Let’s Give Arizona a Hand Up Award finalist: Desert Financial Credit Union

The “Let’s Give Arizona a Hand Up Award” will be presented at the upcoming Champions of Change Awards through a partnership between AZ Big Media and Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Finalists for the award were determined based on how their company’s corporate giving and community volunteer activities are building a brighter future for Arizona nonprofits and making a direct and quantifiable impact on our communities. The Champions of Change Awards will be held Thursday, May 16, 2024. Each day leading up to the event, we will preview one finalist for the Let’s Give Arizona a Hand Up Award. Today, learn about Desert Financial Credit Union.

Sponsors of the Champions of Change Awards include BOK Financial (impact sponsor), Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona (spotlight sponsor), Stearns Bank (step-and-repeat sponsor), Maricopa Corporate College at Maricopa Community Colleges (photo booth sponsor), Lerner & Rowe Gives Back (name tag sponsor), REDW Advisors and CPAs (floral sponsor) and Center for the Future of Arizona (dessert sponsor).

To learn more about the Champions of Change Awards, click here.

Desert Financial Credit Union

In 2018, Desert Financial pledged to raise $2 million over four years for the 1 Darn Cool School at Phoenix Children’s. A K-12 fully accredited school, it provides classroom or bedside instruction to patients while they heal. The school not only provides the children with the opportunity to stay on track with their schoolwork, but it also offers a sense of normalcy and brings hope to the patients and their families. The teachers also provide parent resources and support, help transition students back to a traditional school, proctor exams, and more.

“Jackie would get bored with TV. The 1 Darn Cool School gave her activities to do while in the hospital that would keep her mind busy. It was a beacon of light for her while she was at Phoenix Children’s.” said Amanda, Jackie’s mom.

The school began as a volunteer program in 1987 and officially became the 1 Darn Cool School in 1996. As one of the first hospital schools in the country, it now serves more than 2,000 children every year. Through its partnership with Desert Financial and Desert Financial Foundation, the school has grown to eight full-time year-round master’s level teachers who engaged in more than 11,000 patient sessions in 2023.

As a credit union founded by educators 85 years ago, giving back to the community has always been the heart of Desert Financial’s mission. Desert Financial continues to honor the legacy of its founders by finding unique ways to support educational initiatives for those who need it most. This includes the patients of Phoenix Children’s who might otherwise fall behind in their schoolwork during their hospital stay. Through in-branch fundraisers, an annual golf tournament and other giving initiatives, Desert Financial Foundation, the credit union and its team members continue to find innovative ways to fully fund this one-of-a-kind school.

Thanks to the generosity of our members, community and team, Desert Financial increased its pledge in 2020 from $2 to $3 million over four years, and in December 2023, it wrapped its commitment to raise $3 million by revealing $1,150,000 in its final year. This is the largest single donation, bringing the total raised for the 1 Darn Cool School to $3.8 million in four years and nearly $11 million through our 27-year partnership.

“Desert Financial Foundation is proud to support the important work of the 1 Darn Cool School, and we’re excited to announce our newest pledge to raise $5 million over the next five years for the school,” said Ron Amstutz, Board Secretary of Desert Financial Foundation and Desert Financial, Executive Vice President.

This commitment will allow the school to hire an additional teacher as Phoenix Children’s expands, ensuring no patient is without access to an education. “It is because of Desert Financial Foundation, the credit union and its passionate team members we can ensure the school can continue providing these much-needed services to our patients and children,” said Tim Harrison, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Special Events at Phoenix Children’s Foundation.