Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia 2022 Honoree Spotlight: Firstrust Bank

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Describe the main initiative(s) of your CSR program.

Firstrust Bank’s mission is to cultivate prosperity for its customers, employees, and the communities it serves. The bank was founded out of the civic engagement of Firstrust’s founder, Samuel A. Green, who in 1934 recognized the hardship for ordinary Philadelphians to secure a mortgage and own a home and decided to start a savings and loan association to support the needs of his community. Through neighbors’ support and his savings, he raised the necessary $7,000 to acquire the necessary federal charter, allowing community members an easier route to home ownership.

For nearly 90 years, Firstrust has remained committed to charitable efforts that enhance the Greater Philadelphia community focusing its social responsibility initiatives on education, health, children-at-risk, and programs that support our youth and their families.

Firstrust and its employees actively support Eagles Autism Challenge, Variety–The Children’s Charity, City Year of Greater Philadelphia, The Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia, and The Ronald McDonald House, among many others. Partnering with the Green Family Foundation, Firstrust assists in selecting students for the Samuel A. Green Scholarship Award Program, which has provided more than $1 million in scholarship awards to the region’s college-bound students for more than 50 years.

Firstrust also supports organizations that its employees are passionate about, and its employees eagerly volunteer at a variety of organizations in the communities where they live and work.

What are some of the key learnings you gained, through participation in the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia?

By participating in the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia program, the volunteer work Firstrust’s employees do in the community was brought into focus. It is clear that Firstrust employees are dedicated to their community and are making a difference through their volunteerism.

The process has allowed Firstrust to develop a greater understanding of other corporate social responsibility initiatives in the region. Fostering connections with other Civic 50 honorees has opened the door to additional possibilities for the growth of Firstrust’s CSR initiatives.

What would you share with a company that is debating whether to take the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia next year?

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia is a beneficial tool to assess and evaluate your company’s current civic engagement. Through participation you’ll be able to measure progress towards your goals, discover opportunities to improve, compare with peers in the region, and see where you are excelling. Firstrust encourages other companies that are committed to using their time, talent and resources to make an impact for their communities to take the Civic 50 to identify areas for growth and improvement.