Mainebiz Special Editions

V O L . X X I I I N O. X X I I G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 8 A s Androscoggin Bank at the end of August geared up to choose the recipients of its Main Street Foundation grant program, bank President and CEO Paul Andersen refl ected on what goes into choosing who gets the money. Geographic diversity and how the money will be used are major considerations. But the decisions at the Lewiston-based bank aren't easy. Consider the small community-based organization that's run on a shoestring. "Giving $1,000 to a small organization that needs a lot of help may have more of an impact than giving $5,000 to a large nonprofi t," he says. "It's need-based. Who needs the money?" As local, state and federal government programs are cut, offi cials who run corporate giving programs in Maine say they believe their programs are more impor- tant than ever to help fi ll the gaps. Androscoggin's Main Street Foundation, which gives grants to several organization four times a year, was started 20 years ago by the bank. e bank's other charitable giving program is the 25K for Kids grant, was fi rst awarded in 2013. ree fi nalists for the yearly award will be announced in October. Andersen, besides running the bank, sits on the Main Street Foundation board of directors, may appear to have his hands full. He brushes that off . "It's an honor and a privilege" to be involved in the bank's charitable programs, he says. Giving programs highlighted at banks Andersen isn't alone. ose who oversee corporate giving programs at the state's banks and other busi- nesses agree that the need is great, the ability to help sometimes small, but the impact on the com- munity and the bank is always felt. Camden National Bank is also gearing up for an October announcement — its 2017 Leaders and Luminaries Awards. Every year the bank donates $20,000 to fi ve nonprofi t board members nominated by their communities. One gets $10,000 for the non- profi t he or she represents, the others get $2,500. e bank has awarded $85,000 since 2011 in the program, one of three at the bank. "Our Maine roots are community-based," says Renee Smyth, executive vice president and chief marketing and experience offi cer. Community giv- ing helps strengthen the communities in which the bank's 650 employees live, and it's also important to the bank that the communities it serves are strong and people are taken care of, she says. e bank has donated $170,000 in two years through its Hope at Home program, in which it gives $100 to a homeless shelter for every home pur- chase fi nanced through the bank. It also commits a portion of its profi ts a year to charity organizations, going through donation requests big and small from organizations and writing checks. Part of the community Across Maine, banks and other institutions promote their community giving programs as enthusiasti- cally as they promote their products. e amounts the corporations donate is often tied to profi ts, and so it becomes a cycle: the stron- ger the community, the better the business does, and the more it can donate. e more it donates, the more the community is helped. "Every year [the corporate giving amount] is a little bit diff erent," Andersen, of Androscoggin Bank, says. e bank doesn't use a percentage of profi t, but "It depends on the economy, how the banks doing – it could go up or down a bit." "We do as much as we can aff ord to do while provid- ing the income to keep us in business," Andersen says. e same is true at Camden, which also doesn't specify an amount "but the better we do, the more we can give back," Smyth says. e bank, the largest chartered in Maine, with 60 branches, completed a merger with Bank of Maine in 2015, and last year reported record earnings. Disability insurance company Unum, which employees 3,000 in the state, reported record profi ts of $248 million last year — it also gave more than $3.7 mil- lion to Maine nonprofi ts in 2016, and its employees vol- unteered more than 32,000 hours, a March report said. e company matches employee donation, and donations to accredited educational institutions, are matched match $2 to $1, up to $10,000 a year. e company focuses on education, health and wellness, and arts and culture" says Cary Olson Cartwright, assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility at Unum. "We provide around 50% of our funding to edu- cation, primarily focusing on K-12," she says. " e types of organizations we support provide educa- tional opportunities to help prepare students for higher education, career and citizenship." Unum works closely with those it awards grants to ensure donations are making an impact. "We meet with each organization we fund to determine their need, and work with them to develop partnerships to help support their mission," Cartwright says. "We review the programs they have and evaluate the various levels of engagement. e amount varies per organization." All the organizations in this article have robust employee engagement programs that donate to employee causes and encourage them to volunteer in their communities. Smyth, at Camden National Bank, says that it's tougher for people to fi nd time to donate, so the bank makes sure there's a way for them to do it. " " e idea of community giving has changed a little bit with some folks, that's where we as a cor- poration hep folks fi nd the time," she says. Making an impact where it counts Corporate giving represents 5% percent of charitable giving in Maine (foundations give the most, represent- ing 22%), and those who run corporate programs say they are focused on making an impact where it counts. Northeast Delta Dental, for instance, has giv- ing foundations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont that are aimed at improving access to and education about oral health. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y A N D RO S C O G G I N B A N K Corporate giving Going where the need is B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n Paul Andersen, president and CEO of Androscoggin Bank, is a strong advocate of providing corporate giving where it's needed most. Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small Giving $1,000 to a small organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot organization that needs a lot of help may have more of an impact than giving $5,000 to a large nonprofit. It's need- based. Who needs the money? — Paul Andersen President and CEO, Androscoggin Bank

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