News Feature
Originally published in
Castine Patriot, December 5, 2019
and Island Ad-Vantages, December 5, 2019
and The Weekly Packet, December 5, 2019
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust gives back
In celebration of Giving Tuesday, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust announces the year-to-date results of its charitable giving programs. From January through November 2019, BHBT has donated more than $400,000 to approximately 450 nonprofit organizations throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. This includes more than $40,000 donated through the employee-driven giving program, Casual for a Cause.
“As a community bank, we understand the importance of partnering with nonprofit organizations so our collective efforts can make a significant impact on the communities where we live and work,” said Jack Frost, Vice President, Director of Community Giving, in a press release. “Nonprofit organizations provide critical services for families and individuals in need, and it’s our honor to help them further their goals and better the lives of the people and communities in Northern New England.”
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s charitable mission is to improve the economic prosperity and health of local communities through a commitment to impactful philanthropy and volunteer service engagement. Key focus areas for the bank’s community giving are education and workforce development initiatives.
Some of the organizations that the bank has donated in Maine during 2019 include Camp Beech Cliff, Maine Seacoast Mission, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Schoodic Arts for All, Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine, Emmaus Homeless Shelter, and YWCA MDI.
Donations to more than a dozen organizations in New Hampshire and Vermont were also made by the bank.
The bank also facilitates Casual for a Cause, an employee-driven charitable giving program. Bank employees dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a contribution to a pool of funds collected during each quarter. The employees then select and vote on three nonprofits to receive their contributions. Gifts contributed by bank employees in 2019 totaled just over $40,000.
In addition to financial giving, BHBT employees have volunteered more than 6,000 hours to date in 2019 to help organizations serving the communities where they live and work. The bank advocates and supports employee volunteerism, from promoting specific volunteer opportunities to providing paid time off for volunteer activities.
