To honor the memory of long-time Arizona Financial board member Kelvin Smith’s contribution to his community, the credit union has established the Kelvin Smith Small Business Grant in partnership with Local First Arizona and their We Rise program. Each year, a $10,000 grant will be gifted to a deserving small business who graduated from We Rise, a small-business accelerator with specific focus on Black entrepreneurs.

Smith served on Arizona Financial’s board since 1997, proudly representing the interests of their member-owners for 27 years. As a long-time small business owner, he was advocate for small business owners and always ensured their interests were represented in key discussions.

“As an organization, we are so grateful for Kelvin’s contributions to Arizona Financial and our growth over his many years of service on our board,” says Amy Hysell, President and CEO of Arizona Financial. “But personally, he was such a ray of light to all he interacted with and such a heart for small business owners as he understood the challenges they face each and every day. We are honored to uphold his legacy with this grant and look forward to the change it brings for the future recipients.”
Since 2021, Arizona Financial has supported the We Rise program with financial support, but more directly with instruction for the cohort members on how to best set up and manage their finances to yield the greatest success. We Rise is a six-month business accelerator program through Local First Arizona offering comprehensive and practical business skills to Arizona’s Black entrepreneurs. Business owners receive classroom instruction and mentorship from Black entrepreneurs with firsthand experience and expertise in starting or growing a small business in Arizona. The program exposes start-up or experienced businesses that are missing fundamental components of entrepreneurship to the nuts and bolts needed to build a successful business in Arizona’s economy.
To be considered for the Kelvin Smith Small Business Grant, We Rise graduates will participate in a Shark Tank style sales pitch, with the top pitch awarded the grant. The first grant will be gifted in his honor in June 2024.

For more information on Arizona Financial and its community partnerships and grant opportunities, please visit arizonafinancial.org/community.

About Arizona Financial Credit Union
Arizona Financial is a $3.3 billion not-for-profit financial cooperative providing consumer and small business banking services and expertise to more than 165,000 member-owners. Founded in Arizona in 1936, the credit union empowers members to take hold of their financial future through the delivery of leading-edge self-service tools and mobile apps, competitive rates on loans and deposits, robust home loan solutions, identity protection services, and SBA and commercial loans. Arizona Financial has a history of local community involvement and is the naming-rights sponsor of the LiveNation Theatre venue and exclusive credit union partner of the Phoenix Rising FC. The credit union has 20 locations across metro Phoenix and western Arizona and is part of the CO-OP network that provides members nationwide account access at 5,000 credit union branches and 30,000 ATMs. Deposits are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. For more information http://www.ArizonaFinancial.org