The American Bankers Association Foundation today named seven banks as 2024 Community Commitment Award winners. The awards recognize financial institutions for extraordinary corporate social responsibility efforts in seven specific categories ranging from affordable housing to economic inclusion. The winners will be recognized at the ABA Annual Convention in New York City on Oct. 29.
“This year’s winners demonstrate how banks of all sizes are thinking outside the box to make a positive difference in their communities,” ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols said. “I hope banks across the country will consider replicating some of these innovative programs in their markets where it makes sense.”
The 2024 award winners by category are:
Affordable housing: Columbia Bank in Fairlawn, New Jersey, for its Advancing Access program. The special credit program provides access to affordable home loans for majority-minority communities.
Community and economic development: Comerica Bank in Dallas, Texas, for its BusinessHQ resource facility. Centered around helping small business owners and local nonprofits in southern Dallas, BusinessHQ offers a meeting space for them to develop and grow.
Financial education: Regions Bank in Birmingham, Alabama, for its Regions Next Step program. The program, divided into financial literacy classes for two different audiences, focuses on individuals with cognitive disabilities and those who have been through the criminal justice system.
Financial inclusion: Berkshire Bank in Boston, Massachusetts, for its Community Comeback Program. With the help of bankers, government leaders and community stakeholders, the multi-year program helps create new jobs, increase housing, start and expand businesses, address climate change and provide customers with financial education and solutions in low-to-moderate income communities.
Protecting older Americans: American Riviera in Santa Barbara, California, for its Fraud and Financial Exploitation Prevention program. American Riviera has specially trained frontline staff, close working relationships with law enforcement, and their own leadership team members actively participate in preventing elder financial abuse.
Supporting military families: F&M Bank in Clarksville, Tennessee, for its Operation Honor program. Through this program, F&M Bank works with organizations such as Feed the Children, YAIPAK, Operation Stand Down Tennessee and others to fight food insecurity for the military and their families.
Volunteerism: Community Bank, N.A. in DeWitt, N.Y., for its Community Development program. More than 500 bank employees served on nonprofit boards and committees and in 2023 spent 16,000 total hours volunteering to help customers and their communities through the program.
As a part of the annual Community Commitment Award program, the ABA Foundation also honors an individual banker with the George Bailey Distinguished Service Award, which is given to a non-CEO bank employee who demonstrates outstanding initiative, commitment to their customers and community, and the ability to inspire others. This year’s George Bailey Award winner is Raul Valles, VP of commercial real estate for Dallas Capital Bank in Dallas. Valles, an Army reservist, was recognized for his ongoing efforts to use his banking experience to provide financial education and support to the military community. Valles will also be recognized at ABA’s Annual Convention.
