DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two Florida credit unions have now announced commitments to Bethune-Cookman University, including a $500,000 pledge from Suncoast Credit Union and a partnership that was announced earlier under which Addition Financial Credit Union will make donations tied to debit card use.
Suncoast said it donated $50,000 this fall to support homecoming activities and programs intended to help students succeed in and out of the classroom. It also committed to giving $50,000 annually for 10 years, a $500,000 pledge. Suncoast’s release describes the fall gift and the 10-year commitment separately.
Addition Financial, in a partnership reported earlier by The CU Daily, said it will donate three cents to the university each time a co-branded Bethune-Cookman affinity debit card is used. Those donations will be unrestricted, allowing the university to decide how to use them. Addition Financial did not announce a fixed donation amount.
Suncoast Continues Launch Credit Union Partnership
Suncoast said its decade-long commitment carries forward a charitable partnership established by Launch Credit Union, which recently merged with Suncoast. The credit union said it intends to continue supporting educational opportunities for students in Brevard and Volusia counties.
“Our partnership with Bethune-Cookman University is built on a shared commitment to student success, and we look forward to helping students and educators succeed for years to come,” Suncoast President and CEO Kevin Johnson said in the release.
Suncoast said its work on campus extends beyond the financial commitment. Its employees participate in career fairs and job-shadowing panels, deliver financial education workshops and help create internship and hiring pathways. The credit union said its team members have engaged with more than 800 Bethune-Cookman students on financial well-being.
Founded by educators in 1934, Suncoast said it and the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation expect to invest approximately $3.75 million in Florida schools, scholarships and educational programs this year. The foundation has provided more than $68 million to organizations across the state since its founding in 1990, according to the credit union.
The foundation receives funding through Suncoast’s Pennies Add Up program, which contributes four cents each time a member uses a Suncoast debit or credit card. Suncoast said foundation grants go to tax-exempt organizations in its service area that demonstrate an impact on children’s education, health or emotional well-being.
Addition Financial Adds Card Donations, Student Programs
Addition Financial’s agreement makes the $3.8 billion credit union Bethune-Cookman’s preferred credit union. As previously reported by The CU Daily, the partnership includes:
- A co-branded affinity debit card that generates a three-cent donation to the university with each use.
- Financial education workshops for students, faculty and staff.
- A student campus ambassador position.
- An internship pipeline for students interested in financial services careers.
The campus ambassador will promote the partnership, connect the campus community with financial education resources and assist with university events. Addition Financial said the internships will give students industry experience and opportunities to develop professional skills.
“This partnership goes well beyond offering pathways to traditional financial services,” Addition Financial President and CEO Kevin Miller said when the agreement was announced. He said it would support students’ financial knowledge and professional development while contributing to university traditions.
‘Preparing Students for Life’
Bethune-Cookman President Albert Mosely said the partnership’s financial education, professional experience and campus engagement would help prepare students for life after graduation.
Bethune-Cookman is a private historically Black university that traces its history to 1904, when educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls.
