Ascentra Provides $60,000 to Support Junior Achievement’s Volunteer Efforts

July 30, 2024

BETTENDORF, IOWA – Ascentra will award $60,000 to Junior Achievement over the next five years through a $50,000 grant from the Ascentra Credit Union Foundation and by redirecting a $10,000 VISA® Community Impact Grant to them.

These two grants will be used “to support the resources needed to recruit, train and place volunteers in classrooms and expand curriculum delivery throughout Clinton, Muscatine, Rock Island and Scott Counties,” said Katie Sothmann, Senior Director of Marketing & Special Events, Junior Achievement of the Heartland.

The $50,000 grant from the Ascentra Credit Union Foundation is a continuation of several year-to-year grants that started back in 2015. Since then, Ascentra has donated $150,000 to Junior Achievement through these multi-year grants to help support the financial education they provide to our local school districts and their students. “Ascentra Credit Union is transforming lives every day with their support of Junior Achievement of the Heartland,” said Dougal Nelson, President & CEO, Junior Achievement of the Heartland. “Along with Ascentra’s remarkable volunteers and financial backing, together we are empowering our youth and young adults to find financial freedom.” This newly awarded grant will extend Ascentra’s giving through 2029 by providing $10,000 per year over the next five years.

In addition, Ascentra is also redirecting a $10,000 VISA Community Impact Grant, provided to their financial partners, to help support the communities in which the credit union serves. VISA, Ascentra’s debit and credit card partner, allows the credit union to choose local organizations that make a difference in their community, and we were thrilled to select Junior Achievement for the 2024 grant. Since 2022, the VISA Community Impact Grant program has distributed $120,000 through Ascentra, into local charitable organizations. “This is a great example of how business partners can work together to accomplish great things,” said Linda Andry, President & CEO, Ascentra Credit Union. “This program aligns perfectly with Ascentra’s Listening, Caring, Doing What’s Right philosophy and we are very thankful to have VISA as a valued partner for the credit union and our members.”

The Ascentra Credit Union Foundation is the charitable arm of Ascentra Credit Union. Founded in 2015, its mission is to improve the quality of life for the membership of the credit union and further the philanthropic outreach in the communities they serve. In 2023, the foundation pushed more than $102,000 into the community and has contributed nearly $942,000 since its inception.