Enriching our communities through financial education
Financial education is increasingly important for the communities we serve. This is especially true during a challenging economy. At Banner, we use our financial expertise and knowledge to help others. Here’s what we did in 2023 to support financial education in our communities:
Volunteering to teach adults and children—Last year, 280 employees volunteered more than 1,595 hours teaching financial education. We provided financial education to nearly 58 schools, school districts, and other civic organizations and community groups. With the YWCA alone, 41 employees volunteered more than 280 hours, teaching financial education to women and children. We also hosted 145 of our own homebuyer education classes across our markets and we have plans to host even more in 2024!
Investing in programs focused on financial education—We donated more than $50,000 to organizations, events and activities that supported financial education in our communities. Some of
these include Junior Achievement, Financial Empowerment Network, Community Action of Skagit County, Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, Inc., Financial Beginnings, and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.
Developing our own financial wellness program—Also in 2023, we implemented MoneyWise. The program includes a variety of financial resources and tips from saving money and tackling debt, to understanding your credit score. We feature MoneyWise tips in monthly videos, flyers, social posts, and on our website so community members can take control of their financial health and achieve their goals. This is in addition to the resources we provide through our financial blogs on bannerbank.com.
These are just some of the ways we’re equipping others with the tools to make informed financial decisions—because looking out for the financial well-being of our communities is at the forefront of what we do.
