Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is swapping donations for denim. Employees who donate through its Casual for a Cause program get to dress down at work, a simple act that has collectively generated thousands of dollars for local charities. By Eric Best Wearing jeans used to be a deal breaker at Bar Harbor Bank & […]
Category: Other Programs
Kitsap Bank: Deeply rooted in community
Kitsap Bank has been central to the communities it serves since its founding in 1908. Whether it’s financing fire departments or inspiring local entrepreneurs, the community bank is on a mission to “cause good.” By Judith Sears Name: Kitsap Bank Assets: $1.2 billion Location: Port Orchard, Wash. The first firetruck in Port Orchard, Wash., was […]
StonehamBank’s 10% pledge to worthy causes
At the center of StonehamBank’s corporate values is a pledge to donate 10% of profits to community organizations. The community bank’s efforts to give back have given it a socially conscious reputation in its communities. By Eric Best Making donations and writing big checks are things that all community banks do. But StonehamBank has made […]
Midland States Bank’s downtown transformation
Midland States Bank continues to have a presence in the downtown of Effingham, Ill., because of a unique renovation that turned its former headquarters into lodging for employees. By William Atkinson When $6.1 billion-asset Midland States Bank in Effingham, Ill., moved its headquarters from the city’s downtown square after 137 years, it had some options […]
Farmers Bank and Trust mentors the next generation
Through a new ambassador program, Farmers Bank and Trust Company in Princeton, Ky., mentors local high school students through connections with employees and community service projects. By Judith Sears On the first Saturday after Labor Day, Princeton, Ky., celebrates the Black Patch Heritage Festival. The town of roughly 6,100 marks the festival, which the Princeton […]
Liberty Bank Minnesota’s community legacy
When Liberty Bank Minnesota outgrew its home and needed to build a new headquarters, leaders gave back to the community by donating the bank’s downtown building to a good cause. By William Atkinson Recently, Liberty Bank Minnesota in St. Cloud, Minn., opened a new headquarters outside of the central Minnesota city’s downtown. The two-story headquarters […]
How you can combat elder financial abuse
The financial exploitation of seniors is a nationwide problem, but experts say community banks are in a key position to thwart this type of fraud. They recommend banks train staff to spot red flags and report suspicious activity to authorities. By Beth Mattson-Teig Community banks are finding themselves fighting on the front lines of a […]
How one community bank came to its town’s rescue
Campbell County Bank in Herreid, S.D., saved its community’s grocery store from closure by buying and renovating the business in order to prepare it for its next owners. By Hannah Merritt For rural communities, the loss of a business has devastating effects. This is exactly what Herreid, S.D., faced in 2018 when the town grocery […]
The community bank where people come together
Community State Bank is a gathering place for its small Wisconsin town in part because its main office doubles as a cafe staffed by students of a local college. The partnership supports the group of student-employees, local coffee lovers and the community bank. By William Atkinson Shepherds Community Cafe is a partnership between $395 million-asset Community […]
Teaching teens through friendly competition
Central Bank of Kansas City invites students to form business plans in a Shark Tank-style competition to promote financial education and entrepreneurship in its community. By Beth Mattson-Teig Central Bank of Kansas City created its own version of Shark Tank to give local high school students a hands-on lesson about entrepreneurship. What started as a […]