Navy Federal Celebrates Its Volunteers by Donating $100,000 to Charities Benefiting Military Families and Local Communities

VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 11, 2025--

Navy Federal Credit Union is dispersing $1,000 grants to 100 qualifying nonprofits where employees donate their time. Dollars for Doers is a nomination-based Navy Federal Serves program that celebrates volunteers and the causes they are passionate about, while also amplifying their impact through employer-backed philanthropic giving.

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"We are so grateful for the funding that has been provided to support our Veterans, Active Duty Military and First Responders to receive equine-assisted mental health services,” said Kaitlyn Siewert, Executive Director at REINS. “Navy Federal inspires its employees to give back to the communities they live in, while standing behind their mission for serving members."

Nearly a quarter of the Dollars for Doers grants support causes benefiting military families and Veterans. Over 40 branch employees were recognized through the program, including LeSaundra San Miguel, an Armed Services YMCA volunteer in Honolulu, HI. Near Navy Federal’s Headquarters in Virginia, $10,000 in grants uplift beneficiaries like Full Circle Home, a nonprofit that supports military families facing deployment serving over 40,000 troops since 2017.

“During deployment, everyone in the family is affected,” said Megan Shoai, a staff assistant at Navy Federal and volunteer with Full Circle Home. “The gift packs provide encouragement and support for families facing separation.”

Dollars for Doers underscores the credit union’s Operation Give Back policy, which empowers employees to use 8 hours of paid volunteer leave annually. In 2024, more than 12,000 team members logged over 68,000 hours of paid volunteer leave to champion their communities.

“Navy Federal supports me in the causes I care deeply about,” said Renee Hoglen, a project coordinator at Navy Federal and Dollars for Doers recipient. “We’re encouraged to give back through Navy Federal Serves, which allows me to share my love for REINS with my coworkers, friends and family.”

Over the past 18 years, the credit union has contributed nearly $2 million to nonprofit organizations around the globe through Dollars for Doers. Learn more about the history of the program on Navy Federal’s blog and stay tuned for an upcoming story featuring 2025 beneficiaries that support military communities.

About Navy Federal Credit Union: Established in 1933 with only 7 members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving more than 14 million members globally and is the world’s largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, Veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 25,000 and has a global network of more than 365 branches. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Opportunity Employer.

LeSaundra San Miguel, Member Service Representative at Navy Federal, volunteers with Armed Services YMCA in Honolulu, HI.

Renee Hoglen, Branch Operations at Navy Federal, volunteers at REINS.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Vote counting was underway Friday in Uganda’s tense presidential election, which was held a day earlier amid an internet shutdown, voting delays and complaints by an opposition leader who said some of his polling agents had been detained by the authorities.

Opposition leader Bobi Wine said Thursday he was unable to leave his house and that his polling agents in rural areas were abducted before voting started, undermining his efforts to prevent electoral offenses such as ballot stuffing.

Wine is hoping to end President Yoweri Museveni's four-decade rule in an election during which the military was deployed and heavy security was posted outside his house near Kampala, the Ugandan capital, after the vote.

The musician-turned-politician wrote on X on Thursday that a senior party official in charge of the western region had been arrested, adding there was “massive ballot stuffing everywhere.”

Rural Uganda, especially the western part of the country, is a ruling-party stronghold, and the opposition would be disadvantaged by not having polling agents present during vote counting.

To try to improve his chances of winning, Wine had urged his supporters to “protect the vote” by having witnesses document alleged offenses at polling stations, in addition to deploying official polling agents.

Wine faced similar setbacks when he first ran for president five years ago. Museveni took 58% of the vote, while Wine got 35%, according to official results. Wine said at the time that the election had been rigged in favor of Museveni, who has spoken disparagingly of his rival.

Museveni, after voting on Thursday, said the opposition had infiltrated the 2021 election and defended the use of biometric machines as a way of securing the vote in this election.

Museveni has served the third-longest tenure of any African leader and is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade. The aging president’s authority has become increasingly dependent on the military, which is led by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Uganda has not witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from British colonial rule six decades ago.

Voters line up to cast their ballots at a polling station, during the presidential election, in the capital, Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Election officials count ballots after the polls closed for the presidential election at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

An election official holds up unmarked ballots during the vote count after polls closed for the presidential election, at a polling center in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A political representative speaks as he works to observe and verify the counting of ballots after polls closed in the presidential election at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A supporter of leading opposition candidate Bobi Wine cheers while watching election officials count ballots, after polls closed at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)