Community First Places Emphasis on Giving First
COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Community First Bank & Trust announced today a program that puts its employees on the Giving First Team. The bank has distributed $50 to each of its 160 employees who will leverage the bank’s cash grants and their own ingenuity and creativity to pay it forward by contributing to the local charity, organization or needy family or individual of their choice.
“We’ve always believed in putting our communities first,” said Marc Lively, president and CEO of Community First. “Since we opened our doors in 1999, we have supported more than 300 organizations with financial support in the form of major corporate contributions and volunteer support from our employees. We are taking it one step further, and increasing our employees’ engagement, with Giving First.”
Employees may choose to make a one-time $50 donation to the cause of their choice, or make smaller donations to multiple organizations. They may choose to pool their funds as a group, solicit matching donations, or negotiate discounts for supplies for a non-profit organization or to help a family on hard times. The only restriction the bank has placed on the Giving First grants is that the funds cannot be used for bank employees or family members.
“Giving First does not replace our commitment to supporting major organizations and events such as Relay for Life and United Way,” said Lively. “As a community bank, we receive multiple requests for donations to support a school’s fundraising drive or sponsor a youth soccer team and we simply cannot fill all those requests out of our corporate budget. The Giving First Team concept empowers our employees to use their creativity and generosity to make a difference and see just how far $50 can go.”
Community First plans to add non-employee members to its Giving First team by passing out cash envelopes in lieu of door prizes at various events. The first non-employee team members were drawn at the Maury County Alliance monthly membership meeting on Wednesday, March 10th, when four attendees will each receive a $50 Giving First grant. Recipients will be given the same guidelines for using the grants and reporting how they used the funds. The total donation from the bank’s perspective is over $8,500.
Giving First Team success stories will be available online at www.puttingcommunityfirst.com.
About Community First
Community First Bank & Trust, based in Columbia, Tenn., was founded in 1999 by a group of Maury County business leaders who wanted to provide a superior banking experience for the communities they serve. CFB&T is a commercial bank with over $700 million in total assets, operating 10 offices located in Maury, Hickman, Rutherford and Williamson Counties. The bank provides a comprehensive line of banking services to consumers and businesses in the Middle Tennessee area. Additional information is available at www.cfbk.com.
