The Superior Foundation, Inc. was established in 2014 with a gift from the members of Superior Credit Union, Inc. The Superior Foundation is a not-for-profit private foundation established to support programs that benefit the communities served by Superior Credit Union.

The mission of the Superior Foundation is to fund programs that are focused on creating financial stability for individuals and families in the communities we serve.

Board of Directors

The Foundation's volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of seven members. The President of Superior Credit Union appoints two (2) Directors annually from employees of Superior Credit Union and/or its affiliates. The Board of Directors of Superior Credit Union elects two (2) Directors annually to serve on this board. The remaining three (3) Directors are elected annually from the Superior Credit Union membership by the already seated four (4) Directors. Current board members are:

• Pam Shaw, SCU Board Member – Executive Director & Board Chairperson
• Jed Metzger, Community Member – Board Vice-Chairperson
• Stacey Deitering, Chief Financial Officer, Superior CU – Board Secretary/Treasurer
• Kelsey Joseph, Director of Marketing, Superior CU
• Joe Patton, SCU Board Member
  
• Jesse Lowe, Community Member
• Becky Landen, Community Member

Primary Focus Areas

The Board of Directors of Superior Foundation has set primary focus areas including, but not limited to, financial education, entrepreneurship, economic development, first-time home buyer assistance, and volunteer tax assistance.

Donations

Charitable gifts are welcome and can be made to the Superior Foundation at any Superior Credit Union branch. The Superior Foundation is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization and your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Grants

The Superior Foundation makes grants to 501(c)(3) organizations located in our service areas. Programs/projects must support our stated mission. Examples of grants we have made:

• Western Ohio Community Action Partnership (WOCAP): A grant was awarded to WOCAP to partially fund the First-time Homebuyers Program for Allen, Auglaize, and Mercer counties. Grant funds from the Superior Foundation were used to provide down payment assistance to clients who successfully completed the educational portion of the program (up to $4,000 per property). Additionally, Superior’s grant allowed WOCAP to leverage funds from HUD for the operation of this program.
• United Way of Greater Lima: A grant was awarded to United Way of Greater Lima to support Financial Self-Sufficiency programing. This funding was used to start the Wheels to Work program. Wheels to Work assists a qualified person who would not normally be approved for credit to purchase a car and secure a car loan.  This helps individuals/families to reach a more independent status, overcome transportation obstacles to maintain employment, build credit, and assists in moving toward self-sufficiency.
• Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA): A grant was awarded to the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce to support the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) program. This academy teaches students in grades 6-12 how to launch and run their own businesses. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a ground-breaking program that takes students through the process of starting and running real businesses over the course of a full academic year. YEA! students, as a class, visit area businesses, meet successful entrepreneurs, meet with professionals (attorneys, accountants, bankers, graphic designers, web developers, insurance providers, etc.), develop a business or social movement idea and plan, and work with mentors. Students then pitch their ideas "live" to a panel of investors made up of local business and community leaders with real dollars at stake to obtain funding.

For more information

For more information, please contact Board Member Kelsey Joseph.