Community and philanthropy have been at the center of Alpine Bank’s business model since it was first founded in Carbondale, Colorado in 1973. Today, more than 50 years later, the company has grown to 40-plus locations—including Boulder, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year—but has stuck to those same values.
“As we continue to grow, we keep asking, ‘How do we make sure that our giving grows with the bank?’” explains Chris Maughan, Boulder County Market President, who’s been with the company for 21 years. To answer, the company has woven philanthropy into every aspect of business—from employee culture to customer benefits.
For example, since 2006, all bank employees have received 24 hours of paid volunteer time each year. (This year, they’re rallying all employees to take full advantage of the benefit, with their “24 in ‘24” campaign.) Also, with every swipe of a customer’s loyalty debit card, Alpine Bank donates a dime to causes in either the community, education, arts or environment category, as chosen by the customer. In 2023, this program alone raised 2.5 million for Colorado causes.
Efforts like these—among many, many others—have made the bank a top philanthropist in the state. According to data compiled by the Denver Business Journal, Alpine Bank ranked second for cash contributions to charities among Colorado-based businesses and ranked fifth among all companies in 2022.
But for Alpine Bank, their commitment to giving back is fortified by another equally important core value: Independence.
“We put all the corporate philanthropy and giving decisions in the hands of the local market presidents and/or regional presidents. So, it really is the local team that's making decisions as to how we allocate those dollars,” Chris says.
In Boulder, that translates to many nonprofit partnerships, among other programs.
“I'm probably most proud of our nonprofit partnerships here in Boulder,” Chris says. “For example, Play Boulder [Foundation]. We're very proud of our affiliation with them. We also are big supporters of Growing Gardens; we help them with their banking and act as their lead financial partner. I also serve on the board of Via Mobility, and we're excited to support them in their 45th anniversary this year.”
Along with its many partnerships and community events, the Boulder branch also boasts a conscientious home base at Canyon and Folsom, which is LEED Gold certified. Because the company is employee-owned, they were able to prioritize meeting such standards.
“Our employee ownership group has had some pretty wide-ranging impacts on how we do business over the course of the last almost 20 years, and I’d say a big one is our Green Team and our environmental management system,” Chris explains. “Our employees really put forward this idea because they live and work in these communities, and they want to make sure that the company that they were working for is also a good steward of where they live.”
To learn more, visit https://www.alpinebank.com/