Bay Federal CU Raises Nearly $11,000 for Marine Sanctuary Foundation
October 29, 2021
Capitola, CA –October 28, 2021 – Bay Federal Credit Union announced that they raised $10,955 towards the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a special promotion that took place this past summer.
As part of a unique promotion to encourage members to switch to electronic statements (or eStatements), Bay Federal let members know that they would donate $5 to the Foundation for each member that enrolled in eStatements between July 1 and August 31, 2021. Through targeted messaging efforts in branches, email, social media, and online and mobile banking, nearly 2,200 members made the switch to eStatements during the two-month period.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the local-non-profit partner and chief advocate for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of the largest of a system of fourteen National Marine Sanctuaries administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The mission of the foundation is to inspire the public to protect the Sanctuary, which stretches from Rocky Point in Marin County, to the town of Cambria in San Luis Obispo.
Bay Federal’s mission to get members to switch from paper statements to eStatements was not only based on safety and convenience, but on reducing the impact to the environment. The Marine Sanctuary Foundation was specifically chosen as a partner due to their amazing impact through their public outreach and education programs.
“Our partnership with the Marine Sanctuary Foundation was a perfect fit with our eStatements promotion,” said Carrie Birkhofer, President and CEO of Bay Federal. “We give a sincere thank you to all of our members who made the switch during our special campaign to help protect the beautiful coastline of Monterey Bay!”
“Bay Federal Credit Union has a long tradition of giving back to the community and the Foundation is thrilled to have their partnership in support of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary” said Giana Kelly, Chapter Director for the Foundation. “BayFed's commitment to the marine environment is shown by their e-statement program, which is making a real difference in helping reduce human impacts on the environment. Together, we are working to create a more sustainable environment.”
The Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s current areas of focus include:
• BayNet: Training volunteers to educate about 40,000 people a year along recreation trails about the sanctuary and protecting local wildlife.
• Team OCEAN: Naturalists who volunteer their time to talk with the public about the sanctuary and help keep boaters from harming wildlife.
• Whale Rescue: Supporting whale disentanglement and rescue programs through responder training and equipment upgrades.
Those would like to learn more about the Foundation and how to get involved can visit www.montereybayfoundation.org. Bay Federal members who would like to learn more about how to make the switch to eStatements can visit www.bayfed.com/eStatements.
Bay Federal is a full-service, not-for-profit, community development financial institution that serves over 80,000 members and 2,400 local businesses throughout Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties. With more than $1.5 billion in assets, Bay Federal Credit Union is the largest member-owned financial institution in Santa Cruz County, serving its members and the community since 1957. Bay Federal Credit Union has an award-winning employee volunteer program in which employees have given their own money and volunteer for numerous local schools, nonprofit organizations, and community events each year.
About Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
We are the official nonprofit partner to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and its chief advocate. We engage the public through outreach and education programs; develop and strengthen partnerships to protect ecosystem health; and directly support programs and projects that center around science and conservation. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has a diversity of marine life found nowhere else on the planet. Our goal is to inspire the public to protect Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and create the next generation of ocean stewards.