Climbing 10 spots from last year, Washington Trust ranked #10 in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s annual largest corporate philanthropists in Washington list. Washington Trust joins other notable Washington companies in the top 10, including Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, and Costco.
While the honor highlights the scale of our corporate giving, it only tells part of the story. For us, corporate giving isn’t about a number — it’s about how we show up in the communities we serve.
Our approach
Since opening our doors in 1902, the communities we serve have been our passion. From helping local businesses meet their goals to volunteering in the community, we’re passionate about making an impact.
Volunteerism.
Washington Trust employees take pride in making a difference; in many ways they don’t need to be encouraged to volunteer, it’s part of our culture and why they joined the Bank. Crew in Blue is our employee-led volunteer initiative that organizes volunteers and opportunities throughout our footprint. With a motto of “Serve, Support, and Enrich,” the group keeps corporate citizenship and community involvement at the core of our values.
Partnerships.
Whether a matching savings program at a high school for teen moms, a decades long commitment to providing a home-away-from-home for families traveling for medical care, or being a part of iconic community events, Washington Trust partners with organizations across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon to help local communities thrive. We invest in our communities through sponsorship and volunteer opportunities with a focus area on supporting community development and economic sustainability within underserved areas, alongside trusted partnerships with nonprofit organizations throughout the region.
Financial contributions.
It’s not always about money, but sometimes the big check helps a lot. In 2025, Washington Trust donated more than $3.8 million to organizations across the Inland Northwest, supporting their missions of affordable housing, community services, economic development, and community revitalization. Those investments are part of our broader approach to corporate philanthropy and social impact — supporting work that creates lasting opportunity in the communities we serve. This support ranges from a program in Spokane that ensures students have food over the weekend during the school year to community land trusts in the Puget Sound region to an employment readiness program for youth in southern Idaho.
Community engagement across the Northwest
Community engagement across the Northwest is one of the clearest ways our values come to life. Sometimes that looks like practical support — like fraud-prevention education for seniors in Spokane or financial literacy programs for students in Idaho. Other times, it means showing up through local partnerships, from affordable housing efforts in Oregon to non-profit outreach in Southwest Washington after opening our Vancouver Financial Center. However it takes shape, the focus stays the same: building trust, creating opportunity, and helping local communities thrive through lasting community engagement.
That work can be seen in partnerships with organizations like Junior Achievement of Idaho, support for groups working to strengthen Downtown Portland, and hands-on outreach that helps people access housing, education, and financial guidance. It’s the same spirit behind so much of what we do across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon: not just giving back, but staying connected to the people and places that make this region home.
Community impact
Community impact looks a little different in every market we serve, but the goal is always the same: show up in meaningful ways and help strengthen local communities. In 2024, Washington Trust supported 394 organizations and causes through 463 sponsorships and events, while employees volunteer time contributed 2,452 hours to 155 organizations across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. We also continued to invest through our Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) efforts, making 105 CRA-qualified donations, with 525 employees contributing 3,992 service hours to support 170 organizations across the Northwest.
That support takes many forms — from affordable housing grants in Oregon and outreach in Southwest Washington to financial literacy programs in Idaho and fraud-prevention education for seniors in Spokane. We also expanded our focus on equitable lending and underserved communities with the formation of a dedicated Community Lending Team and support for housing-focused partnerships like Habitat for Humanity. It all reflects the same belief that has guided Washington Trust for more than a century: when we invest in people, neighborhoods, and local organizations, entire communities benefit.
A lasting commitment to community impact
Corporate giving at Washington Trust goes far beyond financial contributions — it's a comprehensive approach that includes participation in grant programs, employee volunteering, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations to create impact. As part of our commitment to the communities we serve, we continuously explore new types of corporate giving programs, from matching gifts to in-kind donations, that strengthen community engagement across the Northwest. By aligning our focus areas with real community needs, we aim to deliver meaningful, measurable community impact that benefits everyone. Discover how our approach to corporate philanthropy programs is making a difference and how to get involved on our Community page.