Santander Awards Over $3.1 Million in New Charitable Grants to Leading Community Organizations

Close to 40% of Dollars Donated Support Financial Education Programs in Low- and Moderate-Income Communities

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Jun 21, 2016, 11:31 ET

BOSTON, June 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander Bank today announced it has awarded more than $3.1 million in new grants to 73 organizations located throughout the Bank's Northeastern U.S. footprint. Each year, Santander contributes millions of dollars and thousands of hours in volunteer time to community-based organizations making a measurable difference for underserved individuals and communities.

"The organizations we support reflect our values as a company and provide opportunities that enrich the lives and economic futures of underserved children, young adults and families," said Jerry Plush, Chief Administrative Officer for Santander US. "Part of becoming the best bank in the communities we serve includes embracing the important responsibility we have to drive change and make meaningful contributions where we live and work."

The Bank awards grants three times a year to support initiatives in financial education, neighborhood revitalization, small business development, community services and affordable housing. In this round of funding, the largest percentage of dollars awarded - more than 38% – will support innovative financial education programs for low- and moderate-income teens and young adults, particularly those between the ages of 16 and 24. As part of these programs, Santander employees volunteer to teach money management skills at local schools and non-profit organizations. The company also launched a password-protected, proprietary website where participants can access additional courses and secure online tools to help them set personal financial goals, create savings plans and track their progress.

In 2015, the Bank awarded more than $4.5 million in charitable grants to 286 organizations throughout the Bank's footprint and more than 1,500 employees across the Bank volunteered close to 13,700 hours in support of local non-profit organizations.

For grant application guidelines, please visit the Santander Charitable Contributions Program or send questions to [email protected]. Santander's second and third round of grants in 2016 will be awarded in September and November, respectively.

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country's top retail and commercial banks by deposits and a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A. - one of the most respected banking groups in the world. With its corporate offices in Boston, Santander Bank's more than 670 branches and nearly 2,100 ATMs are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank's 9,400 employees are committed to helping our 2.1 million customers make progress toward their financial goals with the support of our call centers, interactive online banking platform and easy-to-use mobile app. Madrid-based Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) serves more than 117 million customers in the U.K., Europe, Latin America and the U.S. Through its local affiliates, including Santander Bank, Banco Santander is the largest corporate contributor to higher education in the world, investing over $165 million annually in colleges and universities across more than 20 countries, including the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com.