WECU is a member-owned, not-for-profit credit union committed to enhancing the financial well-being of its members and making a positive impact in the communities it serves.
Whatcom Educational Credit Union’s recent giving is anchored by large scholarship support to Western Washington University Foundation, including a $128,000 grant in 2024 and a $70,750 grant in 2025 for scholarships. That pattern fits a funder that uses education as its main channel of community support, with repeated awards to local colleges and student-serving organizations across Whatcom and Skagit counties. The foundation’s grant list shows a steady mix of student aid, education grants, and project-specific support tied to access, equity, and local learning opportunities. Scholarship funding is central to how the credit union gives. Its active programs include member scholarships, athletic scholarships, and Western Welcomes scholarships for WECU members attending partner institutions such as Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian College, and Skagit Valley College. Beyond higher education, the foundation also supports community organizations working in education and youth development, such as Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center, Whatcom Literacy Council, and Whatcom Dream. The recurring appearances of several grantees suggest a pattern of sustained local relationships rather than one-off awards.
Higher education is the clearest theme in the grant list. WECU gave $20,500 to Skagit Valley College Foundation in 2024 for education grant and scholarships, and later added $12,500 in 2025 for the same institution. It also awarded $8,300 to Bellingham Technical College in 2025 for scholarships and $8,000 to Whatcom Community College Foundation in 2025 for education. Early learning and youth-serving organizations also appear repeatedly. The credit union supported Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center with $20,000 in 2023 and another $20,000 in 2024, and gave $15,000 to Whatcom Center for Early Learning in 2025 after a $15,000 grant in 2024. Community-based education work shows up through $20,000 to Whatcom Literacy Council in 2025 and $16,000 to Whatcom Dream in 2025. These grants point to support for both formal schooling and local learning access.
Typical grant size clusters around the mid-teens: the 25th percentile is $11,375, the median is $15,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent list also shows a few larger scholarship awards, including the $128,000 and $70,750 grants to Western Washington University Foundation. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center, Whatcom Literacy Council, Whatcom Center for Early Learning, and Whatcom Dream, which indicates repeat support rather than strictly one-time giving. The credit union’s programs include both member scholarship awards and project-specific education and community grants, and some offerings accept unsolicited applications while others do not.
$252K
$3.3B
$184.5M
$172.2M
Most grants fall between $11K and $20K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$20K
JENNIFER KUTCHER
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Giving is concentrated in Washington, with 100% of recent grants going to recipients in the state. Bellingham is the main recipient city, with multiple grants to organizations there, including Western Washington University Foundation, Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center, Whatcom Literacy Council, Whatcom Dream, and Bellingham Technical College. Mount Vernon also appears repeatedly through Skagit Valley College Foundation, Children of the Valley, Skagit Preschool Association and Resource Center, and the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County Foundation. The overall pattern is local and county-based, centered on Whatcom and Skagit counties.
Its active programs center on education and scholarships. The credit union runs member scholarship programs for WECU members at partner colleges, plus Education First Grants, Community Builder grants, and Servant Leadership Grants. The recent grant list also shows recurring support for education, youth development, and community organizations in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated in the mid-teens: p25 is $11,375, median is $15,000, and p75 is $20,000. The recent record also includes a few much larger scholarship awards, such as $128,000 and $70,750 to Western Washington University Foundation.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center, Whatcom Literacy Council, Whatcom Center for Early Learning, Whatcom Dream, Children of the Valley, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, and Skagit Valley College Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with local education-focused groups.
Scholarship programs are for WECU members attending partner institutions. Named partner schools include Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian College, and Skagit Valley College. The program descriptions also mention athletic scholarships and Western Welcomes awards for students, including historically underrepresented students.
