- APL Federal Credit Union has teamed up with digital banking engagement firm Spiral to give its members new, seamless ways to save and donate to their favorite charitable causes.
- The credit union, which uses the Alkami Digital Banking Platform, will embed Spiral’s Roundup Center and Giving Center, innovations demoed last year at FinovateFall 2025 in New York.
- Spiral’s partnership with APL FCU comes just a few weeks after the fintech announced a similar partnership with California-based Foothill Credit Union.
APL Federal Credit Union, a Maryland-based credit union, has partnered with Spiral to give its members new ways to save for their financial goals through everyday purchases while seamlessly supporting local and national charities.
“Credit unions have a unique opportunity to drive deposits and primary relationships by helping people make financial progress every day,” Spiral Founder and CEO Shawn Melamed said. “APL FCU is showing how digital banking can help members save more, give back to the causes they care about, and strengthen the communities they serve.”
APL FCU will embed Spiral’s Roundup Center into the Alkami Digital Banking Platform it uses, enabling members to automatically round up debit card purchases and direct the spare change toward their savings goals or their favorite charitable causes. The credit union will also deploy Spiral’s Giving Center, which allows members to seamlessly donate to their preferred charities directly from their digital accounts. The Giving Center also lets members create a portfolio of favorite charities, track the impact of their charitable gifts, and receive a report on their donations for tax purposes.
“Helping our members achieve financial success has always gone hand in hand with supporting our local communities,” APL FCU Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Kevin Marvel said. “With Spiral, members can automatically grow their savings and support the causes they care about through everyday banking, making saving and giving a natural part of their daily lives.”
Serving individuals and families who live, work, attend school, or conduct business in Howard County, Maryland, APL FCU was founded in 1954 by eight employees of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The institution was a pioneer in online banking, launching the service in 1996, and secured its community charter in 2000, enabling APL FCU to offer memberships to individuals other than APL employees. Today, the financial institution has more than 31,000 members and total assets of $700+ million.
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York, Spiral made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2025. At the conference, the company demonstrated how its Savings Center and Giving Center for banks and credit unions help financial institutions grow deposits, increase engagement, and boost loans. Savings Center leverages personalization, gamification, and automation to help account holders build better financial habits and reach their financial goals. Giving Center enables account holders to manage their charitable giving and easily donate to both local and national charities.
Spiral’s partnership announcement with APL FCU comes just days after the New York-based fintech reported that Foothill Credit Union, a Southern California-based financial institution, will also embed Spiral’s Roundup Center and Giving Center into its digital banking platform. With $660+ million in total assets and approximately 29,300 members, Foothill Credit Union serves employees of specific school districts, hospitals, government municipalities, and Select Employer Groups (SEGs) across the San Gabriel Valley, as well as immediate family members of eligible employees.
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
