Tucson Federal Credit Union Invests Over $106K across 19 Organizations in Education, Housing, Youth, and Community Programs to Open 2026

Tucson Federal Credit Union (TFCU) has given $106,200 to Southern Arizona communities, directing resources toward education, youth development, housing stability, disability inclusion, law enforcement support, and essential social services across Pima County.

The grants, sponsorships, and programmatic investments, awarded to 19 organizations through the first quarter of 2026, reflect TFCU's continued commitment to showing up alongside the organizations and institutions that add to the betterment of community life across the region.

"Our community investment strategy is intentional," said John "Jax" Jackson, Vice President of Culture and Development at TFCU. "We're not writing checks and stepping back; we're showing up alongside the organizations doing the hardest work in our region. That's what a community credit union is built to do."

SIGNATURE INVESTMENTS
TFCU's largest single investment of $25,000 was directed to Interfaith Community Services (ICS) of Tucson in support of the organization's essential community programs. ICS provides critical services to vulnerable Tucsonans across a wide spectrum of need. TFCU's Northwest Branch Manager, Luis Arenas, connected directly with ICS leadership, including Executive Director Tom McKinney, to present the gift in person, part of a deliberate effort by TFCU to engage its branch managers as community ambassadors rather than routing all philanthropic activity through headquarters.

"Having our branch managers present these donations in person reflects something we genuinely believe," TFCU President & CEO Matthew Gaspari stated. "The people serving your neighborhood should be the ones investing in it."

TFCU also awarded $15,000 to the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona to support after-school programs, school lunches, and community-based EmpowHERment sites serving girls across Tucson Unified, Sunnyside, Amphi, and La Paloma Academy districts. EmpowHERment programming also reaches young women in some of the region's most underserved settings — including juvenile detention facilities, the Pascua Yaqui Boys & Girls Club, and Goodwill Youth REC.

HOUSING & ECONOMIC STABILITY
TFCU directed $15,000 toward housing access and tenant stability across Southern Arizona:

• A $10,000 investment to the Southern Arizona Land Trust supports the organization's general operations, with a current programmatic focus on tenant emergency rental assistance.

 

• A $5,000 grant to the Pima County Community Land Trust to support its work providing affordable rental programs and housing assistance to residents facing economic barriers, and reflects the credit union's commitment to governance-level community engagement alongside its philanthropic investment.

ADAPTIVE ATHLETICS & INCLUSION
A $5,500 grant to Camp Abilities Tucson will fund a full day of camp programming for 30 athletes and their 30 coaches. Camp Abilities serves youth with visual impairments and deaf-blindness through structured, sport-based programming, with approximately two-thirds of participants attending on full scholarship. The investment also helps sustain the organization's scholarship model as it navigates potential changes to its hosting facility.

TFCU contributed $1,000 to the University of Arizona Campus Recreation department in support of the UA Adaptive Athletics 2026 National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, hosted at McKale Center on April 1, 2026. The tournament brings together collegiate athletes ages 18–24 competing in adaptive athletics at the national level.

EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
TFCU directed significant investment toward K–12 education and youth programming across the region:

• The MUSD 2340 Foundation — the philanthropic arm of Marana Unified School District, whose name honors the approximately 2,340 days a student spends in school from preschool through graduation — received $5,000 in support of scholarships, classroom resources, professional development, and community partnerships.
• The Tucson High School Badger Foundation received $2,500 to support its scholarship and financial assistance fund.
• Sahuarita School District's Walden Grove High School Academic Decathlon team received $1,500 to cover lodging for student competitors traveling to the Arizona State Academic Decathlon Championships, held March 6–7, 2026.
• Painted Sky Elementary School received a $1,000 contribution through the school's PTO in support of its annual Spring Festival, scheduled for May 15, 2026, with TFCU's Oro Valley Marketplace Branch Manager, Jace Garrish, delivering the gift directly to the school community.
• TFCU is also serving as a $1,000 sponsor for Astronomy & Agricultural Day at Howell Elementary School on April 10, 2026. The school assembly event connects students with science, agriculture, and their broader community.

YOUTH PROGRAMS, ARTS & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
As one of two Premier Sponsors, TFCU invested $5,000 in support of Fresh! An Evening Under the Stars, Tucson Waldorf School's annual fundraiser held March 28, 2026 on campus. The evening brought together the Waldorf community to raise essential funds to support programs centered on creativity, curiosity, and holistic learning.

TuNidito, a Tucson-based nonprofit providing grief and emotional support services to children and families, received a $5,000 investment in support of the organization's Remarkable Celebration on May 9, 2026 — an annual event honoring mothers who serve as mentors, advocates, and role models within Southern Arizona's grieving community. Now in its 24th year, the Remarkable Celebration has honored 126 women who embody TuNidito's mission to ensure no child grieves alone.

Greater Tucson Leadership received a $2,500 sponsorship as a Camp GTL sponsor, supporting the organization's annual alumni retreat and continued investment in regional civic leadership development.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT
TFCU committed $5,000 to the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2003 to support the operational and programmatic needs of Tucson-area law enforcement agencies and address the gap between baseline budget funding and increasingly complex demands of modern policing including ongoing officer training, technical equipment, software upgrades, and community engagement programs, underscoring the credit union's commitment to public safety as a foundational element of community well-being.


MORE SPRING 2026 COMMITMENTS
TFCU's community investment continues into spring as a sponsor for several events and golf tournaments:

• The credit union has committed $5,000 as a Student Showcase sponsor for the Amphi Foundation Annual Gala on April 11, 2026, which celebrates student achievement across the Amphitheater School District.
• TFCU team members will also participate in the Tucson International Academy Schools Career Expo on April 2, 2026, at Pima College's Downtown Campus, connecting students with professionals and pathways in financial services and beyond.
• TFCU will serve as a tournament sponsor for
  • the St. Peter and Paul Catholic School Golf Tournament, contributing $1,200 in support of the school's fundraising efforts
  • and $5,000 as a tournament sponsor for the Tucson Redskins Youth Football and Cheer Golf Tournament, scheduled for July 2026, supporting youth athletics programming in the region.

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