Recent grants are entirely in Washington, and the activity is local. Bellingham and Mount Vernon appear most often in the recipient list, with giving focused in Whatcom and Skagit counties. Active programs also name those counties and the broader WECU service area.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Whatcom Educational Credit Union that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Local nonprofit organizations. New users need to register and have nonprofit status vetted by WECU. Reservations are limited to two uses per group in any 30-day period and recurring series are not allowed.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $71,350 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| GOWEST CREDIT UNION ASSOCIATION | SEATAC, WA | $30,366 | 2026 | ADVOCACY |
| BELLINGHAM ARTS ACADEMY FOR YOUTH | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF WHATCOM COUNTY | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| FUTURESNW | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| THE WHATCOM DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER | BELLINGHAM, WA | $14,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILD WHATCOM | BELLINGHAM, WA | $13,750 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SKAGIT PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND RESOURCE CENTER | MT VERNON, WA | $11,500 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE OF SKAGIT COUNTY FOUNDATION | MT VERNON, WA | $11,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE | MT VERNON, WA | $8,500 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $8,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| BELLINGHAM TECHNICAL COLLEGE | BELLINGHAM, WA | $8,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $70,750 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY | MT VERNON, WA | $20,500 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| BELLINGHAM ARTS ACADEMY FOR YOUTH | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM DREAM | BELLINGHAM, WA | $16,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM CENTER FOR EARLY LEARNING | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | MT VERNON, WA | $12,500 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SKAGIT PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND RESOURCE CENTER | MT VERNON, WA | $11,500 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE OF SKAGIT COUNTY FOUNDATION | MT VERNON, WA | $11,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE | MT VERNON, WA | $8,500 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| BELLINGHAM TECHNICAL COLLEGE | BELLINGHAM, WA | $8,300 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $8,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $128,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | MT VERNON, WA | $20,500 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIPS |
| CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY | MT VERNON, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| BELLINGHAM CHILDCARE & LEARNING CENTER | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| PICKFORD FILM CENTER | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM DREAM | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WHATCOM CENTER FOR EARLY LEARNING | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| NOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| BELLINGHAM TECHNICAL COLLEGE | BELLINGHAM, WA | $8,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| PICKFORD FILM CENTER | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| BELLINGHAM CHILDCARE & LEARNING CENTER | BELLINGHAM, WA | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| NOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| FUTURESNW | BELLIGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| WILD WHATCOM | BELLINGHAM, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
| EXPLORATIONS ACADEMY | BELLINGHAM, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION GRANT |
GOWEST CREDIT UNION ASSOCIATION
$30,366ADVOCACY
BELLINGHAM ARTS ACADEMY FOR YOUTH
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF WHATCOM COUNTY
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
FUTURESNW
$15,000EDUCATION GRANT
THE WHATCOM DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER
$14,250GENERAL SUPPORT
WILD WHATCOM
$13,750EDUCATION GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIPS
SKAGIT PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND RESOURCE CENTER
$11,500EDUCATION GRANT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE OF SKAGIT COUNTY FOUNDATION
$11,000EDUCATION GRANT
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE
$8,500EDUCATION GRANT
CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY
$20,500EDUCATION GRANT
WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
BELLINGHAM ARTS ACADEMY FOR YOUTH
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
WHATCOM DREAM
$16,000EDUCATION GRANT
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$12,500EDUCATION GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIPS
SKAGIT PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND RESOURCE CENTER
$11,500EDUCATION GRANT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE OF SKAGIT COUNTY FOUNDATION
$11,000EDUCATION GRANT
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE
$8,500EDUCATION GRANT
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$20,500EDUCATION GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIPS
CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
BELLINGHAM CHILDCARE & LEARNING CENTER
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
PICKFORD FILM CENTER
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
WHATCOM DREAM
$15,000EDUCATION GRANT
WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
PICKFORD FILM CENTER
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
BELLINGHAM CHILDCARE & LEARNING CENTER
$20,000EDUCATION GRANT
FUTURESNW
$15,000EDUCATION GRANT
WILD WHATCOM
$10,000EDUCATION GRANT
EXPLORATIONS ACADEMY
$10,000EDUCATION GRANT
