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About the Luminate Foundation

The Luminate Foundation serves as a catalyst forging pathways forLouisiana’s credit unions to collaborate, innovate, and thrive by supporting employees, members, and communities to navigate life’s challenges and achieve lasting financial well-being.

Our Mission: Empower Louisiana’s credit unions to provide essential resources that enhance their capacity to deliver assistance, promote financial education, and foster economic resilience.

Our Values: Cooperation | Impact | Compassion

Luminate Foundation Board Member Application

We are currently accepting nominations for open board seats through September 30, 2026, and we encourage you to help spread the word. We are looking for passionate individuals who are committed to service and eager to help advance our mission. Final interviews and board voting will take place in November 2026.

Submit Your Application

values-notes

Support Our Foundation

We could not continue with our mission without your support. There are a number of ways that you or your organization can donate to our cause.

Our No Credit Union Left Behind swag and CU Threads gear have officially joined forces in one awesome place, because who doesn’t love a one-stop swag shop? You can now snag everything Luminate and CU Difference right here. But here’s the best part, this swag comes with purpose. Every purchase supports the Luminate Foundation, helping our members when they need it most. We’ll be dropping new looks and limited editions all year long, so keep your eyes peeled and your closets ready for a steady flow of fresh gear.

Individuals or organizations can donate directly to our foundation by clicking the link below to make an online donation or by mailing a check directly to Luminate (5171 Citrus Blvd. Ste 2020 #305, Harahan, LA 70123). We have a direct relationship with the National Credit Union Foundation, so all checks should be made payable to NCUF with ‘Louisiana Foundation’ in the memo.

We host a variety of fundraisers and events each year to benefit our cause. Watch for information in upcoming communications.

Sponsored by the Luminate Foundation, the Louisiana Credit Union Hall of Fame has been established in order to recognize the valuable leadership, commitment, dedication, and contributions of credit union professionals and volunteers throughout the state. A donation on behalf of the inductee is made to the Foundation.

Co-sponsored by the Luminate Foundation, the Emerging Leader Program honors exceptional Louisiana credit union professionals who consistently integrate themselves into the industry through development, service, and engagement.

The National Credit Union Foundation’s (NCUF) Community Investment Fund (CIF) is an award-winning philanthropic model that enables the credit union community to invest in a traditional deposit account and contribute a portion of the interest earned to support NCUF’s national grant programs as well as the good works of the Louisiana Credit Union Foundation.

How it Works: Credit unions investing in CIF receive 50 percent of the dividend of their investment. The remaining 50 percent is distributed to the National Credit Union Foundation, half of which the Foundation returns, pro-rata, to the state foundations. Click here for more information.

Donate Today

Events

The Luminate Foundation is pleased to offer Passion & Purpose. This training will empower employees of all levels to understand and leverage the Credit Union Difference to drive greater value for your members and organization. 

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of:

  • The structural and philosophical differences between credit unions and other financial institutions, and how it impacts business operations and decision-making.
  • How to communicate your organization’s “why”, their personal “why”, and tell the story of how you drive value for your members.
  • Opportunities to take ownership in finding new and better ways to meet the needs of your members and organization.

Register Now

To help keep Credit Union Development Educators connected and inspired for greater impact, we invite you to join our next virtual meeting.

Register Now

Stay tuned for 2027 details!

Stay tuned for 2027 details!

Foundation Grants & Scholarships

The Luminate Foundation stands ready to help support Louisiana credit union employees when they suffer damages or losses in natural disasters. The application should be submitted by a member of the credit union’s management team for each effected employee. In the event of more than five applicants, please reach out to foundation@luminate.coop for a bulk submission.

Provide assistance for credit union staff training.

Disney Institute Grants

The Luminate Foundation is offering two partial Education Grants for the Disney Institute training program in October.

Credit unions meeting the Small Credit Union Education Grant  asset size, with $50 million in assets or under, are eligible to apply. One executive team representative may submit a single application on behalf of their credit union. One grant will be awarded for the October 20 session and one for the October 21 session.

Each grant provides $750 toward the $1,500 registration fee. Grant recipients are responsible for the remaining registration cost, as well as all travel, lodging, and incidental expenses. Credit unions that have already registered an attendee may apply the grant to their existing registration if selected.

Grant recipients will be randomly selected on August 31, 2026.

Apply Now

The Luminate Foundation is opening the following application for one (1) scholarship for registration at CU FinHealth in Denver, Colorado. All travel expenses to and from conference, hotel accommodations, meals not covered in registration, as well as incidentals are the responsibility of the credit union or applicant.

Scholarship deadline is Friday, August 21, 2026. If the scholarship recipient has already registered for CU FinHealth, reimbursement will be arranged.

Learn more about the CU FinHealth Conference

Apply Now

Luminate Foundation Board of Directors

Chair Judy DeLucca, Chair, New Orleans Firemens FCU
Vice Chair Jamie Walker, Vice Chair, Ouachita Valley FCU
Secretary Pamela Stelly, Secretary, Maple FCU
Treasurer Jesse Busby, Treasurer, Calcasieu Teachers & Employees CU
Brian Leger, Meritus CU
Cindy Beauregard, Heart of Louisiana FCU
Matt Koch, CSE FCU
Juan Fernandez, Luminate Louisiana Credit Unions

Meet the Team

Lynette Hazelton, CUCME

Lynette Hazelton, CUCME

Director of Foundation & Impact
Email Lynette