The post about the gift to the Gates Foundation made by our own Samantha got me thinking about the idea of charitable giving and profitable businesses.

Maybe it has something to do with how much of my adult life has been spent living from paycheck to paycheck, but it’s important to me to know just who is to whom I’m giving my money when I purchase a product or a service. Whenever I can, I choose to do businesses with companies who demonstrate their good values by treating their staff well, by treating their customers & clients well, and by supporting their communities through charitable giving.

Hence this post, the first in what will be an irregular series on local businesses that I think show strong character by supporting our local communities in various ways. If you know of a local business that you think deserves recognition in this series, please use the suggest a story form to mention them.

And now, without further ado, the first “good neighbor” that I’d like to recognize is the Boeing Employees Credit Union, a/k/a BECU.

I first became aware of their commitment to community some years ago when one of my friends, a long-time BECU employee, invited me to join the BECU team at a charitable fundraising event. Over the years, I’ve been aware of a number of events in which they’ve been involved: BECU supports a number of programs, from providing financial education to local youth, financial support and education to local schools, low- or no-cost financial services to a number of local non-profit groups aimed at providing affordable housing, education and small business development, to supporting the Children’s Miracle Network though their “Credit Unions for Kids” program.

BECU employees are actively encourage to take part in volunteer activities to enrich the community. BECU supports employees who make cash donations by matching them dollar-for-dollar, up to $500 annually per employee. Additionally, BECU has a program called “Dollars for Doers” which provides $125 for a non-profit organization when a BECU employee volunteers at least 20 hours a year with that organization. Most importantly, BECU fosters an environment in which giving is seen as second nature, not a special occasion deal. By making supporting the community that supports them part of their routine course of business, BECU has proven to me that they are indeed an asset to our hometown.

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5. Great Directors: Herzog and Cronenberg Series