We Care About Our Communities

Mechanics Bank annually supports organizations that help brighten the lives of our neighbors and enrich the quality of our communities where we live and work.

For example, we invest in local Boys and Girls Clubs, Junior Achievement, community health clinics, children advocacy organizations elderly support organizations and our public school programs.

We also continuously support community development, demonstrated through our support of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which provide economic development through job training, small business lending and technical assistance to low-income, minority, and women-owned businesses.

Community Development

We believe in strong and vibrant communities, and in addition to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) support, our community development efforts also include support for homeless prevention and emergency rental assistance in Monterey County, substance abuse treatment facility for those recovering from drug abuse and alcoholism, and comprehensive environmental services targeted to underserved residents including migrant workers, immigrants, and farm workers located in Imperial County.

Financial Literacy

Our “EverFi” financial literacy training is targeted to high school students and “Venture” entrepreneurship concepts for middle school students is integrated into the curriculum of 21 schools across Contra Costa and Los Angeles Counties. In addition, we offer “How To Do Your Banking” financial literacy training to 12 high schools across Calaveras, Tehama, Tuolumne and Siskiyou Counties.

Volunteerism

We encourage our employees to volunteer their time, talent, and professional skills to organizations near and dear to their hearts. In the 2022 review period, Mechanics Bank employees provided more than 481 instances, totaling 1,800 hours of financial expertise or technical assistance to 113 unique organizations in its combined assessment area. As our organization grows, we’re exploring additional ways to make volunteerism a central part of being a Mechanics Banker, and we increased the hours of work time per year devoted to charitable causes.

Community Involvement

We strive to understand the needs of the communities throughout our footprint. To achieve this, we work closely with our community partners to offer programs such as Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for individuals who are saving to buy their first home; local chambers of commerce to support business and community-based organizations; and work with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBSF) to provide 4:1 first-time homebuyer down payment and closing cost assistance through the Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership (WISH).

Philanthropy

Our Corporate Giving Program helps to support nonprofit organizations whose goals are to make our communities better. This is achieved by giving a majority of the donations to organizations that directly support or target low- to moderate-income individuals and/or communities. Organizations that benefit from Mechanics Bank donations and grants include food banks, Neighborhood Housing Services, early childhood mental health, job training, and computer technology programs,