RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2019 / On Thursday evening, May 23rd, the Coastal CreditUnion Foundation hosted and sponsored its fourth annual one-of-a-kind event - The Power of Sharing - highlighting the efforts of area nonprofits. Coastal's business partners and the Foundation collectively awarded more than $1,500,000 in charitable grants and in-kind giving to organizations that are making a significant impact in our communities.

Award recipients from this event were:

Business Partner Awards

A major part of the Power of Sharing Gala is the collaboration between local companies. AT&T, BASF, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, Fidelity Investments, Lenovo and the Coastal Credit Union Foundation brought resources together to make the lives of those who live and work in our communities better. $60,000 was donated by these organizations to create the following awards.

Collaborative Award for Projects That Inspire Education

The Forge Initiative $25,000

Communities in Schools of Wake County $ 5,000

Collaborative Award for Projects That Help the Financially Vulnerable

InterAct $25,000

Habitat for Humanity of Durham $ 5,000

The Coastal Credit Union Foundation itself recognized four organizations, with Game Changer grants. Each award went to an organization for whom the grant would help them make a significantly larger impact. Recipients were:

• Durham Collaborative to End Family Homelessness $80,000
• Michael's Angels Girls Club $30,000
• Raleigh Area Land Trust $30,000
• Emily Krzyzewski Center $30,000

Two individual awards were given. Pam Kohl, executive director of Susan G. Komen North Carolina Triangle to the Coast, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented by Debra Morgan, who herself was then surprised with the Non-profit Appreciation Award recognizing her work in supporting various Triangle organizations.

The Power of Sharing was created by the Coastal Credit Union Foundation in 2016 to bring different business partners together to demonstrate their commitment to bettering their communities through a collaborative funding forum. The goal was to recognize the tremendous impact that local non-profits are making throughout the community.

Partners included: AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, BASF, Capitol Broadcasting, Creative Visions, Duke Energy, Fidelity Investments, IBM, Lenovo and UNC-TV. Former Raleigh TV Personality, Sharon Delaney McCloud served as emcee. Entertainment was provided by vocalist Kelontae Gavin, and Durham-based organization KidzNotes. The event took place at the Crabtree Valley Marriott in Raleigh.

For more information on The Power of Sharing Gala, please visit www.thepowerofsharinggala.org.

The mission of the Coastal Credit Union Foundation is to enrich the lives of our members and their communities by providing financial support to 501(c)(3) organizations, particularly in the 16-county market of Central North Carolina. Learn more at www.coastal24.com/foundation/.

SOURCE: Coastal Credit Union