Santander US Awards More than $14.8 Million in Charitable Grants in 2019

BOSTON, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander US ("Santander") announced a total commitment of more than $14.8 million in charitable giving in 2019 across the United States, including $11.5 million from Santander Bank, N.A., $800,000 through Santander's Universities program,  $2.19 million through the Santander Consumer USA Inc. Foundation, and more than $385,000 from Banco Santander Puerto Rico.

"Santander continues to invest in the communities we serve through our charitable giving," said Tim Wennes, Santander US Chief Executive Officer. "Our charitable giving approach is focused on helping people and businesses prosper, and we recognize the value that financial support provides to the non-profit organizations working to make a difference in the communities we serve."  

Santander's charitable giving across the United States focuses on non-profit organizations that drive prosperity in three key areas: financial empowerment, small business and entrepreneurship, and affordable housing and healthy communities. "Santander has identified these areas as key needs of the communities where we live and work," said Seth Goodall, Santander's Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility. "The organizations we support through grants are able to provide services, programming and resources in these areas to create change in the lives of individuals and families in our communities, which ultimately makes our communities stronger."

Santander Bank awarded $11.5 million to 336 organizations across two grant cycles in its northeast footprint. The second cycle concluded in October and awarded $6.2 million to 179 organizations supporting low- to moderate-income communities:

• $1.95 million to 63 organizations focused on financial empowerment programming for financial education, workforce development and career readiness
• $927,000 to 26 organizations supporting entrepreneurship and small business through technical assistance, mentoring, educational programming and capital seed grants
• $2.35 million to 90 organizations that improve the quality of life and neighborhoods through support for affordable housing and healthy communities
• $1.01 million in Year Two grants supporting 13 Community Development Financial Institutions ("CDFI") as part of the Bank's three year, $3 million CDFI Initiative

Santander Universities, a program focused on supporting higher education, conducted a pilot program in 2019 that included $800,000 in gifts to 17 universities, colleges and community colleges across the United States to fund scholarships and programming for first-generation, entrepreneurial students. The grants will provide workshops, internships, course tuition, mentoring and project funding for more than 300 eligible students.

Santander Consumer, headquartered in Dallas, contributed to Santander's overall charitable giving through the Santander Consumer USA Inc. Foundation ("the Foundation"), awarding a total of $2.19 million to 24 organizations throughout 2019 within Santander Consumer's key employment markets of Dallas, TX, Phoenix/Mesa, AZ, and Denver, CO. The Foundation's awards culminated with a third grant cycle in December, granting $900,000 to nine non-profit organizations.

Banco Santander Puerto Rico is a key contributor to community investment, improvement and higher education in Puerto Rico. In 2019, BSPR provided more than $385,000 in charitable contributions to 73 agencies and institutions of higher education across the island.

To learn more about Santander's charitable giving programs, program eligibility and the application process, please visit:

• Santander Bank and Santander Universities – For non-profits serving low- to moderate-income individuals and communities in the northeast United States, and for non-profit institutions of higher education, including universities, colleges and community colleges, please visit www.santanderbank.com/us/about/charitable-contributions-program
• Santander Consumer USA Inc. Foundation – For non-profits focused on underserved communities in the greater communities of Dallas, TX, Phoenix/Mesa, AZ, and Denver, CO, please visit www.santanderconsumerusa.com/our-company/foundation
• Banco Puerto Rico Santander – For non-profits focused on low- to moderate individuals and communities in Puerto Rico please visit www.santander.pr

About Santander Holdings USA, Inc.
Santander Holdings USA, Inc. (SHUSA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) (Santander), one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.K., Europe, Latin America and the U.S.  As the intermediate holding company for Santander's U.S. businesses, SHUSA includes five financial companies with more than 17,500 employees, 5.2 million customers and assets of over $144.8 billion. These include Santander Bank, N.A., one of the country's largest retail and commercial banks by deposits; Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC), an auto finance and consumer lending company; Banco Santander International of Miami;

Banco Santander Puerto Rico and Santander Securities LLC; and Santander Investment Securities Inc. For more information about Santander Bank, visit www.santanderbank.com.  For more information about Santander Consumer USA Inc., visit www.santanderconsumerusa.com

Media Contacts:       
Laurie Kight
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Nancy Orlando
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SOURCE Santander Holdings USA, Inc.