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SECU FOUNDATION: People Helping People

SECU Foundation promotes local and community development by funding high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services.

Picture above: A $1.5 million grant from SECU Foundation has helped the Tammy Lynn Memorial Foundation move forward with a multi-phase campus expansion of the Tammy Lynn Center (TLC), its Wake County hub for statewide operations. Left to right are TLC CEO Sarah Crawford; SECU Foundation board members Ben McLawhorn, Brad McMillen, and Jennifer Haygood; SECU Foundation Board Chair Bob Brinson; and TLC Campaign Co-chair Charles Leffler.

The Foundation is funded through the reassignment of the $1.00 per month maintenance fee that all members pay on their checking account. (Members can opt out of the maintenance fee reassignment.)

Member impact

All Foundation scholarships, grants, and loans are made in the name of our members, reflecting the collective impact of the SECU community.

Through the SECU Foundation, members have committed over $235 million in scholarships, grants, and loans since 2004.

Representatives of SECU present a check for $200,000 to the United Negro College Fund.

Making a difference for all of North Carolina

Whether through direct grants, loans and scholarships in specific counties or funding for initiatives that benefit all of North Carolina, SECU Foundation is active in every region of our state.

To date, SECU Foundation has provided $61.4 million to support Tier 1 counties, identified by the N.C. Department of Commerce as the state’s most distressed based on factors such as unemployment, household income, and population growth. This includes $30 million in scholarships, $16.6 in grants, and $14.8 in loans (all but one at 0% interest).

Scholarships support students at every single one of North Carolina’s great 58 community colleges and 16 UNC System campuses.

At least one student annually from each school district in the state receives a $10,000 scholarship to attend college at one of the University of North Carolina System’s 16 campuses.
North Carolina’s 58 community colleges receive two $5,000 scholarships to assist 116 students each year.
Through the SECU Bridge to Career Program, which is designed to help remove financial barriers for students seeking to obtain state- regulated or industry-recognized credentials, $500 scholarships are also provided for eligible students at each of the 58 community colleges.