The ABA Foundation today released “Community Conversations: Keys to Engaging Communities and Driving Inclusive Economic Solutions,” a new guide designed to help banks deepen their partnerships with community stakeholders and foster new cross-sector strategies to move people along the path to economic mobility and prosperity.
The new resource offers a community engagement assessment to help bankers reflect on their current community engagement strategies and their objectives for hosting the conversations. It also provides recommended principles to help guide successful community conversations, suggestions for identifying and inviting partner organizations, tips for building long-term partnerships, and several banker case studies.
“This new guide is designed to help banks of all sizes build on the strong connections they have in the communities they serve and start new conversations so they can better understand local needs,” said Lindsay Torrico, executive director, ABA Foundation. “The guide includes a range of strategies for banks to enhance their community engagement and expand their roles as catalysts for inclusive economic growth. The goal is to elevate the impact of banks in every community and across the country.”
”Community Conversations” also includes links to relevant outside resources, including materials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the Urban Institute and Community Wealth Partners.
All ABA Foundation resources are available to both member and non-member banks free of charge. To view the guide, please visit: https://www.aba.com/news-research/analysis-guides/community-conversations-guide.