How Financial Institutions Are Lifting Their Communities This Holiday Season (Part 1)

The holidays are a moment to slow down, reconnect, and reflect on what truly strengthens a community. For financial institutions, this season shines a light on the powerful role they play beyond banking by supporting families, uplifting neighborhoods, and showing up with compassion and holiday community service when it matters most.

Across the country, credit unions and banks are leaning into the spirit of generosity with programs that bring warmth, stability, and hope to the people they serve. (Read more about what some financial institutions did last year in our previous blog.)

These efforts offer inspiration and a reminder that meaningful community impact is often built one caring act at a time.

Veridian Credit Union: Multi-Decade Commitments That Strengthen Brand Equity

The Mike and Leona Adams Thanksgiving Dinner—a more than 40-year tradition supported by Veridian Credit Union—illustrates the power of long-term community investment. In 2025, Veridian helped deliver 1,300 free Thanksgiving meals and pledged $100,000 to combat food insecurity.

For CEOs, Veridian’s example highlights the value of consistent, legacy-building programs that anchor the credit union’s brand in service, reliability, and care—attributes that directly influence member retention and market positioning.

Columbia Bank: Employee Engagement as a Growth and Culture Lever

Nearly 100% employee participation in Columbia Bank’s Week of Giving is more than impressive; it’s instructive. Their model shows how activating employee passion can scale an institution’s community impact while strengthening internal culture.

Through meal prep efforts, toy drives, senior care support, and housing projects, Columbia Bank employees helped collect 600 toys, donate $4,500 in gift cards, and support $2.5 million in annual charitable contributions.

Freedom Credit Union: Grassroots Giving That Builds Local Trust

Freedom Credit Union’s Sponsor a Family Program is a reminder that local, high-touch giving drives meaningful loyalty, particularly in communities where relationships matter as much as products.

By supporting more than 600 children with holiday gifts and providing essential winter clothing to individuals in shelters, the credit union solidifies its reputation as a dependable, people-first institution. These hyper-local programs often deliver some of the strongest ROI in terms of brand perception in small and mid-sized markets.

Cadence Bank: Community Voice as a Strategic Differentiator

Cadence Bank’s Cadence Cares Holiday Program combines holiday giving with stakeholder engagement. This approach creates deeper alignment between institutional priorities and community needs.

By donating $150,000 to 10 nonprofits that were selected by customers, employees, and local residents, Cadence amplifies both transparency and trust. The program’s beneficiaries, including Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Family Promise, reinforce the bank’s commitment to addressing root causes affecting low- and moderate-income families.

For leadership teams, Cadence’s model demonstrates the power of participatory philanthropy in driving loyalty and demonstrating shared values.

Peoples Bank: Broad-Based Giving with Measurable Community Impact

With $200,000 donated to more than 125 organizations, Peoples Bank showcases how multi-state institutions can coordinate diverse, needs-driven giving programs rooted in core themes: food security, housing stability, and education.

Support for winter gear in Ohio, United Way initiatives in West Virginia, and food bank partnerships in Kentucky allow the institution to respond directly to the most urgent needs across its footprint, strengthening trust and engagement at a regional scale.

Peoples Bank’s approach highlights the importance of structured giving frameworks that can flex to community-specific needs.

Why These Moments Matter

While financial leaders are focused on growth, innovation, and long-term strategy, the holiday season offers a chance to see impact through a different lens. These programs aren’t just charitable—they’re human. They build trust, spark connection, and remind communities that their financial institutions care about more than accounts and transactions.

These acts of good will reinforce a powerful truth: When an institution gives with heart, people remember.

A Holiday Season Filled with Meaning

As we wrap up another year, these stories highlight the extraordinary ways financial institutions make the holidays brighter, one meal, one coat, one act of kindness at a time.

It’s a season that brings out the best in people and organizations alike. And when banks and credit unions lead with generosity, they help create the kind of communities where everyone feels supported, valued, and hopeful for the year ahead.

Stay tuned for even more holiday giving stories in our next blog.