Whatcom Educational Credit Union
Whatcom Educational Credit Union (WECU) is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative based in Bellingham, Washington, formed in 1936. Its filing type is a public charity. WECU’s filing describes financial education and community service as integral to its operations; its website describes support for education, scholarships, community grants, volunteer activities, and financial education.
Whatcom Educational Credit Union at a glance
In short: Whatcom Educational Credit Union gave $252K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Washington. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $251,716
- +13.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,363
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $14,250
- Total assets
- $3,331,778,128
- +12.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Whatcom Educational Credit Union
- How to Apply
-
The 2026 Education First cycle required a letter of intent and proposal; its deadlines have passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 21 Bellwether Way 111, Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (360) 676-1168
Website: https://wecu.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Whatcom Educational Credit Union
Who Whatcom Educational Credit Union funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Gowest Credit Union Association ($30K). Together the top 10 received $164K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($71,350), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 48 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WECU is based in Bellingham, Washington. Its charitable giving guidelines identify organizations serving Whatcom or Skagit Counties as eligible. Its 2025 reported grants went entirely to Washington recipients, including organizations in Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Whatcom Educational Credit Union open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $22K first-time, $14K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $110K (2020) to $262K (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $252K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $71,350 |
| Gowest Credit Union Association Seatac, WA | Advocacy | $30,366 |
| Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth Bellingham, WA | Education Grant | $20,000 |
| Whatcom Literacy Council Bellingham, WA | Education Grant | $20,000 |
| Communities in Schools of Whatcom County Bellingham, WA | Education Grant | $20,000 |
| Futuresnw Bellingham, WA | Education Grant | $15,000 |
| The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center Bellingham, WA | General Support | $14,250 |
| Wild Whatcom Bellingham, WA | Education Grant and Scholarships | $13,750 |
| Skagit Preschool Association and Resource Center Mt Vernon, WA | Education Grant | $11,500 |
| Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County Foundation Mt Vernon, WA | Education Grant | $11,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Whatcom Educational Credit Union?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,331,778,128 | $184,450,455 | $172,171,853 | $251,716 | 13 | $18,980,126 |
| 2024 | $2,957,165,947 | $166,494,738 | $154,291,742 | $222,050 | 12 | $28,199,353 |
| 2023 | $2,766,280,343 | $138,092,209 | $119,310,663 | $261,500 | 9 | $25,369,649 |
| 2022 | $2,507,427,609 | $98,737,059 | $68,523,716 | $110,000 | 7 | $10,688,363 |
| 2021 | $2,491,858,278 | $85,746,120 | $64,051,386 | $110,000 | 7 | $2,117,729 |
| 2020 | $2,136,316,633 | $85,917,838 | $71,003,755 | $110,000 | 7 | $1,677,237 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
WECU’s stated mission is to encourage members to save and borrow responsibly at fair and competitive rates, improving their financial well-being and standard of living. Its community funding includes education grants, scholarships distributed through educational institutions, and Community Builder Grants.
WECU’s 2026 Education First initiative is intended to supplement educational experiences for students from early childhood through adulthood. Its request for proposals identifies programs connected to pre-K, K-12 schools, community colleges, technical colleges, universities, libraries, or financial education as eligible areas. The program’s guidelines also require applicants to serve Whatcom or Skagit County.
Among its 2025 grantees, the Foundation for Western Washington University and Alumni says it advances the university’s mission by securing and stewarding private resources for scholarship, research, and creativity. The Whatcom Literacy Council says it teaches adults to read, write, and speak English. Wild Whatcom says it fosters lifelong connections with nature and community through outdoor exploration and service.
Grantmaking
WECU reported 13 grants totaling $251,716 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $8,000 to $71,350, with a median of $14,250. The listed recipients were all in Washington.
The largest reported grant was $71,350 to the Foundation for Western Washington University and Alumni for scholarships. Other notable grants included $30,366 to GoWest Credit Union Association for advocacy; $20,000 each to BAAY, the Whatcom Literacy Council, and Communities in Schools of Whatcom County for education grants; and $14,250 to the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center for general support. WECU also reported grants to FuturesNW, Wild Whatcom, Skagit Preschool Association and Resource Center, Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County Foundation, Skagit Valley College, and Bellingham Technical College.
