Article

Elan Credit Card partner, Desert Financial Credit Union, selected Phoenix Children’s to receive a $15,000 donation as part of the Elan Charitable Giving program. Members from both teams met for a morning of volunteering at the hospital and surprised the hospital with an additional $10,000 gift.

“The work we do at Elan goes beyond the card program, and we're doing it in partnership with institutions that care deeply about their communities,” said Pete Klukken, Head of Elan Credit Card, “It's a sense of shared purpose that's energizing."

The donation will go directly to the hospital’s 1 Darn Cool School program which educates children who are staying at the hospital for treatments. So far in 2025, the program has held 346 classroom sessions and served 1,617 patients. The program employs eight full time teachers who work with students to maintain their educational progress despite the patient’s sometimes lengthy hospital stays.

Volunteers from Elan and Desert Financial worked together in assembly lines to prepare 450 school kits for children in the hospital. Toddler kits included coloring books, picture books and crayons, while the preschool kits included learning activity workbooks and matching games.

Teams also assembled wooden bank kits for children of all ages to promote learning about financial well-being, budgeting, and saving. In addition to the bank itself, multicolored paints and brushes were included so each child can creatively decorate their own bank.

The Desert Financial team has a long-standing relationship with the 1 Darn Cool School at Phoenix Children’s. The Arizona-based credit union and their foundation fund 100% of the 1 Darn Cool School program. “Community is at the heart of everything we do,” said Desert Financial Executive Vice President Ron Amstutz, “It’s not just about who we serve, it’s about showing up with our time, talent and resources to make a meaningful difference. Giving back and sharing success is the right thing to do.”

Giving back to the communities of our credit card partners is a strong commitment for Elan and we are thankful to work with partners who share that goal. To learn more about the Elan Charitable Giving program visit www.elancharitablegiving.com.