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Whatcom Educational Credit Union at a glance

· Public charity

Whatcom Educational Credit Union

WHATCOM EDUCATIONAL CREDIT UNION (wecu) is a not-for-profit financial cooperative where members are encouraged to save and borrow responsibly at fair and competitive rates, improving their financial well-being and standard of living.

$351k
Granted FY2025still arriving
13
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$71k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2025.

Education$775kArts & Culture$110kHuman Services$86kRecreation & Sports$40kMembership Benefit$30kYouth Development$30kAnimals$30kCommunity Improvement$22kOther$0
02FY2025 · 13 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 13 grants below total $251,716, the rows itemized in this filing. The $351,394 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $99,678 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k3 grants · $25k
  • $10k–50k9 grants · $156k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $71k
$14,250
Median grant
1
States reached
$3.3B
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION$71,350
GOWEST CREDIT UNION ASSOCIATION$30,366
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF WHATCOM COUNTY$20,000
BELLINGHAM ARTS ACADEMY FOR YOUTH$20,000
WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL$20,000
FUTURESNW$15,000
THE WHATCOM DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER$14,250
WILD WHATCOM$13,750
SKAGIT PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND RESOURCE CENTER$11,500
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE OF SKAGIT COUNTY FOUNDATION$11,000
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE$8,500
BELLINGHAM TECHNICAL COLLEGE$8,000
WHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION$8,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY19–24, $127k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 7%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 7%CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY: $21k → 11%CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY: $20k → 11%WHATCOM DREAM: $16k → 12%WHATCOM FAMILY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION: $15k → 12%WHATCOM FAMILY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION: $15k → 12%WHATCOM DREAM: $15k → 12%OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL: $13k → 12%OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL: $13k → 12%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

95%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.1M · 22 repeat orgs$60k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +26% since the first grant, against -22% for those funded once.

22 repeat relationships: 10 still active in FY2025, 12 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

22
1

Total granted

$1.1M
$15k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+26%
-22%

Still filing today

95%
100%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 82% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $45k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
EducationHuman ServicesArts & CulturePublic BenefitAnimalsPhilanthropyOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • TW
    THE WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL
    4× · 2021–2025 · $80k · revenue +97%
  • B
    BAAY
    4× · 2019–2025 · $70k · revenue +94%
  • TW
    The Whatcom Dream
    4× · 2019–2024 · $61k · revenue +11%

Funded once

  • UW
    UNITED WAY OF WHATCOM COUNTY
    one grant, 2018 · $15k · revenue -22%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Cowlitz Economic Development Council

Foster Growth in the Community

—
2
United Way of Snohomish County

United way of snohomish county improves lives for families in snohomish county by bringing people, resources, and strategy together.

Philanthropy
3
Whatcom Sports & Recreation

The whatcom sports commission is committed to develop and maintain athletic facilities of the highest standards for the benefit of the citizens of whatcom county.

Recreation & Sports
4
Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition

Creating a greener, healthier, more equitable, and better Washington for all through community outreach, network building, and advocacy for conservation and outdoor recreation funding.

—
5
Pacific Northwest Economic Region Foundation

To increase the economic well-being and quality of life for all citizens of the region; to coordinate provincial, territorial, and state policies throughout the region; to identify and promote "models of success and to serve as a conduit…

—
6
Cowiche Canyon Conservancy

Protecting our shrub-steppe and connecting people to this vanishing landscape.

—
7
South Whidbey Children's Center

To provide developmentally appropriate, curriculum-based early learning and childcare programs in a nurturing, loving, safe and stimulating environment.

Human Services
8
Bothell Family Cooperative Preschool

Bothell Family Cooperative Preschool is a group of 90 families who have children from 0-5 years old who are dedicated to nurturing the development of health families in a supportive community. Members are involved at every level to create…

—
9
Foundation for the Seattle Colleges

The Foundation for the Seattle Colleges exists to advance fundraising efforts for the Seattle Community College District. We seek to attract financial resources which support students so they may be successful; maintain the quality and…

—
10
Economic Opportunity Institute

Equip the public and public decision-makers with the policy research and practical tools they need to embed the values of fairness, care, and opportunity into the foundations of Washington's economy.

