First Merchants CEO Mark Hardwick Shares His Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility

Описание: What makes a community bank? It's really a place where we can welcome the community in our doors and that we can provide financial advice. The bank has been here since 1893. It's survived the depression, world wars, the financial crisis. During that crisis, we started talking about how much we needed our community, but also how much our community really needed us. We believe that First Merchants is a staple in the backyards of the places where our employees and our customers live and work. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility effort, we've developed five pillars:

1) Employee Empowerment
2) Community Investment and Charitable Giving
3) Financial Wellness
4) Community Home Lending
5) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Just this year, we've helped over 200 families buy their first home by providing a $7,500 down payment. That's the part of the transaction that they don't have to pay back. First Merchants has contributed over $1.5 million dollars to that effort just in one year. We're really thrilled with the impact that we can make with our customer base of adding additional diversity, additional customers to the First Merchants family. When I think about diversity, equity and inclusion, and how it relates to Corporate Social Responsibility, it's about being excited and open to different perspectives and believing that those perspectives can make us better. We all have life experiences and being around a more diverse group will make you think wide and broad. The more we look like the communities that we serve, the better off we're going to be. For me, being a community bank is about being real; it's about being connected with people; it's about making a difference; it's about serving and meeting the needs of our employees and our customer base. We can help meet your desires, meet your needs meet your goals. We can be your partner in prosperity.

https://www.firstmerchants.com/community