ORLANDO | Climate First Bank is empowering its LGBTQ+ customers this Pride Month, and every month, with its Pride Banking Program.
“Diversity, equality and inclusion are a really key part of our mission at the bank. Our employees are encouraged to show up as themselves and feel comfortable regardless of their background or sexuality, ethnicity, etcetera. A key part of that was rolling that proposition and that value set out to customers and making the banks a safe place for people,” says Rachel Kent, VP and Director of Marketing at Climate First Bank.
Partnering with Bliss CARES, the program is intended to empower LGBTQ+ individuals and provide them with any and all tools they may need to achieve their financial goals.
The Pride Banking program is currently the only checking account program dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride banking accounts allow individuals to use their preferred name on their debit card, provide free pride checks and give customers access to e-statements. Additionally, with each pride account opened through June 30, Climate First Bank will donate $100 to Bliss CARES.
“It’s really important to us as well to represent as many different charities as we can, so that we support as many as we can. We try and change the partner every year so we can have as much impact as possible,” says Kent.
Pride banking accounts are interest bearing checking accounts with no minimum account balance or monthly fee. Additionally, if clients feel they need help budgeting, Pride accounts come with access to Sphere Finance Manager budgeting tools.
In order to ensure the comfort of their LGBTQ+ customers, Climate First Banking works to foster an inclusive environment by educating their staff with pronoun training and paid course offerings.
In a June 4 press release, Climate First Banking announced their exit from de novo status allowing them to bring their mission of inclusivity to individuals all across the United States.
“The Pride Banking product is available to customers across the country, but we can take our other products…That means that community can access different products with a bank that respects who they want to be, and how they want to be addressed, and supports the LGBT community,” says Kent.
For more information and to sign up, visit ClimateFirstBank.com.