Community Improvement
11
Working Washington

We are workers, united across different industries to improve our working conditions and our lives. We come together as working people to build power through education, organizing, and enforcement. We work to raise and uphold standards in…

—
12
Washingtonians for Public Banking

Washingtonians for Public banking promotes education and civic engagement on public banking and banking reform within Washington state. The organization organizes, educates, and advocates for the establishment of public banking, and…

Community Improvement
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Whatcom Community College Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Futuresnw. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

25 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 25 of the 26 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
25/25
Grantees still filing
19/25
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

FOUNDATION FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND ALUMNI: $270,100 · EducationFOUNDATION FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND AL…WHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION: $51,000 · EducationWHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATIONFUTURESNW: $45,000 · EducationFUTURESNWBellingham Technical College Foundation: $39,300 · EducationBellingham Technical College FoundationWILD WHATCOM: $33,750 · EducationWILD WHATCOMSkagit Valley College Foundation: $33,000 · EducationSkagit Valley College FoundationSkagit Preschool and Resource Center: $23,000 · EducationEconomic Development Alliance of Skagit County: $22,000 · EducationGLOBAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTE: $20,000 · EducationTHE WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL: $80,000 · OtherTHE WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCILCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL OF WHATCOM SKAGIT: $60,000 · OtherCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL OF WHAT…MAX HIGBEE COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER: $40,000 · OtherMAX HIGBEE COMMUNITY RECREATI…BELLINGHAM CHILDCARE AND LEARNING CENTER: $40,000 · OtherBELLINGHAM CHILDCARE AND LEAR…GOWEST CREDIT UNION ASSOCIATION: $30,366 · OtherGOWEST CREDIT UNION ASSOCIATI…Whatcom Center for Early Learning: $30,000 · OtherWhatcom Center for Early Lear…SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE: $17,000 · OtherSKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGEWHATCOM DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER: $14,250 · OtherThe Whatcom Dream: $61,000 · Human ServicesThe Whatcom Dr…CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY: $40,500 · Human ServicesCHILDREN OF TH…WHATCOM FAMILY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION: $30,000 · Human ServicesWHATCOM FAMILY…OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL: $25,000 · Human ServicesOPPORTUNITY CO…BAAY: $70,000 · Arts & CultureBAAYPICKFORD FILM CENTER: $40,000 · Arts & CulturePICKFORD F…NOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION: $30,000 · AnimalsLHAQ'TEMISH FOUNDATION: $25,000 · Public BenefitUNITED WAY OF WHATCOM COUNTY: $15,000 · Philanthropy
Education$537,150Other$311,616Human Services$156,500Arts & Culture$110,000Animals$30,000Public Benefit$25,000Philanthropy$15,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetFOUNDATION FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND ALUMNI: $270,100 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetTHE WHATCOM LITERACY COUNCIL: $80,000 over 4y, 10.0% of budgetBAAY: $70,000 over 4y, 4.1% of budgetThe Whatcom Dream: $61,000 over 4y, 16% of budgetCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL OF WHATCOM SKAGIT: $60,000 over 3y, 3.4% of budgetWHATCOM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION: $51,000 over 3y, 1.6% of budgetFUTURESNW: $45,000 over 3y, 12% of budgetCHILDREN OF THE VALLEY: $40,500 over 2y, 2.7% of budgetMAX HIGBEE COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER: $40,000 over 2y, 2.9% of budgetBELLINGHAM CHILDCARE AND LEARNING CENTER: $40,000 over 2y, 1.5% of budgetPICKFORD FILM CENTER: $40,000 over 2y, 1.9% of budgetBellingham Technical College Foundation: $39,300 over 4y, 1.1% of budgetWILD WHATCOM: $33,750 over 3y, 1.4% of budgetSkagit Valley College Foundation: $33,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetWhatcom Center for Early Learning: $30,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetNOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION: $30,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetWHATCOM FAMILY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION: $30,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetOPPORTUNITY COUNCIL: $25,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLHAQ'TEMISH FOUNDATION: $25,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetSkagit Preschool and Resource Center: $23,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetEconomic Development Alliance of Skagit County: $22,000 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetGLOBAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTE: $20,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetUNITED WAY OF WHATCOM COUNTY: $15,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Whatcom Community Fou…Puget Sound Energy Fo…Chuckanut Health Foun…North Sound Accountab…Mount Baker FoundationThe Norcliffe Foundat…United Way of Whatcom…The Albertsons Compan…Jerry H Walton Founda…Tucker Family Foundat…First Fed FoundationPeaceHealth
Whatcom Community FoundationWA38.6× affinity16 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Whatcom Community Foundation · Puget Sound Energy Foundation · Chuckanut Health Foundation · North Sound Accountable Community of Health · Mount Baker Foundation · The Norcliffe Foundation · United Way of Whatcom County · The Albertsons Companies Foundation · Jerry H Walton Foundation · Tucker Family Foundation · First Fed Foundation · PeaceHealth

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Whatcom Educational Credit Union funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Whatcom Educational Credit Union. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    13report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 26 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Whatcom Educational Credit Union’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home