Being socially responsible is not an obligation, it is part of who we are. Since we opened our doors in 2004, we have invested more than $19 million in the form of donations, sponsorships, community development loans, and affordable housing investments to organizations and projects that are making a lasting difference in our communities.
First Western Trust’s associates are involved with a number of nonprofits in our communities, donating their time to local organizations by serving on boards and advisory committees, as well as through direct volunteering.
FW Gives
In an effort to ensure our resources provide the most benefit, we conducted a materiality survey to understand the needs and interests of all of our stakeholders: our community members, associates, shareholders, and clients. With this input, we built our corporate social responsibility program and focused on three philanthropic pillars that our stakeholders felt were most relevant to our business and the community at large. Our three pillars are:
Economic Development through Entrepreneurship
We recognize that the best way to help our communities prosper is to support the growth of a successful workforce and local businesses. By partnering with organizations dedicated to helping individuals build skills for the workplace and by fostering entrepreneurship, we help our communities grow stronger.
The Arts
Art awakens creativity and fresh responses to thinking, feeling, and seeing. It can serve as an outlet and as inspiration. Unfortunately, in many communities, art education and access is extremely limited. We support organizations that help both local artists and also introduce children and adults to a broader cultural experience as a way to inspire new ideas and new ways of thinking.
Women & Girls
Studies have shown that when communities put money and time into women and girls, they achieve a multiplier effect with those women reinvesting in the community that helped support them. Even in our local cities, we see disparate gender statistics that need change. By working with organizations dedicated to self-sufficiency and education for women and girls, we seek to make a positive impact on our communities.
FW Gives Programs
FW Connects Day
Our associates believe in giving back to the communities where we work and live. In 2014, we instituted our first-ever FW Connects Day, an annual event that brings together First Western associates to participate in a day of community service. Each of our teams participates in a project, working together, to support one of our three philanthropic pillars: Economic Development, The Arts, and Women & Girls. In 2016, our associates gave over 500 hours of their time to community service projects during FW Connects. We look forward to seeing the impact we have in 2017.
#WealthIsAbout Grants Contest
At First Western Trust, we understand that wealth is about so much more than money. It’s about making an impact on your community and leaving a positive legacy for generations to come. To help support our communities, we launched the #WealthIsAbout grants contest in 2016. Through the grants contest, we give $7,000 to one organization in each of our markets that supports The Arts, Economic Development, or Women & Girls as voted on by the community. Learn more about our #WealthIsAbout grants contest and our philosophy of wealth.
Community Connections Committee
Each of our local teams is deeply involved in the communities in which we live and work, and at our Denver headquarters, we have a volunteer committee that organizes monthly charity events to foster greater community involvement. Through volunteer events, such as cooking and clean-up projects, as well as charity drives and contests, the Community Connections Committee is committed to helping our teams find meaningful opportunities to give back throughout the year.
To learn more about our corporate social responsibility programs, contact marketing@myfw.com.