It’s the season for giving, but at Centier Bank, giving actually lasts all year long. With a long history of community engagement and philanthropy, Centier Bank has giving back ingrained in the company culture.
“We are wired in our DNA to be a community bank. That means staying engaged in the community. We are passionate about the philanthropic impact we make and are always looking for new opportunities to do so,” said Anthony Contrucci, Vice President of Business Development.
For decades, associates at Centier Bank have been sharing of their time and talents with the community. It’s actually the genesis of Centier Bank’s Community Relations Division.
“Our charge was to figure out ways for associates to continue being that engaged, passionate member of the community in a manner that was intentional, strategic, and scalable,” Contrucci said.
The new division has coordinated special training for associates, interactive boot camps, motivational speakers, and hosted an annual volunteer fair – all in that same spirit of encouraging and promoting community involvement and professional development. Nothing replaces that face-to-face interaction and a good old-fashioned handshake.
“We annually bring in over 20 nonprofit organizations so our Centier family can get to know them and learn how to get involved,” Contrucci said.
That involvement can come in the form of volunteering at local outreach and fundraising events, giving of their talents by sitting on community boards and committees, and leading in-house efforts to support their own associates in times of need.
One of the biggest accomplishments of the Community Relations Division is a volunteer portal. This online portal offers associates an effortless and concise place to find volunteer opportunities in their local community. Associates can also log their volunteer hours through the portal, giving Centier Bank a useful snapshot of the impact their team has on local communities. They estimate that this year alone, more than 600 associates have volunteered more than 18,000 hours throughout 1,000 different organizations—and that’s just based on the hours logged.
“We can’t capture all of the volunteer work going on, because it’s just so ingrained in who we are. There are so many times we don’t know the extent of the volunteer work occurring because our associates just go out and do it,” Contrucci said.
As a community bank that serves in 11 counties throughout Indiana, Centier recognizes that community needs are great. That’s where more than 50 community coordinators throughout their branch network help to pinpoint the specific needs in each of the communities they serve.
“The community coordinators represent the Centier family throughout the state of Indiana. They live in those communities and can decide where the corporate resources should go,” Contrucci said.
Centier also engages communities with its educational Centier to You program. Associates are trained to host financial wellness seminars in schools, libraries, businesses, and many other locations. The bank coordinates about 12 different seminar topics, such as how to create a budget, how to save, tips for first-time homebuyers, and how to keep your identity safe. Centier Bank has cultivated each seminar to be relevant and understandable for all who attend.
“We created this content by picking the top five things you need to know about these topics. We didn’t want attendees to leave overwhelmed and confused. We give them five things and then a takeaway. We also invite them to come in and sit down with one of our associates for further discussion, at no charge,” Contrucci said.
In addition to time, there’s treasure. As of November, Centier Bank has donated in excess of $1.25 million to over 800 different nonprofits.
In addition to the corporate dollars referenced above, many of the donations Centier Bank makes include funds raised by associates, showing that the company culture of giving has taken deep root within associates. A prime example of this was a recent donation the bank made to the American Cancer Society, which not only included funds donated from Centier Bank, but dollars associates raised on their own through participation in Relay For Life and other events, as well as independent fundraising efforts.
Through their philanthropic efforts, Centier Bank and their associates are giving back to the communities that have supported them for nearly 125 years.
“The backbone of our organization is our communities, and we are blessed to be able to partner with fantastic organizations to make a difference in the lives of many. We look forward to not only continuing our spirit of philanthropy but increasing our efforts to keep making a difference in 2020 and beyond,” Contrucci said.
For more information about Centier Bank, visit one of their many local branches, or online at https://www.centier.com/.
