ORLANDO, Fla. – The Addition Financial Foundation celebrated the power of community this morning as it awarded $175,000 in unrestricted grants to ten outstanding Central Florida nonprofits during its 4th annual Community Giving Celebration. Hosted at the Addition Financial Arena on the University of Central Florida campus, the event recognized organizations dedicated to strengthening local families, advancing education, and building healthier, more resilient communities.
The Addition Financial Foundation, established in 2021, is the philanthropic arm of Lake Mary-based Addition Financial Credit Union. Team members from Addition Financial nominated each of the local 501(c)(3) organizations honored by the Foundation for the work they do to benefit areas such as youth, education, underserved communities, and economic development.
Ten organizations make up the 2025 Community Giving Class:
- Central Florida Community Arts
- Community Legal Services
- Embrace Health
- FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools
- GROW Healthy Kids
- Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center
- Kick Off for Kids
- Michael’s Foundation
- Nuevo Sendero
- The Sharing Center
“This celebration is about more than awarding funds — it’s about uplifting the missions of organizations that are making a real difference every day,” said Cristina Lehman, Executive Director of the Addition Financial Foundation. “We are proud to walk alongside these nonprofits, offering not only financial support but also ongoing resources, partnerships, and opportunities to help them expand their impact throughout Central Florida.”
“Thanks to the Addition Financial Foundation’s generous $20,000 grant in 2023, which served as the catalyst for launching our Teacher Resource Store, FUTURES has been able to expand our resources for educators,” said Shimene Shepard, Executive Director of FUTURES Foundation. “In addition to the funding, being part of the grant cohort provided invaluable learning opportunities that strengthened our work. We are thrilled to be a Community Giving Class member again this year and look forward to continuing our partnership to support educators and students across Volusia County.”
In addition to the grant awards, the Foundation provides year-round support to all the nonprofits in the Community Giving Class through volunteering events, free access to the Addition Financial community room, and free informational workshops on topics including media relations, fundraising, and grant writing.
The Community Giving Celebration also afforded key networking opportunities for the nonprofit organizations. Local leaders from government, school districts and the business community, as well as members of the media also attended the breakfast and awards ceremony.
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About Addition Financial Foundation
The Addition Financial Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2021 whose mission is to foster empowerment in the Central Florida community through financial education and charitable giving. The Foundation partners with local school districts, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations that positively impact the community. To learn more about the Addition Financial Foundation, visit Foundation.additionfi.com.
About Addition Financial Credit Union
Addition Financial Credit Union is a trusted banking and financial education partner that members of the Central Florida community rely on to help them along their financial journey. Founded in 1937, Addition Financial is a not-for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida with more than $3 billion in total assets. As a member-owned credit union, Addition Financial puts the financial well-being of its more than 190,000 members at the heart of everything it does. With 26 full-service branches, 12 student-run high school branches, and financial products designed to provide better saving and loan rates and lower fees, Addition Financial is constantly growing and evolving to meet the needs of its members. Addition Financial is the Official Financial Institution of the UCF Knights and owns the naming rights of the Addition Financial Arena on the University of Central Florida campus. Addition Financial was named as one of the “Best Credit Unions for 2025” by Newsweek and one of the “Best-In-State Credit Unions for 2025” by Forbes. For more information, visit AdditionFi.com.
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