4 Ways OnPoint’s Community Giving Helps Local Schools Thrive

Today, NCEF would like to celebrate our long-time sponsor, OnPoint Community Credit Union. Founded in 1932 by 16 schoolteachers, OnPoint has grown to become the largest community-owned financial institution in Oregon. OnPoint is known for its legacy of quality service, and their success starts with a dedication to helping members achieve financial well-being. Without the support of amazing partners like OnPoint, NCEF would not be able to keep its doors open. This support is crucial to funding our programs, which serve North Clackamas students, local teachers, and families.

Not only does OnPoint act as a headlining sponsor for NCEF’s annual gala each year, but its team also donates regularly to our foundation. OnPoint recently gave NCEF a $5,000 donation, which will help NCEF provide our district with teacher grants, after-school program fees, college scholarships for NCSD grads, and more.

However, these donations aren’t the only way that OnPoint contributes to local education. The credit union donates to community organizations across Oregon and SW Washington, benefiting schools in North Clackamas, Portland, Eugene, Bend, Vancouver, Salem, and elsewhere. Read on to learn more about OnPoint’s philanthropy. 1. OnPoint gives generously to Oregon education organizations

OnPoint has always had an incredible track record for community giving. In 2020, it outdid itself with a record $1.66 million in donations going to over 318 organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Education-related recipients included De La Salle North Catholic High School and Self Enhancement, Inc.

OnPoint is also a long-time sponsor of the annual KGW School Supply Drive for Schoolhouse Supplies, which provides school supplies to the children who need them most. In 2020, OnPoint donated $65,000 to Schoolhouse Supplies, supporting more than 2,600 Oregon students.

In addition, OnPoint is a founding sponsor of Babies With Books, a Randall Children's Hospital program that has provided more than 700 families with new books in seven languages. This wonderful initiative enhances critical brain development in infants and offers families key bonding opportunities.

2. OnPoint offers awards to skilled educators Since 2010, OnPoint has given an impressive $526,389 in prizes and grants to Oregon and SW Washington educators through their OnPoint Prize Excellence in Education award. This year, OnPoint honored teachers with three Educator of the Year awards.

The grade K-5 OnPoint Prize Educator of the Year Award went to Lionel Clegg, a first-grade teacher at Woodlawn Elementary School. Lionel has served in various roles at Woodlawn Elementary, including an after-school tutor for the Sun School program and the leader of Boys of Distinction, a mentoring program he created for 3-5th grade boys. He advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion within his school and across the greater Portland community through longstanding partnerships with The Black Parent Initiative, Self Enhancement Inc. and the Portland Teach Program Alumni Alliance. The grade 6-12 OnPoint Prize Educator of the Year recipient was Travis Rooke-Ley, an 8th grade math and journalism teacher at Whitford Middle School. His unique teaching style often applies real-world situations to math concepts such as housing, interest, loans and college tuition, to give his students a real sense of why these topics matter and how they will impact their future. Travis also started the school’s online newspaper during the pandemic, which has become an instrumental tool in building community and informing students about global issues and events. The grade 9-12 OnPoint Prize Educator of the Year recipient was Addie Lyden, a 9-12th grade history and law teacher at Southridge High School.

Addie created an “Immigrant Voices” board for her students to share anonymous letters about their experiences with immigration and what they think it means to be an American. In addition, she led a community and district-wide discussion featuring Black students entitled “Black Student Voices: Navigating a time of crisis in America,” sparking conversation around the most critical issues Black students face today.

To reward these stellar teachers’ efforts, OnPoint paid their mortgages (or rent) for one year and gave their schools $2,500 each. Wow!

Other Educator of the Year award finalists received $5,000 each and $1,500 for their schools. 3. OnPoint helps build financial literacy for youth Setting and attaining financial goals comes easier with financial education. OnPoint fosters financial literacy by partnering with Oregon and SW Washington organizations that teach these skills to youth, and by providing comprehensive financial education resources for free to the community.

Since 2008, OnPoint has partnered with Financial Beginnings, an organization providing skills and resources to help youth and adults take an active role in their financial well-being. Last year, OnPoint donated $50,000 to Financial Beginnings and engaged 2,500 students with financial education curriculum.

OnPoint also provides employees with paid time for volunteer opportunities, such as being a distance learning instructor for Financial Beginnings. These OnPoint volunteers connect with school and community groups to teach people of all ages how to improve their financial well-being. In 2020, OnPoint also donated $50,000 to Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington, helping hundreds of students and supporting thousands of volunteers and teachers with new online training materials. This nonprofit empowers local students by giving them the knowledge and skills they need to manage their money, plan for their futures, and make informed academic, career and economic choices. “As our partner in financial literacy, OnPoint’s investment will help provide young people in our region with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be money-smart and career-ready,” said Ryan Deckert, President of Junior Achievement.

4. OnPoint gives scholarships to local students

OnPoint partners with Oregon School Activity Association (OSAA) to offer the OnPoint Scholar Program, which provides six scholarships annually.

The OnPoint Scholar Program honors graduating seniors who have achieved a 3.50 or higher unweighted cumulative grade point average (GPA) and have earned either a varsity letter in an OSAA-sanctioned sport or competed in an OSAA-sanctioned activity.

In 2021, two winners each received a $5,000 scholarship, and four winners each received a $1,000 scholarship. One of the $1,000 scholarship winners was Sabrina Li at our very own Clackamas High School. Congratulations, Sabrina and thank you, OnPoint! Your community giving efforts never cease to amaze us.

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The NCEF team feels so fortunate to partner with OnPoint. They’re truly a community credit union.

You can learn more about OnPoint’s community giving programs at https://www.onpointcu.com/community-giving/. For more information about OnPoint’s financial education programs, visit https://www.onpointcu.com/financial-education/.