Anniversary Spotlight: Celebrating 90 years of serving our members.
This year, Lafayette Federal Credit Union proudly celebrates 90 years of service—nine decades of unwavering commitment to helping our members achieve financial security. Founded in 1935 as the 1825 H Street Federal Credit Union, we began our journey during one of the most challenging periods in American history. Today our primary focus stays the same: helping our members achieve their financial goals, and we’ve achieved some amazing things together over the decades. “People helping people” has always been the guiding philosophy of credit unions and we take that commitment seriously.
Our annual LFCU Member Reports document the highlights of our previous year, and this year we were able to share plenty of great news with our 57,000+ members, including:
- Paying out $63,855,406.50 in member dividends—an increase of 40% from 2023
- Providing $37,420,692 in measurable financial benefits to our members during 2024, an average of $653 per member and $1,372 per member household. We have members that have been with us for decades. We are proud of what we’ve done together, and we always appreciate the stories our members share with us about their Lafayette Federal experience with us.
Lafayette Federal also recently reached another important milestone by achieving more than $2 billion in assets. That’s a long way from where we began on H Street.
As a not-for-profit financial institution, taking part in and giving back to the communities of our members is one of our top priorities. We’re proud to be long-time supporters of Children’s Miracle Network and have contributed more than $1 million in charitable donations over the lifetime of our organization’s fundraising efforts. Our partnership with the Home Ownership Financial Literacy Council (HOFLC) promotes homebuyer readiness and college-level financial literacy, and awards grants to James Madison University to support Professor Jeff Hulett’s Transition Seminar Series. The program, which includes workshops and access to digital financial literacy tools, reached between 500 and 1,000 students this year alone, equipping the next generation with essential financial skills.
A commitment to creating financial empowerment is core to our mission. Last year Lafayette Federal hosted a wide range of educational opportunities, delivered in-person and online, to help members and our broader community make informed financial decisions. We understand our members have diverse needs and goals, and we offer opportunities that can help them at every stage of their financial journey, including Financial Literacy seminars, Mortgage and HELOC workshops, Budgeting Presentations, Homebuying seminars, and specialized presentations for Essential Workers.
Closer to home we support local high schools in the area including Langley High School, McLean High School, Herndon High School, South Lakes High School, Quince Orchard High School, and Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Our commitment to practice sustainability and protect the planet for future generations is taken seriously in our branches and headquarters. Lafayette Federal employees take pride in our communities, which we express by volunteering our time and efforts to help and aid others. In 2024 our staff continued to show up with heart and purpose, taking part in many activities across the DMV area. Our goal is to live the credit union philosophy every day by taking part and engaging in opportunities to help, support, and uplift our local communities.
However, our efforts are ultimately in service to our top priority: the financial well-being of our members, and we’re always proud to deliver for you. We thank you for your continued support and are thrilled to know so many of you have been LFCU members for decades. We want to share just a few of the messages we’ve received from long-time members that attest to the success of our mission: to be your credit union for life.
Daniel S., LFCU member since 1964
I may be one of your longer-term members, I joined USAID (then AID) in 1963 and became a Lafayette member in 1964. Lafayette financed our first new car and was our stateside account when we were [working] in India. Later, our savings account with Lafayette provided the down payment on a house… Keep up the great and friendly service!
Kenneth M., LFCU member since 1976
I joined LFCU in 1976, upon coming to USAID, and was fortunate to win the top door prize in the first annual meeting I attended, in 1977. Since draft accounts were first offered in 1981, I direct deposited my salary check until I retired, and we now have our annuities direct deposited. Our daughter still uses the account we opened for her as a six-year-old for direct deposit of her salary, and we have established savings accounts for our granddaughters to help them develop values of thrift and deferred gratification. We look forward to LFCU continuing to effectively provide for our financial services needs throughout our retirement.
Ron D., LFCU member since 1981
I joined LFCU the same week that I became a Foreign Service Officer with USAID. Patrick Brawner (now in his 46th year of serving our members) helped me open my first checking and savings accounts and has been very helpful to me at various points… Whenever I bought a car or needed a loan, it was always comforting to hear the other financing offices say that they could not beat LFCU rates. Thanks for facilitating so many great aspects of my life….
Joanne M., LFCU member since 1999
I joined LFCU when I was 16 years old as a dependent of a USAID foreign service officer. I opened my first savings account with money earned from part-time jobs. Since then, there have been a lot of firsts with Lafayette including my first checking account, car loan and mortgage application. In a relationship that has spanned almost 4 decades, the country and the world, LFCU has supported me and my family with all of our financial needs. Thanks, LFCU, I think I’ll be staying for life!
Peggy S., LFCU member since 1980
I have been a LFCU member since 1979. I live in Florida but keep my account because it has the best service and always offers good rates. I can always find an ATM in the system and they answer phone calls with great answers.
Avis B., LFCU member since 2001
It’s not about me but it’s about you (Lafayette Federal Credit Union Staff)! The warm smiles and the great customer service. Even when I am having a rough day and I go to make my deposits as I am greeted upon my arrival, the staff knows me by name and always check to see how my day is going. I really appreciate the excellent customer service – you really know how to turn my day around. Always going the extra mile to assist me with any issue or concern I may have. Thanks for making it about me at the end of my visit!
Brian R., LFCU member since 1988
You have helped me to plan for the future, finance mortgages, fund my business start-up, and save for retirement. Thanks for being my bedrock as I now look forward to enjoying this next phase of my life!
