Membership

What is a credit union? What makes a credit union different than a bank?

Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative that is controlled by a member-appointed Board of Directors. The Board is made up of local, credit union members who look to serve the needs of the membership, not make profit for a private bank or paid Board Members.

To become a member of Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union, you must open a share-savings account with a minimum of $5.  That $5 is called a share because you are now a shareholder in the credit union.  You can learn more about the credit union difference from this short video.

Membership Eligibility

Joining is easy! Our field of membership includes those who:

• Live, work or worship in Grays Harbor, Pacific, Lewis, Mason, Wahkiakum, Clallam, Jefferson or Thurston Counties;

  • OR have a family member who does

When you open your new account:

• Provide proof of mailing and physical address;

• Bring a minimum deposit of $5 to open your share-savings;

  • Other accounts require different minimum opening deposit amounts

About Great NorthWest FCU

Our Purpose Statement is “Assisting our diverse family of members to fulfill their financial dreams.” We started serving members back in 1953 as Schafer Mill Employees Credit Union.  Several name changes and mergers later, we are still providing excellent member service with some fancy new upgrades. You can learn more about our journey here.

Service and Membership Benefits

We offer Remote Deposit Capture, a Mobile App, online Billpayer and many of the services that a larger financial institution does. We also offer several membership perks such as: no-cost TruStage AD&D Policy, Xfinity rewards, wireless carrier discounts and more.

As a member of a credit union, you’re part of something bigger. Because of the very nature of the credit union movement, you benefit from lower loan rates, less fees, better dividend rates and fantastic member service. Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union not only provides great economic benefits to our family of members, but the entire region we serve. Take a look at this independent impact study.