Community Impact
At Forest Area Federal Credit Union, supporting our communities isn’t a marketing program. It’s our promise. And our roots run deep. As a member-owned credit union guided by our mission of strengthening our communities and investing in your success, every account, loan, debit card swipe and day of service helps create something bigger than banking. In November of 2025 alone, FAFCU raised a record $60,000 for local food pantries. But that’s just part of our mission. Throughout the year we provide vital funding to local community organizations, award grants to local non-profits, sponsor community events and programs across the communities we serve, and provide scholarships to our local high school seniors. Our staff also lives the “people helping people” philosophy and last year invested nearly 2,000 hours of employee volunteerism across Northern Michigan.
That impact has many branches: financial literacy and youth programs like Trailblazers, scholarships for local high school students, community grants for public projects, the Three Tree Fund for neighbors facing loss or tragedy, Locals Shop Local debit card rewards for supporting local businesses, fraud education for youth and seniors, and partnerships with crucial organizations like Sleep in Heavenly Peace. When you bank with us, work with us, or simply belong to our extended community, you help make everyday financial decisions drive real local impact: stocked pantry shelves, educated students, safer seniors, stronger local economies, and members who are confident and secure in their financial futures.
Each year, FAFCU offers a Business Scholarship of $500 to a student from each of the following high schools: Forest Area High School, Kalkaska High School, Kingsley High School, Manton Consolidated High School, Mesick High School, Lake City High School and Cadillac High School.
Who Qualifies:
Applicants must have an active account at Forest Area FCU, be majoring in a business-related field, such as accounting or business administration, and have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.
How To Apply:
Applications should be picked-up from your nearest branch and returned to Forest Area Federal Credit Union by April 1st. Recipients of the scholarship will be notified at each school's awards ceremonies. Scholarship money is available during the student's first fall semester of college if they attend immediately after high school.
Our Board of Directors acts as a committee to receive grant applications throughout the year. They consider projects for funding such as those that contribute to improvements that support arts and culture, basic human needs, the local environment, health and safety improvement projects, recreation and support for seniors and youth.
Funding may cover capital improvements, new or replacement equipment, and new building projects supporting parks and recreation could qualify for funding from the grant program.
Who can apply:
Community non-profit organizations or government units who sponsor public projects that are located in FAFCU's field of membership: Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Wexford, Missaukee, Antrim, and Crawford Counties. For more details on what can qualify for the Grant Program, please click the "Grants page" link below.
To apply:
Download the Grant Application HERE.
For more information:
Visit our Grants page.
The Three Tree Fund is funded by FAFCU employee contributions and donations by the Board of Directors. Since 2007, The Three Tree Fund (previously known as the Humanity Fund) has supported members of our communities who have suffered a loss or tragedy, such as medical needs, house fires, car accidents, or a death in the family.
Forest Area Federal Credit Union has brought Banzai, a premium online financial literacy program, to educators and students of six schools in the area. These include Forest Area High School, Kingsley Area High School, Manton Consolidated High School, Lake City High School, Kalkaska High school, and Mesick High School.
Forest Area FCU speaks in many classrooms and other community events on budgeting, financial security, dividends, interest, loans and more. These are offered on a request basis, in an effort to provide knowledge to our communities on how to become financially responsible. Forest Area FCU is proud to be apart of Banzai and the impact is not going unnoticed, just hear what the teachers are saying!
"A special thank you to Forest Area Federal Credit Union for sponsoring our financial literacy materials from Banzai. Our students are asking many insightful questions as we begin this unit on learning to manage money." - Amy Bernthal, Teacher at Mancelona Middle School
Locals Shop Local is a regional program that connects FAFCU members to locally-owned businesses in the community, encouraging and rewarding members to shop locally and support our local econmoy by using your FAFCU debit card for purchases at participating retailers.
This unique program benefits local business owners and FAFCU members.
In June 2026, Forest Area FCU was honored by the Michigan Credit Union Foundation with the 2025 Community Enrichment Award for our November 2025 food drive, raising a record total of $60,000 to benefit local food pantries in our field of membership. The MCUF Community Enrichment Award recognizes a credit union's outstanding community impact initiative aimed at improving the financial well-being for people, families, businesses or communities in Michigan.
Our 2025 annual food drive in November raised $60,000 to be distributed to 13 local community food pantries. This amount reached a new fundraising record for the credit union, which eclipsed the previous record of $39,000 in 2024!
During International Credit Union Youth Month in April 2025, FAFCU donated $20 for every new youth account opened during the month to Sleep in Heavenly Peace. A total of $1,660 was raised. Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Wexford/Missaukee counties is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable bed for every child in need.
Our 2024 annual food drive in November raised over $39,000 to be distributed to 12 local community food pantries. This amount reached a new fundraising record for the credit union, which eclipsed the previous record of $37,000 in 2022!
The 2023 annual food drive raised $34,747 to be distributed to 12 community food pantries. Each year the credit union’s branches offer food pantry “bucks” for any type of donation. Some locations offer window and door space to local businesses for additional donations. In 2023 we also started accepting donations online to help make the process even easier.
In September 2023, thanks to generous donations from our members and a match from the FAFCU Board of Directors, we were able to donate close to $700 to the NMCAA to help with homelessness prevention in our communities.
2022's food drive raised $38,205 to be distributed to 12 community food pantries, beating the 2021 food drive's total by more than $11,000!
In 2021, we blew our old record out of the water! Our annual food drive raised close to $27,000 for 8 local pantries!
Forest Area Federal Credit Union was awarded the 2018/19 community service award by the Manton Police Department. This award was accomplished through our dedication to child safety education. We are honored and humbled by this recognition and look forward to making an impact in the Manton community.