For its 2026 Education First cycle, WECU’s request for proposals offered program or general operating support for two-year terms, with awards of $20,000 to $40,000 per term and $62,500 total available. Eligible applicants were required to have qualifying tax-exempt status, be a government entity or tribe, and serve Whatcom or Skagit County. The listed submission deadline was March 31, 2026, and the stated award-notification month was July 2026; this cycle’s deadline has passed. The website states that WECU typically does not award funds to organizations that have already received funding during the current calendar year. Its charitable giving guidelines exclude, among other things, individuals, travel, sectarian or religious purposes, political lobbying or campaigns, and scholarship funds except through WECU’s scholarship programs.
WECU also describes Community Builder Grants as supporting qualifying groups serving Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Its materials describe an annual allocation of $81,500 across multiple grants for nonprofit capacity building and community development initiatives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Kutcher as President and CEO. Other listed officers and directors include Jack Ingram, Chief Information Officer; Nicholas Hodson, Chief Financial Officer; Cynthia Chase Klein, Chief Administrative Officer; Erynne Maria Hallock, Senior Vice President, Impact; and Kent Bouma, Vice President, Business Banking. The filing notes that Jeffrey Dykstra left in October 2025 and David Pierce Jones left in September 2025.
Whatcom Educational Credit Union is led by Jennifer E. Kutcher, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2020); all 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer E. Kutcher
President & CEO
President, CEO & Treasurer → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$697K (2020) → $937K (2025)
Gabriel Mast
Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$663 (2020) → $38K (2025)
Ashok Khanna
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$1K (2023) → $17K (2025)
Dale Zender
Director
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $26K (2025)
Grant David Dykstra
Director & Business Banking Prod.
Business Banking Senior Loan Officer & Manager → Business Banking Senior Loan Officer, 2024
Business Banking Senior Loan Officer → Director & Business Banking Prod., 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$175K (2020) → $327K (2025)
Kristi Lewis Tyran
Director
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$30K (2024) → $26K (2025)
Margo Hammond
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$25K (2024) → $25K (2025)
Stephanie Morrell
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
$25K (2024) → $28K (2025)
John Sternlicht
Director
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
$19K (2024) → $25K (2025)
Rachel Vasak
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
$14K (2025)
Carol Lager
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$3K (2023) → $32K (2025)
Cynthia Chase Klein
Chief Administrative Officer
Chief Human Resources Officer → Chief Administrative Officer, 2025
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$257K (2020) → $368K (2025)
Erynne Maria Hallock
Senior Vice President & Impact
Vice President & Retail Delivery → Senior Vice President & Impact, 2025
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$224K (2020) → $307K (2025)
Jack Ingram
Chief Information Officer
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$320K (2020) → $504K (2025)
Kent D. Bouma
Vice President & Business Banking
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$196K (2020) → $305K (2025)
Matthew Henry Berendsen
Senior Vice President & Growth
Vice President & Lending → Senior Vice President & Growth, 2025
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$194K (2020) → $337K (2025)
Nicholas A. Hodson
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
$279K (2020) → $416K (2025)
Bolortsetseg C. Smith
Vice President & Internal Audit
Vice President, Risk Management & Internal Audit → Vice President & Risk Management, 2023
Vice President & Risk Management → Vice President & Internal Audit, 2024
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$199K (2022) → $233K (2025)
Donavon Lee Swinney
Vice President & Technology
Director & Information Security → Vice President & Technology, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$193K (2023) → $215K (2025)
Kurt Willis
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
$1K (2023) → $33K (2025)
Kerri Lyn Helm
Senior Vice President & Channel Delivery
Director & Digital Products → Senior Vice President & Channel Delivery, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$200K (2024) → $219K (2025)
Paul Cover
Re Loan Origination Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$195K (2024) → $240K (2025)
David Pierce Jones - Chief
Marketing Officer
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$308K (2025)
Jeffrey Dykstra - Chief
Strat. Development Officer
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$663K (2025)
Nicholas Borg
Real Estate Loan Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$199K (2025)
Former officers (12)
- Former: David Leroy Dodge (2020–2024) — Director & It Infrastructure
- Former: David Pierce Jones (2020–2024) — Chief Marketing Officer
- Former: David Waschke (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Jeffrey R. Dykstra (2020–2024) — Executive Vice President
- Former: Cathie Oberg (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Harte Bressler (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Glen R. Berry (2021–2023) — Director & Business Intelligence
- Former: Dustin Wilder (2023) — Business Banking Loan Officer III
- Former: Andrew Whaley (2020–2022) — Director & Enterprise Applications
- Former: Michael Peter Yeend (2020–2022) — Credit Administrator
- Former: Aaron Heath Whitson (2020–2021) — Credit Administrator
- Former: Smith Bolortsetseg C. (2021) — Vice President & Risk Management
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $937K, to Jennifer Kutcher (President & CEO). 25 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Whatcom Educational Credit Union
How much does Whatcom Educational Credit Union give each year?
