Washington Trust Bank is partnering with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) to award a total of $420,000 in grant dollars from the FHLB Des Moines Member Impact Fund. The Fund provides $3 for every $1 of an eligible FHLB Des Moines member’s grant donation to strengthen the ability of nonprofits to serve local affordable housing or community development needs.
We’re sponsoring five Oregon organizations, with three Portland-based organizations receiving a total of $220,000. Proud Ground ($100,000), a community land trust, is committed to safeguarding neighborhoods by ensuring permanently affordable homeownership opportunities. Relay Resources ($100,000) provides access to jobs for people with disabilities as well as access to affordable housing. Portland Housing Center ($20,000) prepares people for homeownership through education, guidance, financial services, and other resources.
Two Central Oregon nonprofits received a total of $200,000. Bend’s, RootedHomes ($100,000) is on a mission to supply environmentally sustainable and permanently affordable housing to Central Oregon residents. While Redmond based NeighborImpact ($100,000) works to meet the needs of households in Central Oregon, from hunger relief to emergency shelter and rental assistance.
For Washington Trust, facilitating grants on behalf of local nonprofits is consistent with our core values of integrity and commitment to community. We look to help our neighbors and neighborhoods flourish, and that means advocating for investments in low- and moderate-income communities to help people thrive. We do this through supporting and lending to projects that revitalize neighborhoods, create affordable housing, and promote economic and job growth.
Robert Turner, VP / Fair and Responsible Banking Officer in Compliance, led the efforts to secure the matching dollars, working closely with his team: Christin Malek, CRA Compliance Senior Analyst in Compliance, and Kathy Price, Compliance Analyst II in Compliance.
Washington Trust has always been committed to the communities we serve, but the team’s success in being awarded these grants by the FHLB really elevates that commitment and the bank’s capacity for community reinvestment to another level. These donations represent material funding for recipient organizations to continue delivering critical services and advancing their missions to support affordable housing and home ownership, inclusion, emergency services, and more.
Shannon Cowley, SVP / Chief Compliance Officer
