Montecito Bank & Trust employees select 10 local nonprofits to receive Anniversary Grants℠

Local nonprofit representatives joined the Montecito Bank & Trust employees who advocated for their causes at the bank’s annual Anniversary Grants event Tuesday evening. The bank celebrated its 42nd anniversary by awarding grants of $2,000 to each of the 10 local nonprofits, all hand-selected by employees after they campaigned, rallied and voted for the organizations that mean so much to them. Recipients also received a short promotional video showcasing each organization’s extraordinary work, generously produced by Cox Communications.

Janet A. Garufis, President and CEO said, “What better way to celebrate our birthday than using it as an opportunity to say thank you to the community organizations who do so much to make it the extraordinary place it is. Since our beginning, on March 17, 1975, giving back to the communities we serve has been, and will continue to be, one of the core values of Montecito Bank & Trust. Because of Michael Towbes’ vision, since Anniversary Grants began in 1993, we’ve invited our associates to nominate and select the community organizations to be recognized. Our associates have responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, time and time again. I’m so proud of the spirit of volunteerism that creates the energy in this room tonight. Together, we are making a positive difference in the communities where we live and work.”

Montecito Bank & Trust congratulates the Anniversary Grants Class of 2017: 2nd Story Associates, Alzheimer’s Association – California Central Chapter, Kids Helping Kids, Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties, Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, The Salvation Army of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society and Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation.

The bank would also like to offer a special thanks to their corporate partner, Cox Communications, for their time and talent in producing the promotional videos. “We are also especially grateful to Cox for their contribution of promotional videos for each of our Grantees. The longstanding partnership is truly valued,” noted Ms. Garufis. In addition to the funding, the Anniversary Grants recipients appreciate these Cox videos as an invaluable resource to continue their fundraising efforts.

Montecito Bank & Trust, an S Corporation, is the oldest and largest locally owned community bank in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Founded in 1975, the bank celebrates its 42nd anniversary in 2017 and operates 10 branch offices in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Montecito, Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo and Westlake Village. The bank offers a variety of competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and consumers, including business loans and lines of credit; commercial real estate finance; SBA loans; mortgage loans, consumer loans; credit cards; merchant services; and online services, including mobile banking and cash management. Its Wealth Management Division provides comprehensive trust services and full investment management for all branch office markets.

Montecito Bank & Trust was the only bank in the tri-counties to receive a 2015 Super Premier Performing Bank designation by The Findley Reports, an independent service which rates the annual performance of California banks. Montecito Bank & Trust has been designated as a Premier Performing or Super Premier Performing bank by The Findley Reports 30 times in its 41-year history. The bank was also awarded a 5-star, Superior Bauer rating based on its December 31, 2016 financial data.

For more information, please contact Megan Orloff, SVP Director of Marketing (805) at 564-0236 or [email protected].