A financial institution that has been giving back to the community for more than seven decades announced on Friday that several Osoyoos-based non-profits will receive an early Christmas gift.

The Osoyoos Credit Union (OCU) has announced its inaugural Community Giving Grants, a program that will deliver $50,000 into the community.

“We had 15 applications and eight successful recipients,” said OCU manager Greg Sol. “We tried to keep a balance between economic development, culture and sport. And we kept an eye on age brackets as well, providing funds to services that benefit seniors, adults and children.”

The eight not-for-profits will share the full $50,000.

“We don’t see this as giving away $50,000,” said Sol. “We see this as an investment in the community. It’s amazing what $50,000 can do in a community of our size, especially with the amazing volunteers we have here.”

The application review process involved a team of five that included Sol and another OCU employee, an OCU director and two members at large from the community.

OCU plans to continue the grant program into 2018, asking for grant applications in March and October. Sol expects some of the unsuccessful applicants will apply again in the New year.

“We were looking to see the grant funding deployed quickly,” he said, explaining some of the applications were for events down the road. “It was important for us to be able to quickly see results for what the grants could do.”

Sol said the OCU has been giving back to the community since its formation more than 70 years ago, but the Community Giving Fund is a more formal way of ensuring long-term support.

“We’ve been donating to the community in so many ways for a long time,” he said. “This is a way of formalizing our support to the community.”

The OCU’s board of directors decided this funding model would work best over the past several months, he said.

“He talked about how can we best support the community and this is the model we came up with,” he said.

Sol is confident those groups that applied that didn’t receive funding will make another attempt in the spring of 2018.

“We wish we could have provided funding for all 15 that applied, but, unfortunately, our pockets aren’t limitless,” he said. “We’re urging all those groups that weren’t successful this time around to try again in March.”

The Community Giving Grant program is in line with the credit union’s mission, which has at its root maintaining a community focus while providing competitive products and professional personal service.

The eight organizations to receive funding include:

  • Desert Valley Hospice Society
  • Osoyoos Airport Society
  • Osoyoos Desert Society
  • Osoyoos Gift Cupboard
  • Osoyoos International Curling Club
  • Osoyoos Secondary School Breakfast Program
  • Osoyoos Secondary School Drama Club
  • Osoyoos Concert Series

OCU is member-owned and governed and proudly supports many community activities, either through direct participation or donations.

The Credit Union was founded in 1946 and has thrived in the Osoyoos community. The first annual meeting consisted of 18 people.

To date the credit union has remained an independent co-operative financial institution with approximately 5,000 members.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times