Credit Union Donates to Local Environmental Group to Empower the Community
OnPoint's Green Horizons initiative provides members with discounts on green vehicles and solar panels, partners with local environmental nonprofits, and offers employees telecommuting programs, volunteer opportunities and environmental education.
OnPoint Community Credit Union has donated $100,000 to four nonprofit organizations that protect the Pacific Northwest’s environment, natural resources and wildlife. This year’s beneficiaries are The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, Ecotrust, Oregon Environment Council and SOLVE Oregon. The donation is part of OnPoint’s Green Horizons effort, an initiative launched in April 2021 to empower members and employees to care for the planet. The initiative provides members with discounts on green vehicles and solar panels, partners with local environmental nonprofits, and offers employees telecommuting programs, volunteer opportunities and environmental education.
“Addressing the effects of climate change starts at a local level to make a lasting impact,” said Rob Stuart, President and CEO, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “We created the Green Horizons initiative to make going green more accessible, and to support the organizations fighting every day to protect our most vital natural resources. We are proud to support these efforts and to continue making greener choices more accessible to the community.”
OnPoint will donate $25,000 to each of this year’s four nonprofit recipients: The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, Ecotrust, Oregon Environment Council and SOLVE Oregon. The Nature Conservancy in Oregon (TNC) brings people together to solve the most significant conservation challenges of our time. OnPoint has supported TNC since 2017, donating more than $316,800 to help fund projects, including forest restoration, ensuring vibrant and resilient coastal communities and sustainable fisheries, and protecting existing soil and underground carbon in Eastern Oregon. In 2021 in particular, OnPoint pledged up to $250 to TNC for every approved electric or hybrid vehicle loan with OnPoint. The campaign resulted in 1,474 approved green auto loans and a $226,750 donation to TNC.
“We are proud to be a recipient of OnPoint’s Green Horizons for the third year in a row,” said Derek Johnson, State Director, The Nature Conservancy in Oregon. “Oregonians are already experiencing the effects of climate change today, and OnPoint’s latest donation will allow us to continue our urgent work to protect our natural resources to build resilience for the future.”
Ecotrust has partnered with communities across our region for more than 30 years to inspire fresh thinking at the intersection of equity, economy and the environment. The organization is dedicated to restoring our lands and waters, promoting climate-resilient communities, and building broadly-shared intergenerational wealth. With OnPoint’s donation, Ecotrust will advance a more equitable and restorative regional food economy through its innovative food systems programming and spaces. As part of the partnership, Ecotrust will promote and resource local food producers and entrepreneurs, while connecting and fostering key relationships with institutional food buyers who are committed to sourcing regional products.
“Collaborating with community leaders and organizations like OnPoint is how we build an equitable and prosperous future for all,” said Christopher Rachal, Community and Funding Partnerships Manager at Ecotrust. “We are moved by the generosity and supportive partnership and look forward to continuing our collective work to advance climate resilience across our region.”
Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) brings the community together to find environmental solutions that enable everyone to participate in making Oregon a better place to live. Founded in 1968 by concerned Oregonians across the state, OEC is a membership-based, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. OEC partners with businesses, local communities and elected officials to create protective public policy. Oregon Environmental Council aims to protect public access to Oregon’s coast, reduce millions of tons of climate pollution, rid children’s products of toxins and safeguard drinking water.
“Our goal is to ensure every Oregonian has access to healthy air, water and climate. Community partners like OnPoint make our work possible,” said Jana Gastellum, Executive Director, Oregon Environmental Council. “We are thankful for this donation which will allow us to advance smart solutions, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, solar panels and safer consumer products that help more Oregonians live healthier lives.”
SOLVE Oregon brings diverse communities together to improve the health and safety of Oregon’s neighborhoods and natural areas, including the coast, rivers, parks and forests. For the past three years, OnPoint has supported SOLVE Oregon with $34,977 in donations and by sending dozens of employee volunteers to participate in SOLVE clean-up events. These events organize individuals and communities across Oregon to help remove litter from city streets and marine debris from beaches that can endanger wildlife and negatively impact water quality.
“OnPoint’s donation and employee volunteer support has helped us grow our event capacity to keep more neighborhoods safe and healthy,” Kris Carico, Chief Executive Officer, SOLVE Oregon. “We look forward to building our partnership with OnPoint to expand our reach and clean up more neighborhoods and natural areas throughout Oregon.”
To make going green more accessible, OnPoint’s Green Horizons offers special rate discounts for members. OnPoint’s Green Auto Discount offers 0.25%1 Annual Percentage Rate (APR) off auto loan rates for new or used electric or hybrid vehicles financed through OnPoint. People in the market for an electric or hybrid vehicle can also find additional incentives through Oregon, Washington and federal programs.
OnPoint’s Green Horizons also makes it more affordable for homeowners to produce their own solar electricity. When homeowners apply for an EquityFlex Line of Credit for home improvements, they can fix a portion of their line of credit for the purchase of solar panels and receive a 0.25%2 discount off the EquityFlex Fixed Portion APR. Homeowners can find even more savings by looking at incentives and rebate programs in Oregon and Washington.