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The People Helping People Awards are an annual member-led program that recognizes and supports great causes in our communities.
Each year, BECU members and employees nominate local nonprofits for a People Helping People Award of up to $50,000. Finalists are selected by a review committee of BECU employees and each finalist organization is guaranteed a minimum of $15,000.
Voting is now closed, but you can still learn more about our incredible 2024 finalists by viewing the videos below.
Our 2024 People Helping People Award winners will be announced in December. Thank you for voting!
Our Finalists
AVELA
AVELA - A Vision for Engineering Literacy and Access - is a near-peer mentorship program that connects undergrads with graduate students to gain hands-on experience developing and presenting STEM activities to primary and secondary students.
Bridge of Promise
Bridge of Promise offers day programs welcoming adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities into a community of peers where they can experience a wide range of purposeful activities.
Courageous Connections
Courageous Connections promotes and enhances the physical and emotional growth of people of all ages and unique abilities through the use of therapeutic interactions with horses.
Darrington Food Bank
Darrington Food Bank is committed to responding to the needs of the Darrington community by collaborating with volunteers, donors and partners to ensure that no one goes hungry. Their core belief is that access to nutritious food is a basic human right.
Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center
Dawson Place responds by creating a community response, seeking truth and justice, and restoring health.
Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County
The Kitsap DRC provides mediation, facilitation and education services to help individuals, families and organizations resolve conflict outside the court system by offering powerful strategies to open communication and find lasting solutions.
Environmental Science Center
ESC offers experiential environmental education programs for all ages at beaches, streams, forested areas, and school gardens throughout King County to inspire and foster environmental stewardship.
Feast World Kitchen
Feast World Kitchen empowers immigrants and former refugees as leaders, using international cuisine as a platform for economic resilience, holistic growth, and culture-sharing. Their Chef Entrepreneurs learn career skills, earn income from their food sales, and build community connections.
The Good Foot Arts Collective
The Good Foot Arts Collective equips youth to end violence before it begins through transformative movement and artistic mediums; empowering youth to reach their full potential. They offer dance classes, mentorship programs, and violence prevention curriculum.
The Here and Now Project
The Here and Now Project connects and empowers the paralysis community through private support groups and community activities to provide strength and hope for more enhanced, accessible, and independent lives.
Juma Ventures
Juma strives to break the cycle of poverty by paving the way to work, education and financial capability for youth.
Pierce County Explorer Search and Rescue
PCESAR is a volunteer organization founded to assist local law enforcement in the search for missing persons in urban and wilderness settings, natural disasters, recovery of evidence, and evacuation of the injured.
Rainbow City Performing Arts
Rainbow City is an organization of performance ensembles creating a diverse and inclusive environment for musical expression that promotes the equality and visibility of people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
School Connect WA
School Connect WA provides wrap-around services to close education gaps, including high-achievement, low-cost afterschool programming, serving largely immigrant, BIPOC students each year.
Seattle Special Education PTSA
Seattle Special Education PTSA works to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all students with disabilities, whether or not they are identified.
Spark Northwest
Spark Northwest works with rural, low-income, and BIPOC communities to build equitable, affordable clean energy through community energy programs and policy reform.
Tukwila Children's Foundation
The Tukwila Children's Foundation strives to inspire and nurture a community where children's needs are met. They are an all-volunteer organization that comes together to support needs in Tukwila, whatever they may be.
Wild Grief
Wild Grief provides free, guided programs in nature to grieving youth, families, and people of all ages; combining peer-based grief support with the healing power of nature.
BECU member nominations accepted: April 22-May 10
Semifinalists notified: May 24
Nonprofit supplemental applications due: June 14
Finalists notified: By July 31
People Helping People Awards Celebration: Dec. 5
The BECU People Helping People Awards are granted in the following amounts:
Member Volunteer of the Year Award: (1) $50,000
Selected by a panel of judges, the award is granted to a nonprofit organization on behalf of an outstanding member volunteer.
People's Choice Award: (1) $40,000
Selected by popular vote from the community, the award is granted to one nonprofit organization.
Employees' Choice Award: (1) $30,000
Selected by popular vote from BECU employees, the award is granted to one nonprofit organization.
Past PHPA Recipients' Choice: (1) $30,000
Selected by popular vote from past PHPA recipient nonprofits, the award is granted to one nonprofit organization.
Community Benefit Award: (14) $15,000
Selected by a panel of judges, the awards are granted to fourteen nonprofit finalists that have been nominated by members.
BCDP Nonprofit Capacity Award:
As part of the Black Community Development Project, BECU is awarding up to $150,000 in grant funding to small, Black-led nonprofits that are trying to build capacity to deepen their work in the community.
In addition to the above listed award amounts, all PHPA recipients will receive a glide path grant of $2,500 for the two years following their initial award (glide path funding does not apply to BCDP grant recipients).
BECU members may nominate any nonprofit organization you support with your time, talents or money. Nonprofits must also meet the following requirements:
- Active 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the IRS.
- Must have a direct impact in one of the following areas:
- Washington state
- County of Charleston, South Carolina
- Oregon Counties: Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Deschutes, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, Yamhill
- Idaho Counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone
- Nonprofit work must be focused in any one of the following seven giving areas:
- Advancing education (Pre-K through college): Access to education, mentoring, educational materials and programming, classroom, school and PTSA funding for educational programs/materials/experiences.
- Arts and culture: Equitable access to art experiences, underrepresented art and cultural organizations, cultural programs.
- Creating economic opportunity: Living-wage jobs, small and startup businesses, job quality for low-wage workers.
- Preserving health and promoting wellness: Access to healthcare, illness prevention/cure, mental health, patient support, disabilities, veteran advocacy.
- Preserving or restoring the environment: Conservation, stewardship, sustainability.
- Providing for basic human needs: Affordable housing, homelessness, senior advocacy, infant and child advocacy, food/diaper/clothing banks.
- Strengthening local communities: Neighborhoods, public safety, search and rescue, outdoor spaces, rotary/chamber.
Questions?
Contact the BECU social impact team: communityrelations@becu.org