Here’s something you don’t see every day: a financial institution handing over the keys—or in this case, the checkbook—to its employees and saying “you decide who gets the money.”
But that’s exactly what Tucson Federal Credit Union did this April, and the results are pretty remarkable.
TFCU distributed $100,000 in grants to eight local nonprofits on April 10, but here’s the twist that makes this interesting: instead of the usual committee of executives deciding who gets what, the credit union’s employees made every single call. Think of it as democracy in action, except instead of voting on pizza toppings for the office party, they’re directing serious money to organizations doing real work in Southern Arizona.
The Winners (Spoiler: We All Win)
The employee vote spread the love across eight organizations tackling everything from homelessness to youth sports:
- Angel Heart Pajama Project – $20,000
- Our Family Services – $20,000
- Youth on Their Own – $20,000
- Emerge Center Against Domestic Violence – $10,000
- Sister Jose’s Women’s Shelter – $10,000
- Tucson Food Share – $10,000
- FC Sonora – $5,000
- Tucson Rodeo Foundation – $5,000
What’s impressive about this lineup isn’t just the dollar amounts—it’s the breadth. These organizations cover youth advocacy, domestic violence support, food security, refugee assistance, and youth athletics. Clearly, TFCU’s team members have their finger on the pulse of what the community actually needs.
No Strings Attached (Seriously)
Here’s another refreshing detail: every single dollar came with zero restrictions. That means each nonprofit can put the money wherever it’ll do the most good, whether that’s keeping the lights on, launching a new program, or finally replacing that ancient copier that jams every third page.
This approach falls under what’s called Trust-Based Philanthropy—basically, trusting the people on the ground to know better than anyone else where the money should go. It’s common sense wrapped in a fancy term, and it’s surprisingly rare in the nonprofit world.
Checks, Speeches, and Good Vibes
TFCU didn’t just mail out checks and call it a day. They hosted a proper celebration at their headquarters on North Winstel Boulevard, bringing together nonprofit leaders, employees, and community supporters for what sounds like an actually enjoyable awards ceremony.
Matthew Gaspari, TFCU’s President and CEO, summed up the philosophy behind the approach: “We honor and trust the leadership of these organizations to use these funds where they’re needed most and continue the critical work they do for our community every day. And we are equally proud of our team members, whose voices guided every award decision this year.”
John “Jax” Jackson, TFCU’s Vice President of Culture and Development, walked everyone through how the employee-driven process actually worked. According to Jackson, giving team members this kind of ownership over the credit union’s community identity wasn’t just good for morale—it produced genuinely thoughtful results.
The Bigger Picture
These Community Annual Awards are part of TFCU Gives, the credit union’s broader philanthropic arm. And this isn’t some new initiative cooked up by a marketing team—TFCU has been doing this kind of community work since 1937. That’s nearly 90 years of putting money where their mouth is, which in the financial world, counts for something.
The shift to employee-led grant decisions marks a new chapter in that legacy. It’s one thing to give money away; it’s another to empower the people who live and work in the community to decide where it goes. If this first year is any indication, Tucson’s nonprofits—and the people they serve—are better off for it.