Community

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Serving Our Community

Our commitment to Customer First Service extends to serving our communities – from the financial resources of the Bank to the time and talents of our employees.

Our Community Philosophy

At Northrim, we take an active part in building the communities we serve. Improving the economic vitality and quality of life where we do business is in the best interest of our customers, our employees, our company and our industry. We are committed to sharing our time, talents, and other resources to meet community needs.

Employee Involvement

We actively recruit employees to take part in a variety of community activities and we provide community volunteer opportunities during work hours. Employees are encouraged to serve in leadership roles with nonprofit organizations and to share their expertise in the community.

The Annual Budget Process

Each November, we begin the process of developing the next year’s contributions budget. The proposed budget is based on (1) continuing contributions to organizations and programs with measurable positive results, (2) Northrim officer recommendations, and (3) new requests that meet our contributions focus areas. The contributions budget is generally approved in the first quarter of the year. We make very few contributions outside of the approved budget. We ask that organizations follow up on their request after February 1.


Our Contributions Focus

There are many worthwhile organizations working in Alaska; however, we cannot fund them all. We focus our giving so we can make meaningful contributions, measure the results of our contributions and work more closely with the organizations we support. Our focus areas are:

  • Community and economic development
  • Programs to strengthen low income families
  • Health and wellness programs that support healthy communities
  • Higher education through the State of Alaska Education Tax Credit Program

We accept proposals for funding from nonprofit organizations operating in Alaska. Proposals received during our annual budgeting process have the best opportunity to be considered for funding.

Contributions We Do Not Make

In general, we do not make the following types of contributions:

  • Contributions to organizations or programs outside of our market areas
  • Contributions to, or pledges on behalf of individuals
  • Contributions to religious organizations for religious activities
  • Contributions for the arts
  • Contributions to sports teams, programs or events
  • Contributions to individual schools
  • Funding for travel

Requesting a Contribution from Northrim Bank

Our Marketing and Communications Director coordinates all contributions so we can ensure that requests meet our strategic goals, maximize the value of our contribution dollars and document each contribution for tax and planning purposes.

All requests must be made in writing and include our Donation Cover Sheet. We regret that we cannot respond to telephone requests, or to generic (“Dear Friends”) requests not specifically addressed to Northrim Bank. The deadline for applying for a contribution is November 15 of each year for the following year’s budget.

 

People building a house

All requests should be addressed to:

Kari Skinner
SVP - Marketing & Communications Director
Northrim Bank
PO Box 241489
Anchorage, Alaska 99524-1489

If you have questions about our contributions policies or want to discuss how your organization’s programs fit our contributions focus, you can call Kari at 907-261-3355 or email .

Employee Involvement

We encourage our employees to be engaged in community activities and organizations that fall within Northrim’s contribution focus areas, as well as organizations that are personally significant to our employees.

Teach Children to Save

Teach Children to Save

Teams of employees help students learn the importance of saving for the future through the American Bankers Association (ABA) Teach Children to Save program.

School-Business Partnership

School-Business Partnership

Employees work closely with neighborhood schools to encourage students to become engaged in their community and school.

Financial Literacy Classes

Financial Literacy Classes

Our financial literacy classes at local nonprofits provide an underserved community with critical lessons in establishing credit, saving and budgeting.

Paint the Town

Paint the Town

Employees volunteer to paint the home of an individual or family through the popular annual NeighborWorks' Paint the Town event.

United Way

United Way

Since the Bank was founded, Northrim and our employees have contributed over $2.8 million to support United Way.

Encouraging Entrepreneurs

Encouraging Entrepreneurs

We encourage the entrepreneurial spirit by participating in the Business Plan Competition and Alaska Business Week.