Whatcom Educational Credit Union gave $252K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $222K across 12 grants.
What is Whatcom Educational Credit Union's typical grant size?
Whatcom Educational Credit Union's median grant in 2025 was $14,250, and its average grant was $19,363, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Whatcom Educational Credit Union that year got $22K on average.
Where does Whatcom Educational Credit Union give grants?
Whatcom Educational Credit Union gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bellingham, WA (8 grants) and Mt Vernon, WA (3 grants).
Does Whatcom Educational Credit Union give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of Whatcom Educational Credit Union's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Education Grant" (8 grants).
Who are Whatcom Educational Credit Union's largest grantees?
Whatcom Educational Credit Union's largest 2025 grantees include Gowest Credit Union Association ($30,366), Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth ($20,000) and Whatcom Literacy Council ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($71,350), which are not listed by name. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Whatcom Educational Credit Union?
Whatcom Educational Credit Union reported $3.3B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $184.5M.
What does Whatcom Educational Credit Union fund?
WECU’s stated mission is to encourage members to save and borrow responsibly at fair and competitive rates, improving their financial well-being and standard of living. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Whatcom Educational Credit Union?
The 2026 Education First cycle required a letter of intent and proposal; its deadlines have passed. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Whatcom Educational Credit Union's EIN?
Whatcom Educational Credit Union's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-0712539. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 2, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Whatcom Educational Credit Union's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Whatcom Community Foundation
Bellingham, WA
Whatcom Community Foundation funds nonprofits and community projects addressing needs such as childcare, education, food, health, human services, conservation, housing, and community resilience in Whatcom County, Washington. Its typical grant is around $15,000, though awards vary widely. The profile describes competitive grant offerings but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
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North Sound Accountable Community of Health
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North Sound ACH funds community-led projects that improve health, well-being, and belonging, with priorities including behavioral health, food justice, transportation, and support for older adults and Veterans. Its 2024 grants ranged from $6,000 to $350,000, with a median of $100,000, mainly serving Washington’s Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties. The profile describes a proposal process for eligible Collaborative Action Network members but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
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Total Given
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United Way of Whatcom County
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United Way of Whatcom County funds local nonprofits addressing basic needs, economic mobility, and barriers to financial stability, including food, housing, health care, education, childcare, and poverty prevention. Its 2025 grants ranged from $10,000 to $62,402, with a median of $22,500, for programs serving Whatcom County residents. It accepts applications from eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits; the next application process is scheduled for January 2027.
Assets
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Jerry H Walton Foundation
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The Jerry H Walton Foundation funds Washington nonprofits working in areas such as food assistance, housing and homelessness, youth programs, domestic-violence services, and childcare or recreation facilities. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $20,000, with a median of $12,000. It funds preselected organizations only and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
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Total Given
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Chuckanut Health Foundation
Bellingham, WA
Chuckanut Health Foundation funds community health efforts in Whatcom County, including work on substance use, children and families, senior well-being, youth mental health, and health-care access. Its Community Grants range from $2,600 to $26,000 annually; 2024 grants had a median of $15,000. It offers two grant rounds each year, in April and October.
Assets
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Grants
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Total Given
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First Fed Foundation
Port Angeles, WA
The foundation supports low- to moderate-income, disadvantaged, and marginalized people and families through grants for areas including housing, food, behavioral health, and community development. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $11,250, for communities in Washington where First Fed has full-service branches, including Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties. It provides application forms and materials through its grants page and does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$3.8M
Grants
40
Total Given
$643K
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Whatcom Educational Credit Union funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/whatcom-educational-credit-union-morg_9a7658fc7d604d68affc676f321d1255
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_910712539_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Whatcom Educational Credit Union funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/whatcom-educational-credit-union-morg_9a7658fc7d604d68affc676f321d1255},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Whatcom Educational Credit Union's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Whatcom Educational Credit Union down — hundreds of funders to go?