Firstmark Credit Union (formerly San Antonio Teachers Credit Union) is a federally insured, state-chartered, member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative

Cooperative

A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...

. The credit union

Credit union

A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...

 was founded by educators in 1932, and changed its name to Firstmark Credit Union in October 2002. Serving over 89,000 members and managing assets of more than USD

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 $688 million, the Credit Union is the fourth largest in San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

’. With ten branch offices, the Credit Union offers a full range of financial products and services, both personal and commercial. Firstmark Credit Union is community-chartered. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school in Bexar County

Bexar County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...

. Educators, students and their families, in the following 12 surrounding counties are also eligible: Atascosa, Bandera

Bandera County, Texas

Bandera County, formed in 1856 from Bexar and Uvalde counties, is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 17,645. Its county seat is Bandera. Bandera is named for the Spanish word for flag...

, Comal

Comal County, Texas

Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 108,472. Its seat is New Braunfels.Comal County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History Timeline:...

, Dimmit

Dimmit County, Texas

Dimmit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 10,248. It is named for Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution. The reason the county name differs is because the bill creating the county misspelled Dimmitt's name...

, Frio, Guadalupe

Guadalupe County, Texas

Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....

, Kendall

Kendall County, Texas

Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2008 census, its population was 32,886. Its seat is Boerne....

, La Salle, McMullen, Medina, Wilson

Wilson County, Texas

Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 32,408. Its county seat is Floresville. The county is named after James Charles Wilson....

, and Zavala

Zavala County, Texas

Zavala County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 11,600. Its county seat is Crystal City. Zavala is named for Lorenzo de Zavala, Mexican politician, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and first vice president of the Republic of...

.

Firstmark Credit Union is insured by the National Credit Union Administration

National Credit Union Administration

The National Credit Union Administration is the United States independent federal agency that supervises and charters federal credit unions...

 (NCUA), is an Equal Housing Lender

Equal Housing Lender

The terms equal housing lender and equal opportunity lender are synonymous and refer to all banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the United States. Such banks are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, or...

 and a member of the Better Business Bureau

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...

.

Community involvement

Credit Unions for Kids Since 1987, Firstmark Credit Union, along with other local credit unions, have supported a fund raising program called Credit Unions for Kids (CUFK) that benefits CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Childrens’ Hospital in partnership with the Children's Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network

The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children's health issues. The organization, founded in 1982 by the Osmond family and John Schneider, is headquartered in...

. http://texinfo.library.unt.edu/sessionlaws/80thsession/bills/hcr/HCR77.pdf

Educator and Student Scholarships. Each year, Firstmark Credit Union awards ten $1,000 Frank Price and Helen Shipman Cunningham scholarships to outstanding high school seniors; ten $500 scholarships for classroom use to elementary, middle, and high school teachers. In 2007, the credit union also contributed $5,000 towards the Northeast Lakeview College Scholarship Fund.

Count Me In. Teen Volunteer Fair. In 2008, Firstmark Credit Union hosted the third-annual Teen Volunteer Fair in tandem with the ServiceNation Day of Action. This event took place simultaneously in 50 states to highlight the importance and potential of volunteer service. Locally more than 500 students attended the event and volunteered almost 1,200 hours on that one day.

Firstmark Credit Union supports many other community organizations including: San Antonio Lighthouse of the Blind, San Antonio Youth Centers/YouthBuild San Antonio, United Way Days of Caring, ChildSafe SA, and San Antonio Parks Foundation and Friends of the Parks.