Instead of executives in a boardroom deciding which charities get funded, GECU and the GECU Foundation handed the decision-making power directly to Lubbock residents.
And the community showed up.
The inaugural Community Vote for Impact wrapped up with two big winners taking home $10,000 each—Guadalupe-Parkway Neighborhood Center and Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest. The vote ran alongside Lubbock’s 4th on Broadway Celebration, turning a patriotic party into an opportunity for locals to champion the nonprofits doing real work in their neighborhoods.
“Hearing from those in the heart of the community and responding to their needs is exactly what the Community Vote for Impact is meant to do,” said Emmeline Garcia, Executive Director of the GECU Foundation. She noted the strong turnout for this first-time initiative and emphasized that community support isn’t just a talking point—it’s baked into their mission.
But Wait, There’s More
Because everyone deserves a piece of the pie, the six other nonprofits in the running didn’t walk away empty-handed. Each received a $2,000 donation:
- Family Promise of Lubbock
- Lubbock Area United Way
- Lubbock Habitat for Humanity
- Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 900
- South Plains Food Bank
- The Salvation Army Texas South Plains
That’s $28,000 total going directly into the community—not a bad day’s work for showing up and casting a vote.
The Bigger Picture
The whole idea behind Community Vote for Impact is pretty straightforward: strong communities aren’t built from corporate headquarters. They’re built from the ground up, by people who live there and know what’s needed. GECU’s approach cuts through the usual grant application red tape with a simple premise—tell us who’s making a difference, and we’ll help them make an even bigger one.
Given the response to this inaugural vote, it sounds like Lubbock is ready for round two. When a financial institution actually listens to what the community wants instead of just telling them what they need, everybody wins.