February is here and love is in the air…
…love for our communities, that is!
There is no question community financial institutions love the towns and cities they serve. Institutions like yours have been there for many decades and plan to be around for many more.
We show our love for our communities by providing great, personal service and providing products that make peoples’ lives better. But, as community FIs, we can do even more — being personally involved in the causes and charities that matter most.
There are so many ways to get involved in your community, so how can you choose? Below are some ideas for community involvement, including some you may currently be doing and some you may have never thought about:
- Sponsorships: What kind of sponsorships can your FI do that it has never done in the past? It could be charitable walks/runs, a one-time concert or a concert series, sporting events or sports teams, school clubs or teams, or a virtual lecture series.
- Volunteering: Tap into what your employees are already doing for ideas on how to volunteer. Does anyone in your FI already serve on a nonprofit board or volunteer with a local organization? Can they help your institution facilitate a volunteer day or even half-day? If you support the causes close to your employees’ hearts, you get the added benefit of showing them love as well!
- Community Event Booths: Connect with organizations such as your local Chamber of Commerce and Parks & Recreation Department to see what kinds of community events at which your FI can set up a booth. It could be almost any kind of event. For example, is there an Arbor Day celebration in your town? That is the perfect occasion to set up a booth to promote your FI and the paperless benefits of eStatements and mobile banking!
- Charitable Drives: There are so many ways to pool employee resources and donate funds and goods to worthy causes.
- Hold food drives at peak (holiday) or off-peak times and even get your customers/members involved.
- There is always a great need for toys for children and gifts for seniors during the holiday season. Can your branches sponsor a gift tree in their lobbies to collect toys or gifts?
- Hold a toiletry drive for a local homeless shelter any time of year, a service that is always needed!
- Scholarships: Can your FI consider setting up scholarships for college-aged employees, children of employees, or other local students studying business, STEM, or vocational arts?
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you advertise it. Put up signs and banners, include it in newsletters, and post about it on all your social media channels multiple times. Does your community have a local TV or radio station? A newspaper? Pitch your event as a human-interest story to garner even more support!
This is your chance to toot your own horn AND give back. Don’t be shy—share the love! The more you promote your cause, the more help you can give.
It’s often said that “love” is a verb — and what better time to think about putting our love of community into action? With Valentine’s Day upon us, hopefully this blog post has given you some ideas on initiatives you can implement this year to show your community how much you love them…and whatever you do, make sure you tell everyone about it!