Synovus unveils ‘Here Matters’ outreach effort in banking communities

Synovus Financial Corp. has introduced “Here Matters,” the company’s refreshed community outreach program for the 28 locally branded banks it operates across its five-state footprint.

The regional bank said Here Matters will focus the outreach efforts of the company and its employees on three areas of local community service — education, needs-based opportunities, and health and wellness.

“The best way to ensure the long-term growth of our bank is to help ensure the growth of the communities where we operate,” Kessel Stelling, Synovus chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “That means more than taking deposits, providing loans or earning the right to do the next transaction. It also means serving with our time and talent. Here Matters builds on Synovus’ century-plus legacy of service to all the communities in which we operate as the bank of here.”

The Here Matters name, areas of focus, and program details were determined by Synovus team members from across the company, the bank said. Specific projects and initiatives will be identified by Synovus banks and team members in local communities. The outreach program’s projects will be reported to a dedicated page on the Synovus’ intranet site, and program data will be included in the company’s community outreach report summary, which made its debut in the firm’s 2015 annual report.

In honor of Memorial Day, Synovus said it will make a financial contribution to a needs-based veterans’ organization. In June, as part of the health and wellness component of Here Matters, the bank’s employees will collect more than 25,000 bottles of water, which will be donated to summer camps, food banks and other local nonprofits for distribution this summer.

Here Matters was preceded by REACH — “Recognizing and Encouraging an Atmosphere of Community and of Hope” — which was rolled out in 1996 to capture the ways Synovus serves communities. #HereMatters projects and photos will be tagged on social media, including Twitter and Facebook.

Synovus, headquartered in downtown Columbus, oversees $29 billion in assets through its 28 divisions, 257 branches and 335 ATMs in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee.

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 8:59 PM with the headline "Synovus unveils ‘Here Matters’ outreach effort in banking communities."