they pass by color stations along the course, tie-dying their free t-shirts into one-of-a-kind keepsakes.

All in all, it is a very fun event with something for everyone. Even if you are not a runner, there are food trucks, games and face art. Plus, you may even get to see PACU’s mascot and aviator, Al Pacu!

This year’s Flying Colors is on Saturday, June 13^th at Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville, N.C. Interested? Sign up here!

Want to Learn More about the PACU Foundation?

More information about our fundraising events, volunteers and Giving Tuesday can be found on our website. Feel free to check out our Facebook and LinkedIn pages as well.

Catch Us Next Time on Headlines and Fine Print

We’re going to have a series of guest hosts in the coming months to bring you more education like this. Want to listen to past episodes? Check out our Spotify and YouTube.

In the meantime, know that we’re here looking beyond the headlines into the fine print so members can get the information they need to be well-informed financial consumers.

Keep reading below for more insight into this episode’s guest, Megan Brooks.

What Character in Entertainment Have You Drawn Inspiration from Related to Your Field?

Megan’s character is George Bailey, from “It’s A Wonderful Life.” That’s because one of her roles at PACU is leading new-hire onboarding. In the onboarding class, Megan always makes a point to define the differences between banks and credit unions, and she always shows a clip from “It’s A Wonderful Life” that relates to this. In the clip, George Bailey explains to his customers how a Savings and Loan works and that, unlike the villain banker, Mr. Potter, it has its communities’ best interests in mind.

Megan admires the way George Bailey loves and supports his community. At the end of the movie, there is a quote that says, “No man is a failure who has friends,” and that’s how Megan sees her role. Working together toward a common goal that supports our communities will always be successful.

About Our Guest

Megan has worked with PACU for almost seven years. Before joining the credit union world, Megan worked at a large medical organization that had thousands of employees, so when she started looking for a new role, which she later found at PACU, she was searching for a tight-knit place where people felt like more than just a number, and she could find her purpose.

Not long after Megan joined PACU, the PACU Foundation was formed, and she joined the fundraising committee, which she now chairs.