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Meet the banks that are doing good

Words by Abi Scaife

Gone are the days of Granny hiding rolled up 20s under a loose floorboard or stuffed in her pillowcase – in 2023, we all need a bank.

That being said, it’s no simple task to pick the right bank for your needs, especially if you want to trust your money to a company that matches your own values.

So don’t fret - here are five banks that give back.

KROO.

Kroo is a digital bank, and right from the beginning, customers start making an impact. As soon they set up their account, Kroo plants two trees for every new customer.

Kroo’s tree planting initiative focuses on growing communities through their partner, One Tree Planted. They have two projects they currently support: combatting food insecurity through fruit trees in India through planting trees, and improving biodiversity and climate resiliency in Guatemala by restoring 1,025 hectares of mangrove ecosystem.

Plus, in April 2023, Kroo customers will be able to choose in-app which project their trees contribute to. We love it.

Kroo has partnerships with companies to help support employees and their mental health. They also chose to treat their debit cards with an additive to make them degradable, helping the planet and their people.

CAF BANK.

CAF Bank is run by CAF Group, of the Charities Aid Foundation, which helps connect vital organisations, institutions and individuals to help provide for our future. The aim of CAF Bank is to provide social enterprises and charities with the affordable, repayable finance they need to sustain and grow their social impact.

Through their Social Business Impact Programme, CAF Bank is committed to helping small business owners from minority communities grow and thrive, diversifying the UK.

LLOYDS BANKING GROUP.

Lloyds does more than just let us watch emotional trailers featuring beautiful horses - they have huge amounts of charitable efforts going on. Since 2018, there has been £110 million donated to Lloyds’ own Charitable Foundation, 2 million trees planted with the Woodland Trust - and an incredible £15 million fundraised for Mental Health UK.

Plus, they have a huge amount of available programmes and resources aimed at different communities, to give people the best possible financial education.

HAMPSHIRE TRUST BANK.

Hampshire Trust Bank, is part of the Neighbourly network, a platform which connects enterprise sized businesses to local charities and community groups. Amazingly, all Hampshire trust Bank employees each get 1 day a year of volunteering through their ‘People Power’ campaign.

Thanks to Neighbourly, Hampshire Trust Bank has so far supported 23 good causes through 172 volunteering hours since November 2022 and is targeting over 1,600 hours to make a difference in its local communities.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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