More than one-third of Washington households are struggling to cover basic living expenses, and the nonprofits that serve them are feeling it.
That pressure is the reason behind BECU’s newest effort: $4 million in Right Now Grants, the largest single grant distribution in the history of the BECU Foundation.
BECU, Washington’s largest credit union and the fifth largest in the country, announced that the one-time funding went out in September. The grant cycle runs Oct. 1, 2026 through Oct. 1, 2027. The money is earmarked for local nonprofit and credit union partners working on housing stability, education, workforce development, food security and access to financial services.
“Our community partners know where help is needed most,” said Carla Costa-Perales, executive vice president and chief impact officer at BECU. “These grants will help them build on their work and reach more people in their communities.”
The recipients aren’t newcomers. They’re long-standing partners, and several have worked with BECU for years through philanthropic investments, scholarships, workforce programs and financial well-being initiatives. The grants are meant to help them scale work already underway rather than start from scratch.
Here’s who is receiving funding and what they’ll focus on:
- Canopy Credit Union ($275,000): Expanding access to affordable financial services in Eastern Washington as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), meaning a lender focused on underserved communities.
- Express Credit Union ($275,000): Supporting equitable access to community-based financial services for underserved populations, also as a CDFI.
- College Success Foundation ($300,000): Advancing scholarship access and financial literacy.
- Washington State Opportunity Scholarship ($300,000): Expanding educational and career-connected opportunities.
- FareStart ($400,000): Providing community meals and workforce development through culinary training.
- Black Home Initiative ($400,000): Creating more pathways to Black homeownership.
- Pioneer Human Services ($400,000): Helping people build stability through employment and support services.
- United Way of Pierce County ($400,000): Connecting families with financial coaching and support services.
- Solid Ground ($500,000): Strengthening housing stability and homelessness prevention.
- Feeding Feasible Feasts, Four Roots and Vault89 ($750,000): Improving local food access and community support systems.
The grants fit BECU’s broader view that members’ financial well-being is tied to the health of the communities they live in. That philosophy helped the credit union deliver $425.7 million in financial value to members in 2025 through competitive rates and fewer fees.
As a member-owned credit union, BECU put more than $8.1 million last year into programs and partnerships addressing community needs. One channel for that work is the BECU Foundation, which provided more than $1.1 million in scholarships and charitable giving in 2025.
The Foundation began as educational support for members and their families. Over more than 30 years, it has grown into a wider effort that carries the credit union ideal of people helping people through scholarships, grantmaking and community investments. Right Now Grants are its biggest single step yet.