T 2023 C2C Award NOMINEES F E ATUR E ASSET SIZE: UNDER $500 MILLION Alliance Bank, Francesville WINNER As a locally owned community bank, Alliance Bank is “all in” when it comes to supporting its communities. In 2023 the bank broke $100,000 donated to local nonprofit organizations for the first time in its history, and employees volunteered an average of 15 hours each. In response to local issues with childcare and housing, the bank made a five-year commitment of $25,000 to Appleseed Childhood Education in Jasper County, a $7,500 commitment for a grant match to the Childcare Coalition of Pulaski County and $5,000 to the Pulaski County Housing Taskforce. It is imperative for the bank to have a pulse on the most pressing needs of the community and prioritize outreach efforts for maximum impact. Bath State Bank In 2023, Bath State Bank’s 99th year in banking, the bank emphasized financial literacy outreach to high school students by partnering with a local rural high school and continuing its outreach with Junior Achievement. The bank operates an intermittent school branch facility to provide real-world banking experiences to high school students, in addition to financial literacy education. Financial education is of particular importance as personal finance has become part of the graduation requirement curriculum. Bath State Bank employees taught nearly 50 classroom presentations in 2023 from kindergarten to high school grade levels. Overall, the bank delivered support to more than 200 organizations, totaling almost $100,000 this past fiscal year. The Indiana Bankers Association Commitment to Community Awards, presented annually at the IBA Mega Conference, tell the story of banking by showcasing bank community service provided the prior calendar year. Two awards are given, representing asset sizes under $500 million, and $500 million or more. For the 2023 awards, Alliance Bank, Francesville, won in the category of banks under $500 million in assets, and Horizon Bank, Michigan City, won in the category of $500 million and above. Finalists were Fowler State Bank and Home Bank, Martinsville in the under $500 million category; and Community First Bank of Indiana, Kokomo, and North Salem State Bank in the $500 million and above category. Each of the following 25 nominees answered questions that align with an evaluation rubric, and all entries were reviewed and scored by the Oklahoma Bankers Association. 22 HOOSIERBANKER
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