The Yellow Springs Credit Union, located at 217 Xenia Ave., is a division of central-Ohio-based Bridge Credit Union. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)
Card program aims to keep dollars local in Yellow Springs
- Published: December 4, 2025
The Yellow Springs Community Foundation and the YS Credit Union are joining forces to launch a new program aimed at incentivizing locals to spend more of their dollars in town.
Earlier this week, the downtown credit union — a division of central-Ohio-based Bridge Credit Union — announced the creation of the “Shop Local, Earn More” program, in which Bridge credit and debit cardholders are rewarded for every transaction made in the 45387 zip code.
For Bridge Visa credit cardholders, the new program allows those individuals to reap monthly cash back bonuses up to 2% on all credit card purchases made in the village. Beyond that, Bridge will donate 1% of each of those credit card transactions to a local nonprofit.
Under this program, Bridge Mastercard debit cardholders may opt-in to “round up” to the nearest dollar amount of the total of their card purchases made in 45387, with that added amount going to benefit Yellow Springs nonprofits.
As an alternative to donating, that additional money could be kept by the debit cardholder. This “round up” option is entirely optional for Bridge debit users.
According to Sandy Hollenberg, Bridge’s innovation advisor for community development — as well as the former CEO of Yellow Springs Credit Union before its merger with Bridge at the end of 2023 — this “Shop Local, Earn More” program was created ahead of the 2025 holiday season to give Yellow Springs residents more reason to shop locally, and to help village organizations all the while.
“It’s a win-win,” Hollenberg said in an interview with the News on Monday. “By spending more of your dollars in Yellow Springs, you help local businesses, other credit union members and Yellow Springs nonprofits.”
She continued: “For years, I’ve heard members ask, ‘How can I help? How can I contribute?’ Well, this is one way you can do that.”
“It’s an idea we’ve had for some time,” Community Foundation Director Jeannamarie Cox added.
“So many people are moving to Yellow Springs who work elsewhere,” Cox said. “They drive out of the village every day, and for them it’s easy to stop somewhere in Fairborn or Springfield or wherever to get gas or groceries. But with this, they have an incentive to shop here in town — to get rewards for getting your gas, food or gifts in Yellow Springs. Even taking yourself out to dinner and a movie.”
Cox explained that the Community Foundation will soon set up a “Shop Local” fund, which will work as the repository for the dividends generated by the debit card “round up” program, as well as the credit union’s 1% donations made on top of credit card purchases completed in 45387.
From that fund, Cox said, several of the 115 local nonprofits that the foundation oversees will receive funds each and every month on a rotating basis.
“It’s money directly being invested in the community,” she noted.
Chamber of Commerce Director Phillip O’Rourke said he believes this program will not only help local businesses and business owners — many of whom are struggling to get by, he admitted — but also give local residents some agency in keeping the Yellow Springs economy running smoothly.
“I think this is a way of bridging community and commerce,” O’Rourke said. “You’re supporting Yellow Springs with every swipe and getting to feel like your purchases here made a difference. We’re in financially uncertain and difficult times, so this is a really exciting opportunity for everyone.”
Participation in the credit union’s new program requires one to be a card-carrying member of Bridge. Presently, there are around 2,000 members in the Yellow Springs branch, and nearly 20,000 members among Ohio’s other seven branches.
As Cox pointed out, Bridge members from outside of Yellow Springs who spend their dollars in town also stand to reap the rewards of this new program — and as such, may have an added incentive to visit Yellow Springs, thus aiding the local tourism industry.
“This is very much a part of the ‘Keep Yellow Springs Vibrant’ campaign — reducing consumer costs and getting folks to buy here instead of other places,” Cox said.
Additional details on Bridge’s “Shop Local, Earn More” program can be found at http://www.bridgecu.org, or by talking to a staffer at the Yellow Springs branch at 217 Xenia Ave. during regular hours, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. For more information on the nonprofits managed by the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, go to http://www.yscf.org.
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