BBVA Compass honors local nonprofits at 'Building a Better Houston' reception

- Bank recognizes 52 nonprofit grantees during the event

- More than 50 people attend event at BBVA Compass Plaza in Galleria area

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Jan 16, 2014, 03:47 ET

HOUSTON, Jan. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass and the BBVA Compass Foundation hosted a "Building a Better Houston" reception Thursday, honoring 52 of the nonprofit and community partners it teams with to make the city a better place to live and work.

In 2013, some $1.4 million was contributed to Houston's nonprofit community directly from the bank and through the BBVA Compass Foundation and BBVA Compass Charity, the bank's employee giving program. In addition, local employees volunteered more than 8,416 hours of their time.

"BBVA Compass and its employees proudly support a number of local nonprofits and our community partners in Houston," said Mark Montgomery, BBVA Compass Houston city president. "Our support for these organizations is directly linked to our dedication to building better communities across our footprint."

The honorees included:

Accion Texas
Air Alliance Houston
American Red Cross
Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Houston Chapter
AVANCE Houston
Avenue CDC
Bering Omega Community Services
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston
Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos
Children's Museum of Houston
Chinese Community Center
Communities In Schools
Community of the Streets Outreach
El Centro de Corazon
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
Greater Houston Partnership Foundation
Holocaust Museum Houston
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
Houston Area Urban League
Houston Community ToolBank
HEA Foundation
Houston Food Bank
Houston Grand Opera Association
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Houston Minority Supplier Development Council
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston Symphony Society
Houston Zoo
Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas
Klein ISD Education Foundation
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Main Street Theatre
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Neighborhood Centers
New Hope Housing
Lemonade Day Houston
Pink Ribbons Project
Project GRAD
Rebuilding Together
Tahirih Justice Center
Teach for America
Texas Medical Center Orchestra
TSU Foundation
The Arc of Greater Houston
The Ensemble Theatre
The Mission of Yahweh
The Summerhouse
The Women's Resource of Greater Houston
Trees of Hope
University of Houston Foundation
Writers in the Schools
YMCA of Greater Houston Area

More than 50 people attended the event at BBVA Compass Plaza. Houston is a key market for BBVA Compass, which is the fourth-largest bank in the city and employs nearly 1,400 people in the area. Receptions also have been held in Birmingham, Ala., and Austin and Laredo in Texas to celebrate 2013 contributions in those markets.

About BBVA Group

BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared toward high-growth markets and relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at www.bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 687 branches, including 351 in Texas, 90 in Alabama, 78 in Arizona, 64 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 21 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration and was recently awarded the 2013 Celent Model Bank Award for its new core banking platform. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com.