Deadline for entries is July 12
WASHINGTON — Starting today, the American Bankers Association Foundation urges banks across the nation to submit nominations for its sixth annual Community Commitment Awards. The awards, one of the industry’s top honors for extraordinary bank commitment to communities, recognizes innovative, high-impact programs that improve the quality of life for the customers and communities banks serve. The entry period will remain open until July 12.
“Banks across this country demonstrate their commitment to their communities every day,” said Rob Nichols, president and CEO of the American Bankers Association. “We hope every bank will consider submitting entries to the Community Commitment Awards, so they can be recognized for their efforts.”
Banks hoping to submit Community Commitment Award nominations can enter in any one of seven specific categories ranging from affordable housing to volunteerism, while the George Bailey Award recognizes an individual banker demonstrating extraordinary commitment to a community. This year, the ABA Foundation has added a new category that recognizes banks helping to improve the quality of life for active duty military, veterans and their families.
“America’s banks appreciate the incredible contributions of our nation’s servicemen and women and have a long history of supporting them at home and abroad,” said Corey Carlisle, executive director, ABA Foundation. “This new award category will capture the many meaningful and innovative ways banks serve members of the military and their families.”
Banks of all asset sizes are eligible to enter and submissions will be judged by a panel of nationally recognized experts in each field. The categories for the 2019 Awards are:
- Affordable Housing;
- Community and Economic Development;
- Economic Inclusion;
- Financial Education;
- Protecting Older Americans;
- Supporting Military Families
- Volunteerism; and
- The George Bailey Award, for non-CEO bank employees who demonstrate outstanding service to their bank, industry and community.
For full category descriptions, please click here.
Bank of Nevada, a 2018 Community Commitment Award winner in the financial education category, was recognized for its Green Our Planet program, which joined together financial literacy curriculum with the creation of outdoor gardens. Students helped harvest produce and created a business out of their school gardens.
“We were truly honored to receive the prestigious Community Commitment Award for financial education.” said Chris Gaynor, vice president and relationship manager for Bank of Nevada. “We believe the investment in education will have a strong impact on families and our communities. The award has given the non-profit we worked with, Green Our Planet, more visibility, awareness and credibility – which gives them the opportunity to positively impact even more of Nevada’s children.”
In addition to recognizing the winners at the ABA annual convention, all Community Commitment Award entries will be displayed on the ABA Foundation’s “Banks in Their Communities” map – an interactive, searchable map on aba.com that showcases all program entries by state. The map serves as a database for corporate social responsibility efforts in the banking industry and currently features 465 individual program profiles from across America.
For an entry form or a list of past winners, visit aba.com/awards. For more information, contact Melissa Murray at mmurray@aba.comor 202-663-5440.
The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation’s $17 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ more than 2 million people, safeguard $13 trillion in deposits and extend nearly $10 trillion in loans. Learn more at aba.com.
Through its leadership, partnerships, and national programs, ABA’s Community Engagement Foundation (dba ABA Foundation), a 501(c)3, helps bankers provide financial education to individuals at every age, elevate issues around affordable housing and community development, and achieve corporate social responsibility objectives to improve the well-being of their customers and their communities.