Advantis CU Awards $50,000 in Grants to Local Non-Profits

Advantis Credit Union has named the seven nonprofit organizations that will receive grants through GROW: The Advantis Community Fund. Since its launch in 2011, Advantis’ grant fund has contributed over $350,000 to local organizations and funded 46 projects. This year, Advantis invited members and the community at large to vote on 12 local projects, chosen by a selection committee, through the Advantis Facebook page and website. More than 22,000 public votes helped to determine the following seven grants:

• Chelsea Hicks Foundation will receive a grant to purchase a professional lift for Chelsea’s Closet, a travelling therapeutic active dress-up and play program that visits hospitals to provide monthly dress-up parties for seriously ill children.

• CODA, Inc. will receive a grant to create a backyard playground at the Stepping Stones treatment center. The playground will give children a safe space for active play as they bond with their mothers who are undergoing treatment.

• Friends of the Children Portland will receive a grant to construct a dedicated youth-study space at the organization’s NE headquarters building. The new space will provide a safe area for youth to develop their love of learning and build strong study skills.

• Portland Homeless Family Solutions Grant will receive a grant to nearly double the number of families at the organization’s overnight shelters by creating two additional sleeping rooms at the Goose Hollow Shelter. The grant will also help pay to expand the current day shelter, Thirteen Salmon, into a night shelter to host six families.

• Q Center will receive a grant to replace more than 100 florescent lights with energy-saving LEDs, cutting the organization’s electric bill by over half. Savings will then be used to improve other services like increasing Wi-Fi range, upgrading computer lab equipment, increasing ADA accessibility, and providing free space usage to other nonprofits and community groups.

• Rose Haven will receive a grant to provide supplies for Rose Haven’s new shower facilities for women and children, and will include new shower stalls, reception furniture, a new washer and dryer, towels, toiletries, undergarments and more. “As a not-for-profit cooperative, we’re proud to partner with our members and the public in choosing grant projects that will most benefit our community,” said John Nichols, Advantis Credit Union’s vice president of marketing. “GROW helps us understand how vitally important neighborhood needs and priorities are to our community giving decisions.”

About Advantis Credit Union

With $1.3 billion in assets, Advantis Credit Union is Oregon’s fourth largest not-for profit financial cooperative. We return earnings to members in the form of better rates, low fees, and more free services. Advantis is locally owned by over 70,000 members, and has seven branches in the Portland metro area. For more information, visit www.advantiscu.org.