Voting has begun for Bangor Savings Bank’s Community Matters More

BANGOR — The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation has started its annual grant-making initiative Community Matters More. Through this charitable program, one of Maine’s largest independent banks offers all Maine residents the opportunity to weigh in on how best to allocate $100,000 the bank has pledged to give to 68 Maine nonprofit organizations. The voting period ends Monday, Feb. 29 — with winners announced in April.

Voting can be done at www.bangor.com/cmm. Paper ballots are also available at any of the 57 Bangor Savings Bank branches statewide, and at each of the participating nonprofits. In 2015, Mainers voted for 3,323 unique nonprofits, with every county in the state represented.

Since its inception, Community Matters More has provided nearly $800,000 in total grants to hundreds of Maine nonprofits. “This is our ninth year of Community Matters More, a unique program that supports all types and sizes of nonprofit organizations in Maine,” said Bob Montgomery-Rice, president of Bangor Savings Bank. “We continue to be impressed by the large number of Mainers who take the time to vote and share their enthusiastic support of community nonprofits.”

Each of the 48 nonprofits listed on the ballot will receive at least a $1,000 grant for participating in the program, and the top 20 write-ins that get the most public support will also receive a grant from the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation. The top vote-getting organization in each of the eight regions (including write-ins) will receive $5,000.