Two banks in the NorthWestern Financial Review coverage area are among the banks recognized by the American Bankers Association as leaders in corporate social responsibility. The Community Commitment award winners were honored at the ABA convention in Chicago on Oct. 17.
The selection committee, made up of national experts in each category, chose winners based on the creativity and thoughtfulness of the bank program. Each program must embody the ideals of corporate social responsibility and demonstrate success in measurable terms.
Among the 2017 award winners:
Alpine Bank, Glenwood Springs, Co., for its Community Solar Program. Alpine Bank partnered with Clean Energy Collective to purchase about 82 individual solar photovoltaic panels to donate to the Family and Intercultural Resource Center, a local nonprofit organization that works to strengthen families through education and connection to resources. This is the first instance that a for-profit business has made a community solar purchase for the sole purpose of a low-income, community reinvestment.
Bank of the Rockies, N.A., Clyde Park, Mont., for CONversations About Cons – a series of roundtable discussions open to all residents which focuses on elder fraud and exploitation. This series begins with the basics of what elder fraud is and continues with the most common scams, how to detect and prevent fraud and exploitation and what a person can do if it is suspected. Sessions are hosted throughout the year, each focusing on specific topics within the realm of elder fraud/exploitation.
The following banks were among those earning Honorable Mention: Level One Bank, Farmington Hills, Mich., in the affordable housing category; Bank of the Rockies, Livingston, Mont., and Country Club Bank, Kansas City, Mo., in the community and economic development category; Pioneer Services, Kansas City, Mo., in the economic inclusion category; Bank of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Northeast Bank, Minneapolis, in the protecting older Americans category; and First State Bank of St. Charles, Mo., and U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, in the volunteerism category.