How A Credit Union Foundation Builds Equity And Access

Nestled in the heart of the Ohio Valley, Park Community Credit Union Foundation is redefining what it means to give back, working hand in hand with grantees to ensure every dollar sparks meaningful change. As the charitable arm of Park Community Credit Union ($1.3B, Louisville, KY), the foundation aims to promote equitable opportunities and foster thriving communities in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

“Our mission is to build a more vibrant community where everyone has equitable access to learn, grow, and thrive,” says Shannon Kisselbaugh, executive director of the foundation.

Through its Pathways to Prosperity grant, the foundation supports projects that align with three main areas of impact — education, financial wellbeing, and community. Since 2019, the foundation has contributed more than $580,000 to local causes. In 2024 alone, the foundation awarded 11 grants totaling $100,000, with a cap of $10,000 per organization.

When it comes to funding decisions, the foundation taps an advisory committee composed of credit union employees and members to ensure maximum impact.

“Anyone at the credit union can serve on the committee,” Kisselbaugh says. “We aim for broad diversity, including geographic, racial, LGBTQ+, departmental, and organizational levels.”

In addition to recruiting for an expansive perspective, the foundation also trains committee members to avoid “beauty bias,” that is, penalizing applicants for imperfect grammar or typos. The executive director says it’s important to the foundation not to penalize smaller, grassroots organizations simply because they don’t have the same resources.

“Some nonprofits don’t have professional grant writers,” Kisselbaugh says. “We train the committee to focus on the work, not the polish.”

In 2024, Park Community Credit Union Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Redline Performing Arts. The group put the funding toward a summer enrichment program with professional arts training, scholarships, housing, and meals for young adults.

Park Community Credit Union employees volunteer and serve dinner to young men living at Sunrise Children’s Services. The organization’s $10,000 grant in 2024 went toward foster care recruitment.

A Park Community Credit Union employee plays chess with young men living at Sunrise Children’s Services. The organization’s $10,000 grant in 2024 helped place children who have experienced trauma and harm in safe, child-friendly homes.

Access, Transparency, And Feedback

Long before an organization formally applies for a grant, Park Community Credit Union Foundation is there to offer assistance. Before applications open, the foundation hosts a webinar to walk applicants through the paperwork and process and offer tips to strengthen submissions. It also offers one-on-one support during in-person office hours. Through it all, the foundation values honesty and transparency.

“We tell applicants how many submissions we got last year, the total ask amount, who’s on the grants committee, and our decision timeline,” Kisselbaugh says. “We want applicants to know we’re real people, not just a nameless email.”

After the committee makes funding decisions, the foundation offers feedback sessions to applicants whose projects were not selected.

“We share committee comments and guide them on how to strengthen their application or propose other projects that might be a better fit,” Kisselbaugh says.

The foundation also informs organizations about the financial wellness opportunities available through the credit union.

“We refer grantees to our credit union’s free financial education seminars, covering topics like avoiding scams, budgeting, and homeownership,” Kisselbaugh says. “Some grantees even request seminars for their own employees. We offer that support to applicants who didn’t get funding, too.”

Feedback, however, runs both ways.

Kisselbaugh’s team surveys all applicants about their experience and asks how the foundation might improve it. In the past, applicants asked for the option to upload visuals, videos, or reports; consequently, that is now a part of the foundation’s application process.

A Holistic Approach

Park Community Credit Union Foundation believes in making a broad impact. It does not believe in micromanaging grantees.

“Our reporting requirements are minimal,” Kisselbaugh says. “We trust our grantees to do the work. They’re the experts.”

After grand funds have been expended, grantees identify up to three representatives from their nonprofit to attend one of the Foundation’s quarterly board meetings. There they present an overview of the funded program, how those funds were spent, and impact stories with videos or images. The Foundation will then use these takeaways for its annual impact reports, social media, and internal communications with the credit union.

At the same time, the executive director says her team does more than distribute checks.

“We want relationships, boots on the ground, and a real connection,” she says.

The foundation and credit union aim to complete at least one volunteer opportunity with every grantee. According to Kisselbaugh, it is an effective way to further support the organizations, and employees love to see the work up close. Park Community Credit Union gives employees up to eight hours of volunteer time off. If they complete all eight hours, they can ask the foundation to donate $100 to their volunteer organization. This year, the Foundation is expecting credit union staffers to complete 3,000 hours of community service.

Applications for the 2025 Pathways to Prosperity grant closed earlier in the summer, and the foundation will announce winners in November at its second annual gala.

“It’s our big fundraiser,” Kisselbaugh says. “Last year, we had more than 240 attendees and netted nearly $60,000.”

That funding enabled the foundation to create its own internal scholarship, which is set to launch in 2026.

As it looks toward the future, Park Community Credit Union Foundation continues to expand its reach through dollars granted as well as connections built, trust earned and lives shaped. The foundation is redefining what philanthropy looks like in Kentucky, Southern Indiana, and beyond, building a more vibrant, equitable region with inclusive philanthropy that delivers lasting returns.