Bankers shared their products and options at the May Non-Profit Roundtable

Banking. We all do it--as individuals, couples and at our companies and organizations. Who we utilize for our banking services and how we bank is critical to sound financial management. At its May 21 meeting, the Oakland Chamber's Non-Profit Roundtable hosted several representatives from chamber member banks and credit unions, who shared their particular institution's products and opportunities for non-profit organizations.

As is our practice, we started our conversation with those attending sharing their earliest banking memories. Several recalled using quarter folders in school while others remembered having passbooks either at school or at a bank. A few recalled that their first time using a bank occurred when cashing their first paycheck. And, of course, everyone remembered getting lollipops.

Following the introductions, the panelists introduced themselves and gave a brief summary of their institution's services. The panelists were Jeremy Williams, VP & Community Relations Manager of Bank of America (jeremy.williams@bankofamerica.com); Anthony Thompson, SVP & Relationships Manager of Bank of Alameda (thompsonA@BankofAlameda.com); Alex Nguyen, Assistant VP & Banking Center Manager of Comerica Bank (anguyen@comerica.com); Claudia Gomez, Branch Sales Manager of Golden1 Credit Union (cgonzalez@golden1.com); and Dale Marie Golden, VP & Private Banker of Torrey Pines Bank (dgolden@torreypinesbank.com).

A lively Q&A period followed. Attendees learned, significantly, that while many banks and branches provide special services and amenities to their own clients, formal grantmaking was not connected to banking with them. All of the banks provide or participate in financial management training, which is crucial for organizations serving youth and low income populations, in particular.

One participant noted that a child with a savings account is seven times more likely to go to college than one without.

Perhaps the most significant recommendation was for organizations (and individuals) to not only develop a relationship with a bank, but also form a relationship with a personal banker. All of the representative banks provide that important service and further welcome non-profit professionals and anyone who would like, to contact them for further conversation.

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Please join us for he next Oakland Chamber Non-Profit Roundtable meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, from 2:30-4:30pm in the Chamber Boardroom. It’s Hospitality Month at the Chamber, so we’ll be uncovering and sharing Oakland’s hidden gems. All Chamber members and non-profit organizations interested in networking are welcome.

Contacts:
Co-Chair Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD (AMJ@CARDcanhelp.org)
Co-Chair Jerry Metzker, Development & Marketing Manager of Biotech Partners (jerry.metzker@bayer.com)

Chamber Liaison Nikki Mendez, Membership Director (nikki@oaklandchamber.com)