Community Banking Month

April is Community Banking Month

CNB to Celebrate with Community Shred Days and Highlight Fraud Prevention

Traditionally the month of April is recognized as National Community Banking Month. It focuses on the many contributions community banks make to the areas they serve through local lending, employee volunteerism and personal service. We will be including a focus on fraud education as part of our campaign this year. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023 and we continue to see increased cases among our own customer base. It’s our responsibility as a community bank to provide awareness of this growing problem and practical tips for our customers to prevent it.

We will have displays in all our branches providing an example of how check washing works. Every customer that comes in will be provided with a free gel pen that helps to prevent checks from being altered, along with tips for preventing fraud. We will highlight some of these tips on our in-branch TVs, as well as social media posts throughout the month.

Additionally, we will once again host Community Shred Day on Friday, April 26, offering the public an opportunity to safely shred personal information. Items to be shredded will be accepted during normal business hours of each office. There is a limit of 3 standard office size boxes or grocery bags per household. Items to be shredded could include:

• Financial Statements
• Canceled & Blank Checks
• Paycheck Stubs
• Credit Card & Account Numbers
• Personal Records and Tax records
• Medical records
• Any items containing your social security number or signature.
• Any mail or magazines that have personal identifiers
• No need to remove staples or paper clips

**No electronic items will be accepted. All paper material will be destroyed by Allshred Services, a NAID Certified Company.

The offices will have sweet treats available that day in celebration of Community Banking Month.

 We are also once again giving away community gift baskets at each office, highlighting unique items from each of our CNB markets. The baskets are valued at more than $150. Enter to Win online here, or by visiting our offices and completing an entry slip. The drawing for the baskets will be held on Friday, April 26.

About Community Banks

Collectively, community banks make more than 60% of small-business loans, more than 80% of agriculture loans, and contribute tax dollars that help maintain local municipalities. Community banks:

• Are favored by small businesses, earning an 81% satisfaction score compared to 68% for large banks, 62% for finance companies and 48% for online lenders. 
• Have a local focus. Unlike larger banks that may take deposits in one state and lend in others, community banks channel their loans to the neighborhoods where their depositors live and work.
• Are Innovators. As a high-tech, high-touch financial institution, community banks work with their customers to ensure access to innovative products and services while partnering with and investing in financial technology providers.

For more facts about community banks, click here. Follow the ICBA Community Banking Month conversation on social media with the #BankLocally and #CommunityBankingMonth hashtags.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America® creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services.

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute roughly 99 percent of all banks, employ nearly 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5.8 trillion in assets, over $4.9 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.5 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers’ dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at www.icba.org.