From battling poverty to achieving financial stability.
From experiencing homelessness to realizing the dream of homeownership.
From feeling despair to having hope.
These are some of the challenges our neighbors face.
That’s why Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation take a strategic approach toward community investments. Through volunteer service and financial contributions, the bank and the nonprofit foundation are committed to supporting programs that make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. This work, in turn, strengthens overall communities. Further, Regions works to support initiatives that naturally align with the skills and expertise of Regions associates. These are three key areas where Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation are well qualified to make an important difference:
- Economic & Community Development:
- Supporting economic prosperity through:
- Affordable housing
- Job creation
- Small-business development
- Homebuyer education & retention
- Neighborhood revitalization & stabilization
- Education & Workforce Readiness:
- Supporting career prosperity through:
- Student competency and skill building
- College preparation and success
- Educational access and attainment
- Career readiness and credential building
- Teacher training and development
- Financial Wellness:
- Supporting financial prosperity through:
- Financial education to youth, adults and vulnerable populations
- Financial planning tools and resources, including Regions Next Step
- Integrated asset-building
Regions Bank recently launched an endowed program: The Regions Institute for Financial Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The institute is housed in the Collat School of Business, which celebrated its opening in August 2018. Institute services are available not only to college students but also to local grade-school students and families in surrounding communities.“Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation are committed to creating more inclusive prosperity by working hand-in-hand with nonprofits and programs that are focused on leveling the playing field and helping more people succeed,” said Leroy Abrahams, Head of Community Affairs for Regions Bank and President of the Regions Foundation. “We have always been devoted to our communities. By aligning our community investment strategy with these three key priorities, our teams can work with community partners at a deeper level.”
To be clear, Regions’ community investments will not be limited exclusively to these three key priorities. Instead, Regions is working to allocate a greater portion of its community investment resources to these priorities while still maintaining flexibility for local teams to address additional needs in various communities.
The three key priorities also represent areas where Regions can measure and quantify the success of its community investments through support provided by the bank and the nonprofit foundation.
“We can work with our community agency partners to help anticipate their needs, proactively invest in solutions to address them and intentionally evaluate the outcomes of our efforts,” said Abrahams. “The result will be that Regions can make a greater impact for the people and communities we serve.”
Regions associates worked with nonprofits and community members in support of storm recovery across the Florida Panhandle, as well as in Southeast Alabama and Southwest Georgia, following Hurricane Michael’s landfall in October 2018.Investing in communities also means providing support when natural disasters strike. One of the most important times to be actively engaged in a community is following emergencies, such as tornadoes, hurricanes or flooding.
The Regions Foundation has stepped in to help following two such weather events in Alabama in 2019 alone. In January, the nonprofit contributed $10,000 to the Central Alabama Community Foundation after an E-2 tornado struck Wetumpka. The Foundation also donated $15,000 to the Community Foundation of East Alabama to immediately help residents following an E-4 tornado that devastated portions of Beauregard, Smiths Station and nearby communities in March. An additional $10,000 was committed to support long-term recovery efforts.
In 2018, Regions Bank made significant contributions to help portions of Florida, Georgia and Alabama recover from Hurricane Michael.
“We want to be there for our neighbors when the unimaginable occurs,” said Brett Shaffer, Community Relations Manager for Regions Bank. “We know disaster recovery lasts far beyond the initial clean-up. It often takes months, if not years. When we can work with local agencies and offer financial resources to help communities get back on their feet throughout the duration of their recovery, we know we are fulfilling our mission to make life better.”
Regions and its associates support nonprofits and community programs not only through financial contributions but also through volunteer service. These figures represent investments made in various community-engagement initiatives over the last several years.Since 2014, associates throughout Regions’ 15-state footprint have volunteered over 300,000 service hours as part of the bank’s “What a Difference a Day Makes” initiative. More than $35 million has been donated to United Way agencies by the bank and its associates during that time. And more than $98 million has been contributed to charitable giving and sponsorships during the past five years.
Regions’ commitment to community support will continue well into the future with the enhanced focus on its key investment priorities.
“Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation have the opportunity to invest in the future of our communities – and that benefits everyone,” Abrahams said.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $126 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,500 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
About Regions Foundation
Regions Foundation is an Alabama nonprofit corporation with offices located at 1900 5th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203. It is exempt from Federal income tax as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Regions Foundation is funded primarily though contributions from Regions Bank. It engages in a community grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; financial wellness; and related initiatives fostering inclusive growth across the communities it serves.