United Community Foundation Celebrates 5 Years of Giving Back

The United Community Bank Foundation is marking its fifth anniversary by sharing the impact it's made to build stronger communities throughout the Southeast. To date, the foundation has awarded $2.96 million through 1,146 grants across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

"We launched the United Community Bank Foundation with a clear purpose to strengthen the financial health of the communities we serve," said United Community Bank Foundation CEO Lynn Harton. "This milestone reflects the leadership and commitment of our employees who understand the needs of their communities because they live there, work there, and serve alongside the organizations making a difference."

The United Community Bank Foundation is organized around four pillars identified by United employees: economic empowerment, housing strategies, artistic expression, and youth development. Employees nominate the organizations they actively volunteer with, giving them a direct voice in the causes that matter the most while keeping Foundation dollars focused on local needs.

United's Together for Good Council, a companywide volunteer group, helps drive participation and advance social impact programs throughout United's footprint. This approach also carries through to how the foundation deploys team members for volunteer opportunities. Four times a year, Better Together Weeks engage employees in volunteerism across the four pillars.

Through United's employee-led model, the Foundation has supported more than 750 organizations, from small-business development and financial education programs to affordable housing initiatives and arts organizations. Beneficiaries include:

• In Greenville, South Carolina, the foundation has supported CommunityWorks, a nonprofit lender providing small-business loans, down payment assistance, and financial coaching to entrepreneurs who don't qualify for conventional bank financing.

• The foundation has partnered with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across its footprint since the foundation's earliest years, contributing $94,700 to 15 affiliates in 15 counties in a single year and sending more than 100 United volunteers to build sites.

Additionally, United's dedication to financial education earned national recognition with the American Bankers Association Foundation's Community Commitment Award for Volunteerism, honoring the work done during National Financial Literacy Month.

During that time, United's team led more than 150 workshops tailored to students, teachers, small-business owners, retirees, veterans and others, reaching over 13,400 individuals. These sessions opened the door for people to learn, feel confident about their finances and build their future. To further bolster its commitment, the foundation awarded $30,000 in grants to organizations that support financial education.