TAMPA, Florida, March 2021: GTE’s charitable mission is to benefit the community through passionate support of local charities and initiatives that further the reach and impact of Financial Literacy, with a focus on helping
to build individual prosperity. GTE approaches philanthropy as a duty to the community – a privilege that they wholeheartedly view as a fundamental purpose and reason for existing. As a not-for-profit financial institution, they focus on giving back instead of obsessing over profit. In fact, GTE donated over $441,000 to local charities in 2020 and $690,000 in 2019. Although COVID presented many hardships across the world, GTE Financial remained committed to their philanthropy and managed to donate a significant amount to local charities because after all, this responsibility held by GTE, is not taken lightly.
Just one piece of their philanthropic efforts is their monthly charity program where GTE focuses their efforts on one charitable organization per month throughout the year. Fortunately for GTE, their team members rally around each organization to provide support through fundraisers, personal contributions, and volunteerism. In 2020 GTE Financial was able to raise $140,000 for twelve organizations that needed their help! In 2021, they will continue their annual tradition by focusing their efforts on supporting different charities throughout Tampa Bay. The charity that is being featured for March 2021, is Tighten the Drag Foundation. tightenthedragfoundation.org
To further engage members and support charities, GTE Financial has added programs like the Future Change Program, which allows members to round up their transactions to the nearest dollar to benefit local charities. Another great initiative is “Swipe it Forward,” where every time a member swipes a GTE Financial debit or credit card, they are giving back to local charities. TV and radio commercials highlighting this are currently being aired and feature a few of GTE’s favorite charities. They want every person involved with GTE Financial to be a part of something bigger than a bank account. GTE believes they can make a huge difference with these small steps and programs of giving back. For more information on which charities are included and how to donate, please visit gtefinancial.org/about/community-engagement-investment/charities.
GTE Financial takes pride in its desire to promote the welfare of others. Through the initiatives of supporting charities, they can donate money to good causes and impact local businesses that also support GTE Financial Credit Union. One of the most consistent attributes of GTE Financial is lifting others up through philanthropy. “Philanthropy is woven into the DNA of our organization and our people. Throughout the year, our employees rally around our monthly charities. It gives them a strong sense of pride knowing they are making a difference in the community and it makes me so proud to lead an organization that truly lives the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’,” says CEO, Brian Best.
GTE Financial is a financial cooperative that is committed to being the preferred employer in Southwest Florida. This means they make decisions for the benefit of all their customers, whom they call member-owners. Each member-owner has a stake, or ownership, in GTE Financial. GTE employees are proud to be a part of a financial institution that doesn’t make a profit just to turn it over to anonymous shareholders. The money GTE earns is returned to their “shareholders” – GTE Member-Owners – in the form of higher dividends, lower rates, and new products and services.