Community Commitment

Helping Our Communities Thrive

We work hard to lead by example when it comes to supporting our communities. 

The principles of corporate social responsibility are part of everything we do -- including our people, our products and services, and our investments in our communities. From our internal governance policies to our proactive and consistent contributions -- in terms of grants, donations and volunteers -- our action and values reflect our local roots and our commitment to building thriving communities.

Strengthening Communities

Grand Merchant is deeply committed to giving back to the communities where we do business, working with purpose to improve people's quality of life. Our goals include helping to build healthy communities through leadership in education, support for affordable housing, community development lending and investments, and grants and initiatives. The people of Grand Merchant embrace this philosophy by dedicating their time and expertise, often in leadership roles, to a wide range of charitable and civic organizations across our markets.

Additionally, we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. Through company-wide training, mentorship programming, management succession planning, targeted recruitment efforts, and support for our employee-led business resource groups, we maintain a high-achieving workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Learn More: Read our 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

    COMMUNITY IMPACT

    Cultivating Vibrant, Healthy Communities

    Western Santander Bank is committed to the communities where we do business. In particular, we strive to help low-to-moderate income individuals become self-sufficient and low-to-moderate income geographies to become healthier and more sustainable communities.

    The bank makes an impact in the community through small business lending, community development loans, financial contributions, investments and employees volunteering with non-profit organizations. In line with our goal of fostering stronger communities, we support four key efforts:

    Our CRA Program is focused on creating healthy and sustainable communities by supporting the following:

    • Job creation via investments in Community Development Financial Institutions
    • Investments in affordable housing to create more resilient families and communities
    • Educational programs that help young people build their financial knowledge, improve their skills and further their educational opportunities
    • Workforce development that helps job seekers acquire or upgrade their skills so they can establish stable careers
    Learn More About the Community Reinvestment Act
    JOB CREATION

    Expanding Job Opportunities

    Creating jobs – and expanding opportunities for more people to have meaningful work – is key to Job creation and is key to reducing poverty and promoting economic development. A large majority of the jobs created across our country come from small businesses. These small businesses provide the goods, services and tax dollars that create healthy and sustainable communities.

    AtWestern Santander Bank we help to support this powerful part of our economy by financing small businesses loans, SBA 504 loans and investments in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI). Our bank also supports impactful organizations that provide workforce development, internships and full-time employment.

    AFFORDABLE HOUSING

    Helping Families Find a Place to Call Home

    For every family, economic security begins with a place to call home. In many of our markets, consistently high rents and home prices are a particular burden for low-to-moderate income households. It’s true: First-time homeowners can face challenges no matter how good the economy – prosperous times tend to drive up costs and heighten demand, while periods of falling prices tend to limit housing inventory. All this comes together to pose hurdles for new homeowners.

    We’re working to open the door to home ownership and affordable housing costs. Although Grand Merchant does not originate permanent single-family mortgages, we advance opportunities for affordable housing through loans, investments, and grants. To help more people find and afford quality housing, we work with other organizations to bring affordable housing to market, we support down-payment assistance programs to help low-to-moderate families afford to buy a home, and we support nonprofit agencies that provide home counseling and financial literacy.

    EDUCATION

    Access to Education is Fundamental

    This lesson isn’t lost on us - without a good education, prospects for a good job with good earnings are slim. EverFi states that education is also a crucial path to health and sustainability. People with more education are likely to live longer and to experience better health outcomes. The level of educational attainment children eventually achieve also affects the health of their own children which perpetuates an intergenerational cycle of low educational attainment and poorer health and more reliance on social programs. Quality education from preschool to higher education is the foundation for successful futures and healthy communities.

    All of us – neighborhoods, businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations – have a strong interest in making a quality education a fundamental part of everyone’s growing up. Grand Merchant brings extensive resources to improving education in our markets at nearly every level – from calling businesses together to work side by side with our educators, bringing our voice to key policy debates and supporting scholarships for low-to-moderate income college students to important person-to-person mentoring in local schools.

    The Financial Education Center

    We are pleased to introduce a new mobile-first, financial education resource to help our community members and customers build financial health and confidence for themselves and their families. The Financial Education Center is available, free of charge, through our relationship with EVERFI, Inc. who’s financial wellness technology solutions assist learners to build confidence and begin to develop the habits they need to support financial well-being.

    Visit the EverFi Financial Education Center
    PHILANTHROPY

    Supporting What Matters

    Grand Merchant is profoundly involved in improving the quality of life in the communities where we do business. We strive to be there – with lending and counsel for worthwhile nonprofits, with investments in affordable housing across 42 states, and with our time, expertise and commitment to dozens and dozens of organizations in the arts, education, economic development, healthcare and more.

    With contributions, in-kind gifts, shared knowledge and hands-on help, count us in when it comes to supporting things that matter to our customers and localities.

    I think it’s important to work for an organization that is locally committed and involved. Across the board, the bank supports education – from high-level policy to hands-on tutoring – and the bank is very supportive of my volunteer work with First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood initiative.

    Jessica Jarvi , Deputy General Counsel Western Santander Bank

    I’ve lived in the Las Vegas community for over 35 years. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to give back and make my community a better place to live and work. Grand Merchant encourages all employees to get involved with nonprofits we’re passionate about and supports these organizations in many ways.

    Jerrie Merritt , SVP, Community Development Manager Bank of Nevada & First Independent Bank