Giving back is in community banking’s DNA, but Gateway Bank in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, goes above and beyond through its Gateway Gives program.
The program comprises nine wide-ranging components: Adopt a Highway, Community Engagement, Tree Lighting, Annual Fall Festival, Officer Scott Patrick Memorial Annual 5K to Benefit Special Olympics, Toys for Tots, Pay It Forward, Annual Back to School Drive and Volunteer Day.
“Our Gateway Gives programs were introduced over time as part of an evolving commitment to our communities,” says Bruce Downey, president of $308 million-asset Gateway Bank.
The community bank’s foundational initiatives, including Adopt a Highway, the Annual Mendota Heights 5K and the Annual Fall Festival, reflect the bank’s long-standing focus on hands-on community involvement and stewardship.
Gateway Bank’s first Annual Fall Festival took place in 2005, and for the past two decades, the bank has welcomed customers and community members to its Mendota Heights branch, giving away hundreds of pumpkins and treating attendees to donuts and cider. The community bank also launched its sponsorship of the Officer Scott Patrick Memorial 5K Walk/Run in 2005. The annual event, held in June, benefits Special Olympics of Minnesota, which supports more than 8,000 athletes.
“In addition, we have maintained and cared for Highway 13 in Mendota Heights through our Adopt a Highway program since 2009,” says Downey. “With the exception of some COVID-impacted years, we have continued each of these programs annually.”
Other foundational programs include Pay It Forward, which launched in 2010 and provides employees with $500 to donate to a nonprofit or cause they support.“Each year at our holiday party, every associate is given...$500 to donate to a cause they care about,” Downey says. Since the program’s inception, more than $117,000 has been donated back into the communities the bank serves.
And Volunteer Day, an employee benefit, sees each staffer given one paid day off a year to volunteer for a cause of their choice.
The program evolves
These foundational programs are still going strong, but Gateway Bank didn’t stop there.
“Over time, we expanded into more partnership-driven initiatives, including Toys for Tots and our Annual Back-to-School Drive, both aimed at bringing people together and addressing meaningful community needs,” says Downey.
Both initiatives use Gateway Bank branches as drop-off points. Community members are encouraged to donate toys during November and December for Toys for Tots. And in July and August, the bank solicits donations of school supplies that are delivered to local schools, along with a cash donation from the bank.
More recent additions include the bank’s title sponsorship of the 50th & France Tree Lighting, which kicks off the holiday season in Edina, a city in the southwest Twin Cities metro.
Finally, the Community Engagement program broadens Gateway Bank’s support of all kinds of charities, from the Ronald McDonald House to the Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.
“Our Community Engagement efforts refer to our group volunteer initiatives,” Downey explains. “Each year, the entire bank participates in selecting three to four nonprofit organizations to which our associates volunteer their time together, reinforcing our culture of service.
“Overall, the evolution of these programs reflects our commitment to serve, support and strengthen the communities we call home,” he adds.
Community-driven giving
How did Gateway Bank come up with these programs?
“Our programs have largely developed from listening to the needs of our community and building relationships with local organizations,” says Downey. “As a community bank, we are deeply connected to the areas we serve. So many of our initiatives begin when we identify gaps or opportunities where we can make meaningful impacts.”
In many cases, the community bank’s associates are personally involved in local nonprofits and community groups, and their passions and insight help inspire and shape new programs.
“It is a very organic process, driven by community need and associate/client engagement,” Downey adds.
He believes this type of expansive, community-driven giving is part of the DNA of community banking.
“As a community bank, we feel it is our responsibility to give back to our community,” he says. “We believe that when our community is strong and successful, we are strong and successful. Supporting local initiatives isn’t just something we do. It is a core part of who we are and how we operate.”
There are benefits for the bank, too. Gateway Bank’s commitment to the community has helped build strong, lasting relationships and a high level of trust with the people and businesses it serves.
“It has strengthened our reputation as a bank that genuinely cares not just about financial services but about the overall well-being of our communities,” says Downey.
Gateway Bank continues to dream up fresh ideas.
“We are constantly looking for new opportunities to support our community,” Downey says. “If there is a need, we will find a way to help. For example, many of our associates are personally involved in nonprofits and community initiatives, and we remain committed to supporting both them and their passions.
“That’s often how our newer programs and ideas come to life. As our communities evolve, so will our efforts to serve them in meaningful ways.”