Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Goes Casual for a Cause

Last December, employees from $4.7 billion-asset Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in Bar Harbor, Maine, presented more than $21,000 in donations to nonprofit organizations serving communities in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. 

The money was collected through Casual for a Cause, the community bank’s employee-driven charitable giving program. Participants can dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a biweekly payroll deduction made to a pool of funds that is collected each quarter. Participating employees then vote on which community organizations will receive the funds that were collected the previous quarter.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust launched Casual for a Cause in January 2018. 

“For the past eight years, we have seen increased employee participation and had a record number of employees donating via biweekly payroll deduction in 2025,” says Jack A. Frost, vice president and director of community giving.

Employee-powered giving

Casual for a Cause brings employees together around a shared purpose: supporting the community organizations that matter most to them. 

“Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is deeply committed to supporting the communities we call home,” says Frost. “Alongside our charitable giving and volunteerism efforts, we explored several employee-led giving initiatives … In 2018, we made a deliberate decision to formalize and expand these efforts, creating Casual for a Cause as our signature employee-driven charitable giving program.” 

Publicizing the program to employees is a critical element of its success. “Casual for a Cause is an integral part of our culture,” says Frost. Leadership at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust consistently engages employees through department meetings and corporate communications to highlight opportunities to give back through the Casual for a Cause pooled fund. 

Employees choose the contribution amount that feels right for them. To support participation, the community bank encourages employees to contribute the equivalent of one hour of pay per quarter.

Employees make recommendations for nonprofits to be considered for donations. Frost then creates a voting list, ensuring there is a broad geographic representation across the bank’s northern New England footprint. Employees can vote for the nonprofits they would like to support. There are typically 40 nonprofits on the list, with the collected funds awarded to about 10 each quarter. 

Casual for a Cause is open to all Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees. In 2025, 82% of the bank’s employees participated in the program. Frost says employees enjoy wearing more casual attire at the workplace every Friday while also donating to the pooled fund, which they know will be used to support programs and services of local nonprofit organizations.

“Today, Casual for a Cause is a meaningful reflection of our culture and our collective commitment to making a positive impact,” he says.

Fulfilling community needs

The nonprofits selected to receive the funds raised through Casual for a Cause are often unaware they are being considered for support. “When we’re reaching out to share the news of a donation, they are thrilled to know they were selected by our employees,” Frost says. 

St. Joseph Healthcare in Bangor, Maine, is one of the nonprofits that received an award. Brad Coffey, the foundation president of St. Joseph Healthcare, says the organization had great need for the funds. 

“It is an honor for St. Joseph Healthcare to have been chosen for this by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees,” says Coffey. “This generous gift will be utilized through three St. Joseph Healthcare programs that provide food, clothing and emergency financial assistance for employees and patients. Those receiving these supports are always grateful and, thanks to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees, we will be able to care for more people in the coming year.”