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For Your Life June 21, 2023

How Old National Bank ‘Pays it Forward’ Through Community ACE Teams

Collaboration is one of Old National’s six core values, one which our ACE Team members truly takes to heart. ACE (Associate Community Engagement) Teams are comprised of team members in each of our markets, more than 30 teams in all, who collaborate to activate community partnerships and initiatives. They serve as ambassadors of Old National programs and projects, as well as those in our local communities.

Pay It Forward

ONB’s ACE Teams take the lead in organizing and implementing annual Pay It Forward projects to deliver acts of kindness in their respective markets. Each team is given $500 to activate their projects. Some teams also conduct additional fundraisers to support and donate to their community organizations and initiatives.

The following are just a few examples of Pay It Forward projects executed by our ACE Teams throughout the ONB footprint in recent years:

  • Community Gardens – Indianapolis
    Team members in our Indianapolis market partnered with three community gardens to help make the area greener and more food stable. They secured donations to purchase starter plants and other supplies, and the project concluded with a volunteer workday at Indy Urban Acres where ONB volunteers planted 16 rows of kale.
  • FoodShare Campaign -- Minnesota
    The largest grassroots food and fund drive in Minnesota was the focus for team members in that market. The Minnesota FoodShare campaign is a collaborative effort to restock the food shelves in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area. Throughout March of 2022, ONB banking centers in Minnesota collected donations and supplies for participating food shelf organizations. The ACE Team coordinated with banking centers to help them choose their food shelf partner and then provided all the support and structure needed to run and manage the campaign. At the conclusion, nearly 8,000 items were collected from team members and clients along with $2,200 in cash donations.
  • Diaper Drive -- Central Michigan
    Team members in Central Michigan partnered with SOS Community Services, a nonprofit organization that provides support to families and youth. Diapers are always in demand by the clients they serve, and 1 in 3 area families in the area can’t afford to buy diapers regularly. The ACE Team organized a two-week diaper drive which generated donations from ONB team members and clients. They collected a total of 4,648 diapers and 956 wipes. Following the diaper drive, team members conducted a workday at SOS Community Services where they transformed an old storage room into a diaper pantry and stocked it with their new supplies.
  • Child Abuse Prevention Month -- Wisconsin Southeast
    Team members located from Milwaukee to Janesville, Wis., aligned with three area nonprofits to help raise awareness and funding for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. ONB partnered with Kids Matter, Inc, Tree House Child and Family Center and CASA of Rock County. Team members decorated the five local banking centers with blue pinwheels, the national symbol for child abuse prevention, to generate awareness. Team members also conducted weekly fundraisers throughout the month and donated over $1,000 to their partner organizations to support the cause.

“It’s really rewarding to give back to the community through our Pay It Forward projects,” said Casey Merkwan, Community Marketing and Communications Manager, who oversees the Minnesota ACE Team. “Our team members always go above and beyond to make the projects successful and impactful, and our local nonprofit organizations are so appreciative. It’s really a great partnership.”

At Old National, being a trusted partner goes well beyond offering a checking bonus to new checking clients who complete qualifying activities, or having competitive CD rates. We have the heart, culture and DNA of a small community bank. As a premier financial institution, we use our resources to help create thriving local neighborhoods where we live and work.

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