90 Years of Growing Together

Reflections: Our History and Vision for the Future

• We remain rooted in cooperative values that started in 1935 with a small group of Boeing employees who pooled their money to help a coworker buy tools.
• We have grown to 1.5 million members and $29 billion in assets, and last year alone, contributed $9.2 million in donations and in-kind support to the communities we serve.
• Our 90-year history serves as a strong foundation for growth and evolution, including our plan to join forces with SAFE Credit Union. 
• Our history and values inform innovation, including the development of a generative AI Advisor tool and Video Banking.
• We're unveiling a special 90th anniversary logo to celebrate this milestone, with member benefits, stories and new partnerships planned for the coming year.

Strength in Membership

Our members have always been and continue to be the source of our collective strength, which inspires and motivates all of us at BECU.

I admire the resilience of members like Annie M., who returned to her hometown of Spokane after a divorce to grow her independent music education business. She told us she took comfort in BECU accounts and services helping her on her way to rebuilding and thriving.

I cheer for the determination of members like Santos G., who built his financial skills and credit step by step with a secured credit card and other BECU products. Santos grew into a financially confident young adult and was able to buy his dream car with a BECU auto loan.

I celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and grit of business members like Michelle L., who opened a coffee shop with her husband with the help of BECU business banking services. She took her business from vision to reality, supported by our cooperative values and guidance.

Growing for Good

Our "people helping people" philosophy has guided how we've grown and changed throughout our 90 years. We continuously look to evolve in ways that provide the greatest benefit to our members while aligning with our values.

This approach shows up in our recently-announced plans to join together with SAFE Credit Union. Combining our membership will create an even stronger financial cooperative and position us to better compete and adapt to change.

Listening Leads to Innovation

I've seen firsthand how listening to our members fuels innovation. You told us you want faster, better access to financial products and services and help making financial decisions in a world where information is flowing faster than anyone can digest it.

We jumped at the opportunity to bring the power of generative AI to our members. This year, we brought on a team that is developing an AI-powered tool to give our members real-time, personalized financial guidance and analytics.

You told us you wanted access to personalized help even when you can't get to a Neighborhood Financial Center in person, so we introduced Video Banking to make managing your finances easier. You can now meet a member consultant face-to-face no matter your location. 

Putting members first is who we are. It's what makes us a proud leader in the credit union movement, and we are dedicated to reaching beyond our membership to serve in places where we live, work and play.

Paying It Forward

Strong members come from strong communities. I'm so proud to be part of an organization that reinvests in the places we call home.

Last year alone, we contributed $9.2 million in donations and in-kind support to local organizations, communities and partners to improve access to financial health and wealth by facilitating higher education, providing basic financial assistance and encouraging entrepreneurs to share their innovations with the world.

It's our way of living our values and paying it forward. As we grow, we are able to do more together.

Share Your Story

We hope that telling our story has inspired you to tell yours. Whether BECU helped you overcome a challenge or realize a dream, we want to hear it. Share your story for a chance to be featured in our advertising and marketing campaigns.

Thank you for your membership and your belief in what we're building together.

Our history is long, our future is bright, and we're just getting started.

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