The Fairwinds Foundation (Website), a nonprofit that serves as the philanthropic arm of FAIRWINDS Credit Union, recently announced the recipients of its 2021 grants at an event held at the Citrus Club in Downtown Orlando, where they awarded a total of a quarter-million dollars to eight local organizations.

  • City Year Orlando received a $10,000 grant to support financial literacy training for the corps, as well as school-based math and financial literacy initiatives. 
  • United Way Volusia – Flagler, received a $10,000 grant to provide support to families and individuals to move toward economic self-sufficiency.
  • Impower received a $15,000 grant to continue strengthening financial literacy skills-building programs at two IMPOWER residential programs that serve youth most at risk for financial instability: The Village Transitional Housing Program, servings homeless youth 18-24 (many from the foster care system) and teens, 13-18, at The Grove Adolescent Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Center (65% are currently in the child welfare system).   
  • Heart of Florida United Way received a $25,000 grant to support the ALICE population. Half of the Central Florida population falls into the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) category, which means many are balancing on the cusp of financial ruin. Nearly half of the Orlando community is living paycheck to paycheck and barely able to afford necessities like housing, transportation, and food.
  • Central Florida Urban League (CFUL) received $25,000 and employs volunteers from FAIRWINDS that supports its Meet the Bankers initiative, a program designed to provide a detailed path to financial stability and homeownership through education.
  • Lift Orlando received $25,000 to provide financial literacy and education to the residents of the Communities of West Lakes and the greater 32805 zip code.
  • Prospera USA received $40,000 to address financial literacy through focusing on the training and coaching of underserved Hispanics, so they succeed financially at the personal level, and have a better opportunity of becoming successful business owners.
  • Junior Achievement USA was granted the FAIRWINDS Foundation first $100,000 national grant and was celebrated for their implementation of JA Finance Park Virtual to approximately 16,000 students in Orlando, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Atlanta.

The FAIRWINDS Foundation grant cycle for 2022 will be open for inquiries in September 2021. Visit www.fairwinds.org/foundation to learn more.

Brendan O'Connor

Editor in Chief of Bungalower.com

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