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June 20, 2007
 
Kennebunk Savings Bank Customers Vote for their Favorite Nonprofit Organizations

KENNEBUNK – Each year since 1995 Kennebunk Savings Bank has asked its customers to help with its philanthropy by voting for a charity of their choice in the annual Community Investment Ballot program.

This year when the bank sent out ballots to all of their customers, over 5,000 customers of Kennebunk Savings Bank, Morris Insurance and Kennebunk Financial Services responded. And now hundreds of area non-profit and charitable organizations will begin receiving surprise checks with unsolicited funds from Kennebunk Savings based on the number of votes that organization received. Some organizations will use the funds for day-to-day activities, others will earmark the funds for special projects to meet particular needs. All totaled, these unsolicited contributions will add up to well over $120,000, with twenty area non-profits receiving unsolicited grants of over $1,000.

This year, again, the Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk was the biggest vote-getter, with 482 votes. When Paul Wolf, John Gurski and Dave Moravick delivered the check to the Animal Welfare Society, the Animal Welfare Society group was delighted. Steve Jacobsen, Animal Welfare Society Executive Director commented, “This is a great gift for us at a great time, when we’re facing increased costs and hundreds of mouths to feed, so every contribution helps.”


Back row left: Paul Wolf, John Gurski of Kennebunk Financial Services, at the presenting of the 2007 Community Investment Ballot check to Animal Welfare Society Executive Director, Steve Jacobsen, back row, right and Dave Moravick, VP of Kennebunk Savings’ Morris Insurance, photographed along with the Animal Welfare Society staff and four-legged residents of the Animal Welfare Society.

Other checks will be mailed to unsuspecting organizations who were write-in candidates. “The most fun we have is calling a non-profit to tell them there is something we have for them and then bringing out the check in person,” says Heather Harris, Assistant Vice President for Community Relations. The amount of every check is carefully calculated to reflect the overall amount allocated for the program and the exact number of votes they received from our customers. “And yes,” notes Harris, “we do open and hand count the vote of every ballot received!”

Officers of Kennebunk Savings Bank and its subsidiaries are already planning their personal visits to local organizations to hand-deliver these grant checks. Some of this year’s other top vote-getters include York Hospital, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of York County, York Land Trust, Hospice of Southern Maine, the Animal Welfare Society and Another Chance Animal Rescue.

Ken Reed, President and CEO said of the ballot program, “We strongly believe that community banks have a responsibility to give back to their communities. Our policy is to give 10% of our annual earnings to non-profits and charities of York County and the ballot is only a part of our Community Investment Program. The Community Investment Ballot is a special program, however, because it gives our customers a chance to direct contributions to organizations they deem the most important.”

Over fourteen years ago Kennebunk Savings Bank pledged to return 10% of its annual earnings to non-profit and charitable groups throughout York County. Since then, the Bank has contributed over $5 million to charitable and non-profit organizations throughout York County.

For more information contact:

Heather Harris
Community Relations Officer
Kennebunk Savings Bank
1-800-339-6573