Bendigo Bank parlays tens of millions back to community

BENDIGO Bank has announced that its Community Bank model delivered a record investment for community strengthening projects over the past financial year.

The $50.2 million dollars delivered is an increase of more than 23 per cent compared to the previous corresponding period.

The model, which funnels a portion of the profits from each Community Bank back to the community, has helped fund laptop and literacy programs in primary schools, lifesaving rescue equipment in surf clubs, emergency housing for older women, as well as a new specialist clinical cancer nurse at a regional hospital for 12 months.

“Bendigo Bank’s Community Bank model funded more than 9320 on-the-ground projects in communities around the country over the last financial year,” head of Community Banking Justine Minne said.

“More than $416 million has now been returned to communities via donations, grants, scholarships and sponsorships since the inception of the Community Bank model in 1998.

“The community bank model has grown from a concept designed to empower communities at risk of losing face-to-face banking services to a network of more than 300 branches.

“There is nothing quite like this in Australia.”

Ms Minne said the strength of this year’s community contributions reflects the performance of the network and the Bank’s longstanding purpose to feed into the prosperity of its customers and the community.

“At Bendigo Bank, our commitment to community is at the heart of everything we do,” she said.

“We’re so proud to see funding from our Community Bank branch network continue to grow strongly.”