Independent Banker - September 2023 - 45

Honorable Mention
National Community Bank Service Awards
SPONSORED BY
the environment, social services,
education, health-you name it. Last
year, we supported 180 diff erent
organizations.
Every year, we contribute
somewhere between 10% and 15%
of our profi ts back to our local
community, and that's direct fi nancial
support, like grants, sponsorships
and things of that nature. Last year,
we had more than 1,200 hours of
volunteer service [done by] our
employees, and our management
team serves on more than 30 local
nonprofi t boards.
Olympia's DEI&B
committee hosted an
educational event with The
Hawk Foundation as a part
of Black History Month.
More than just our philanthropic
giving and our volunteerism, we try
to fi gure out ways to integrate our
customers into that experience and
let them not only have a voice, but the
ability to participate and know that by
banking with us, they're also doing all
this great work in our community.
Olympia Federal Savings
shares the wealth
E
ver since Olympia Federal Savings was established 117 years ago, the
community bank has held its community's well-being as its top priority.
Ryan Betz, chief strategy and marketing offi cer, discusses the Better Fedder
Program and its broad impact on the bank's community.
Q: What have been some of the
key goals of the Better Fedder
Program, and how have you
opted to meet those goals?
A: We recognize if we're able to
increase our profi tability, we're also
able to increase our commitment
to our community. Each year, we've
looked at how we can enhance
what we're already doing for our
community. The thing I appreciate
about working here is that it's not
like we take something away to add
something new. We continue to
build on what we're doing for our
community, so that commitment gets
bigger and stronger every year. We're
really focused on how we can be more
successful in the business we do, so
that we can continue to add on to
these existing programs.
Q: What charities have you
collaborated with, and how
have you supported them?
A: At some point, we've probably
supported every nonprofi t
organization in our community.
Our support of the community is
as diverse as our community is, so
you look at where we give, it's arts
and culture, economic development,
Q: How has the Better Fedder
Program reinforced Olympia
Federal Savings' identity and its
relationships with the community?
A: From the very beginning, our
founders' intent was to take deposits,
loan them out and make housing
more accessible and more aff ordable
for our community. We're in the state
capital of Washington, and when we
started, it was a growing community,
so there were very few ways to
aff ordably build or purchase a home
at that time.
We've really tried to keep that same
idea moving, so it's this combination
of continuing to build while also
taking that community-fi rst approach
to banking and making sure that
continues into the future.
-Victoria Schutz
Olympia Federal Savings
Asset size: $932 million
Location: Olympia, Wash.
olyfed.com
independentbanker.org // 45
http://www.olyfed.com http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - September 2023

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