About

Making life better since 1952

Columbia Credit Union is a community-minded financial cooperative that’s been serving the residents and businesses of the greater Vancouver and Portland areas since 1952. Hey there.

Making life better since 1952

Columbia Credit Union is a community-minded financial cooperative that’s been serving the residents and businesses of the greater Vancouver and Portland areas since 1952. Hey there.

Don't just take it from us.

  1. Best of Clark County
    Award 2008 – 2022

    The Columbian

  2. Corporate Philanthropy
    Award 2017 – 2022

    Portland Business Journal

  3. Best in Business
    Award 2013 – 2022

    Vancouver Business Journal

A CLARK COUNTY GREEN BUSINESS

All green everything

Sustainability is an essential part of our operations and guides our approach to serving the needs of our community.

  • LEED Gold and Silver Sustainability certified buildings
  • 50 percent renewable energy powered
  • 100 percent recycled paper and soy-based ink printed marketing materials
  • Reduced loan rates for environmentally gentle autos
  • Home loan discounts for energy-efficient homes

OUR STORY

Your neighbor since 1952

The SP&S Railroad

It all started with a railroad. In 1952, Delbert Thompson started the SP&S Federal Credit Union in his basement to serve SP&S Railroad employees.

A West Coast First

Fast-forward to 1975, and a charter enabled the credit union to serve both railroad employees and community members, creating Columbia Credit Union. At this time, we were also the first credit union on the west coast to offer checking accounts.

Modern Innovation

Through the years we’ve continued to be guided by innovation, being among the first credit unions to offer ATMs, money market accounts, online banking, e-statements, and online mortgage tools.

Making Life Better

And today, we’re still striving to offer the most cutting-edge and convenient member services to our more than 100,000 members in the Northwest.

JOIN US

"We believe in supporting local, and it’s just so clear that’s what Columbia Credit Union does."

Shirley & Gary Gross, Ethereal Meads

JOIN US

"We believe in supporting local, and it’s just so clear that’s what Columbia Credit Union does."

Shirley & Gary Gross, Ethereal Meads

Our Guiding Principles

Mission & Core Values

Our Mission is to bring people together to make life better for themselves and their communities. Our Core Values steer everything we do here:

Ethics

  • We adhere to an uncompromising standard of ethical conduct and integrity to include trust and respect for each other, our members, and our communities.
  • We will be financially responsible in everything we do to ensure continued success.

Member Driven

  • We are fundamentally committed to serving our members, who are our foundation, by providing the highest standard of individualized service…always placing members first.
  • We recognize the importance of listening closely to our members and communities to better understand their unique requirements.  Anticipating their needs and providing creative solutions are key to our mutual success.

Cooperation

  • We seek opportunities to involve members allowing them to contribute to the credit union.
  • We honor each person’s ability to create and contribute toward the goal of delivering quality member service and innovative products, individually or as part of a team, through open communication and mutual trust.
  • Our culture encourages fun, friendly competition, and support for one another.
  • We believe that our differences as well as our unity build character and strengthen our community, and that diversity adds value to our organization.

Innovation

  • We support the courage, creativity, and discipline needed to lead change and bring value to the membership and the credit union.
  • We encourage creative thinking and continuous improvement because we must be better than our competition every day in order to attract and retain our employees and members.

Education

  • We encourage continuing education and training for employees and members, recognizing that knowledge builds confidence and enables innovative thinking and wise financial decisions.

Community Minded

  • We challenge ourselves to build and support the communities we serve.
  • We accept responsibility for our impact on our environment.
  • We strive to be a socially responsible organization, recognizing we are all part of a community where our members and employees live, work, and play.
  • We recognize that our community is larger than where our members live or work; it is also our industry, the community of credit unions.

Commitment to Members

Since 1952, Columbia Credit Union has been committed to our members. We uphold our fundamental responsibility to serve people within our field of membership and, as appropriate, the communities they live in. We deliver a range of products and services which reflect the diverse economic and social composition of our members and potential members. We continually seek better ways to reach out to the underserved in our field of membership and demonstrate the value of membership in Columbia Credit Union. We communicate our service to members in a meaningful way, so members, potential members, legislators, regulators and the community at large will understand and appreciate the unique role financial cooperatives play in their lives. Throughout Columbia Credit Union’s strategic plan, we will put forth every effort to enable our members to become financially self-sufficient and successful. We will place high importance on consumer education and the teaching of financial thrift. This Statement of Commitment to Members is consistent with our credit union principles of “Not For Profit, Not For Charity, But For Service” and our philosophy of “People Helping People.” This statement represents good business practices that ensure the financial strength of our credit union on behalf of our members.

Financials

Columbia Credit Union pledges to maintain the safety and soundness of your financial institution.

 

Become a member.

Columbia Credit Union membership is open to individuals and businesses in Washington State and in the Oregon communities of Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, and Washington Counties (and to the families of eligible individuals).