Be Community Kind: Liberty Bank of Middletown, CT’s Incredible Volunteer Engagement
Liberty Bank, founded in 1825, is the oldest and largest mutual bank in the United States, with over $8 billion in assets and 56 banking offices across Connecticut and two in Massachusetts. Since the inception of Liberty Bank Foundation in 1997, the bank has awarded more than $20 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout its service area.
The bank’s mission is centered on enhancing the lives of its customers, teammates, and communities. Through its charitable foundation, teammate volunteerism, and corporate sponsorships, Liberty Bank invests significantly in the community.
The company achieved 100% volunteer engagement rate in 2024 and featured in the 2025 CSR Industry Report. We interviewed Toral Maher, Foundation Manager & Executive Director, to learn how Liberty Bank attained such impressive results.
How does Liberty Bank’s volunteer program align with your brand promise to “Be Community Kind”, and what strategies have you implemented to achieve such high participation rates?
Our brand promise, to Be Community Kind, underscores our dedication to making a positive impact in the communities we serve.
From the very first day of joining Liberty Bank, each of our teammates is given the benefit of 30 hours of paid time off to volunteer for causes that they are passionate about. This unique perk not only allows us to support our communities but also empowers each of our teammates to make a difference in areas that matter most to them.
In 2024, we achieved record breaking results, with a 100% participation rate in volunteer activities – logging over 16,000 hours. This outstanding accomplishment is a testament to the dedication, enthusiasm, and true spirit of giving back that defines Team Liberty.
To maintain such high levels of engagement, we continuously strive to provide diverse and meaningful opportunities for everyone to contribute. Whether it’s participating in local projects organized by our foundation staff or joining in-house activities on site, there’s always a way for each teammate to get involved and make a positive impact.
Can you elaborate on the corporate giving programs and grants offered by Liberty Bank, and how do you ensure these initiatives align with employee interests and community needs?
Liberty Bank’s corporate giving programs and grants are designed to align with both teammate interests and community needs. We support nearly $4,000,000 in local sponsorships and foundation grants to local nonprofits. Grants are primarily focused on areas such as education, affordable housing, and food insecurity, addressing some of the most pressing issues in our communities.
Employee engagement and volunteerism play a role in determining the organizations we support. This ensures that the bank is supporting organizations and causes that resonate with the interests of our teammates. For us, it’s about more than just writing a check – it’s about showing up for our communities, every day.
How do you address the challenges of engaging employees who may find it more difficult to step away from their work in volunteer activities, and what specific strategies have proven effective?
With more than 800 teammates, we’re always thinking about ways to make volunteerism fun and accessible. We understand that finding time to volunteer can be challenging, but we believe in the importance of giving back to our community and have created several opportunities to make it easier for everyone.
Firstly, we are committed to sending resources to our teammates so they can be involved in volunteer activities remotely. This allows everyone to contribute, regardless of their location. Additionally, we provide opportunities right here in-house at our headquarters, ensuring that those who prefer to volunteer on-site have ample opportunities to do so. For example, in September we hosted “Soups on Us,” a company-wide competitive soup drive for our local pantries. A little friendly competition for a good cause goes a long way.
To further integrate volunteering into our work culture, we have built these activities into our work schedules. This means that teammates can make a difference without needing to find extra time outside of their work commitments. Recognizing that our teammates lead busy lives outside of work, all teammates enjoy the benefit of paid time off to volunteer during their workday. We also encourage everyone to log their volunteer activities, even if these are done outside of work hours. This helps us recognize and celebrate the efforts of all our employees.
A recent highlight was our all-employee Bike Build on World Kindness Day. On this special day, Liberty Bank shut down all offices for a bank-wide volunteer activity. Teammates gathered to build bikes for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford.
What methods do you use to track and report the impact of your volunteer program, and how do you communicate this impact to stakeholders?
Liberty Bank tracks and reports the impact of its volunteer program through various methods, including the product of an Impact Report, which highlights our organization’s impact on our customers, teammates, and communities. Teammates have embraced the YourCause platform to track and report their individual volunteer activities, in addition to registering for bank-sponsored initiatives, allowing us to capture a holistic view of our collective community impact.
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