Santander Bank Rallies Behind National Small Business Week With Events, Promotions and a $25,000 Donation to Leading Non-Profit 'Entrepreneurship for All'

BOSTON, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander Bank kicked off National Small Business Week today by making a $25,000 donation to Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), a Lawrence, MA-based non-profit organization that mentors entrepreneurs and fosters small business growth in underserved mid-sized cities. Santander executives, officials from EforAll and more than 300 team members from Santander's Business Banking division gathered today at the Seaport's Westin Hotel for a check presentation and celebratory rally where colleagues shared effective strategies for helping support their small business clients, recognize top performers and gear up for the Bank's 'Small Business Month,' which will include a series of activities dedicated to supporting small business owners.

"At Santander, we're turning the U.S. Small Business Administration's 'National Small Business Week' into a month-long celebration," said Amir Madjlessi, Santander's Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Business Banking. "EforAll shares our belief that small businesses make considerable positive impact on their local economies and companies like Santander need to pay it forward by rallying around aspiring entrepreneurs. Giving to this exceptional organization is Santander's way of recognizing the importance of supporting small business owners and the contributions they make to their communities."

EforAll will use Santander's $25,000 donation to sponsor four of the organization's Pitch Contests, which will be held in the next year in Lowell, Lawrence, New Bedford and Lynn. EforAll's Pitch Contests provide local startups with forums to present their business ideas and get valuable feedback from industry-expert judges. Contestants practice their presentation skills, learn how to become successful entrepreneurs and have a chance to win money to help fund their new businesses. As part of Santander's sponsorship, leaders from the Bank's Business Banking group will participate on the judging panels.

"The EforAll networks in our cities of Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, New Bedford, and Lynn are excited to establish a partnership with Santander," said David Parker, CEO of Entrepreneurship for All.  "Through Santander's support, EforAll will welcome dozens of aspiring entrepreneurs to our pitch contests where they will share their ideas, receive feedback from judges and community members, while having a chance to win thousands in cash prizes to help launch their businesses!"

Also today, Santander is pleased to recognize National Small Business Week by sponsoring the Massachusetts' Small Business Administration's Annual Awards luncheon being held this afternoon at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy, MA. In addition to today's events, Santander will be celebrating National Small Business Week all month long by hosting in-branch rallies and networking events at over 150 of its top small business branches, where small business owners will have the opportunity to meet and discuss best practices. And because Santander is committed to giving back to the communities it serves through volunteerism, the Bank's Business Banking team members will be donating time this month to providing financial education classes and mentoring to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country's largest retail and commercial banks with more than $83 billion in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank's 9,500 employees, 675 branches, 2,100 ATMs and 2.1 million customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) - one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. It is managed by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander's intermediate holding company in the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com. 

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SOURCE Santander Bank, N.A.

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