Impact Banking for Mission-Driven Nonprofits: How the right financial partner can help amplify your impact and your profitability

Where you deposit your nonprofit’s money has a direct effect on what happens in the world. This may be something you've never considered, but when you place your organization’s hard-earned money into a financial institution, it doesn’t just sit there. The bank uses your deposits to fund loans and investments in all kinds of organizations and projects. If you’re an impact-focused non-profit, working with a major global bank may mean your money supports industries that conflict with your mission, including oil and gas, private prisons and weapons manufacturing.  

Climate First Bank is on a mission to ensure that the revenue your nonprofit generates makes the most significant positive impact. As a certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet and the Global Alliance for Banking with Values, Climate First Bank supports sustainability and community focused projects. As part of this effort, Climate First Bank is actively seeking to grow its nonprofit client base, offering a wide array of benefits including exceptional customer service, values alignment, reduced and eliminated fees, flexible loan options, and much more.  

In this Q&A, Climate First Bank Director of All Good Things Lauren Dubé talks about the ways Climate First Bank can help your nonprofit save and earn more money – all while ensuring your deposits are directed toward building stronger communities and a healthier planet.  

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Why should nonprofits consider their financial partners as a critical component of their impact?

This is an exciting time because people are starting to realize that their financial partners are as much or more a driver of impact as the food they eat and the products they buy. If mission-driven nonprofits don’t intentionally work with values-aligned financial institutions, they are likely lending 20% - 30% of their revenue to causes that directly counteract their mission. From 2016 to 2023, the largest 6- banks in the world invested $5.5 trillion in fossil fuel financing. These investments were made up of deposits from individuals and organizations who probably had no idea what their dollars were supporting.  Climate First Bank uses deposits as a force for good, funding mission-aligned loans and driving investments in sustainable energy, affordable housing, and community projects. When a nonprofit client chooses Climate First Bank, they are directly contributing to the financial well-being of other values-based organizations and changemakers in the community.

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Why is Climate First Bank an ideal banking partner for nonprofits?

When you join Climate First Bank, you’re not just a number in the system. You’re a member of our community. We aim to build a relationship with every nonprofit client, and our banking team is here to provide personalized service on everything from loans to event collaborations.  Think of banking as an amplifier. As a nonprofit, you’re already doing all of this great work with the dollars you’re fundraising. You can exponentially increase that impact by depositing those sitting dollars with a bank that is doing good work alongside you.

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How are Climate First Bank’s services suited to the needs of nonprofits?

We help our nonprofit clients financially thrive and eliminate unnecessary fees so they can focus their spending on what really matters — their mission. For example, our Net-Zero business checking accounts offer free positive pay, free ACH originations, and no minimum balance, transaction limit, transaction fee, or monthly fees.* And we’ve made our Money Market savings account available to nonprofits by offering extended FDIC insurance as well as free access to funds anytime and nationwide ATM access.**  

We also work with nonprofit clients on opportunities to boost their exposure through sponsorship, collaboration, webinars, blogs, and podcasts with our leadership team.  

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Why is Climate First Bank working to expand its nonprofit program and offerings?  

I think it’s so cool that Climate First Bank gets to operate in such a wide variety of spaces and learn from so many kinds of impact businesses. Being able to do that with more and more nonprofits is a privilege because, on its own, one financial institution can't do it all, but we can support the nonprofits that can.

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Ready to amplify your impact and save and earn money with our nonprofit banking solutions? Reach out to Lauren Dubé*** or Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Castro***. Our team of relationship managers is ready to answer any questions you may have and assist you in making a seamless transition to a values-aligned bank. Our Business Online Banking team can aid in transitioning donors, payroll, and other systems to your new Climate First Bank account.

Share this blog with your favorite nonprofits so they, too, may begin banking like tomorrow depends on it.  

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*Customer is responsible for cost of Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) machine and wire fees. $0 monthly fees if customer consents to receive electronic statements.  

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** If the daily balance is more than $49,999.99, but less than $9,999,999.01, the interest rate paid on the entire balance in the account will be 3.88% with an annual percentage yield (APY) of 3.96%. If balance falls below $49,999.99, the interest rate paid on the entire balance in the account will be 0.05% and the APY will be 0.05%. Rates accurate as of 3-09-26 and subject to change. A minimum opening deposit of $50,000.00 is required to open. E-statements are provided at no charge, and paper statements are available for a $5.00 monthly fee. A monthly service charge of $15.00 will be assessed if the daily minimum balance falls below $5,000.00. New Money Only: defined as funds not previously held at Climate First Bank.

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***Important: This email address is not intended for transmitting sensitive information. Please do not submit private financial or personal details, such as account numbers, social security numbers, or passwords.

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