BELOIT — Committed to helping its customer and community families during the global pandemic, First National Bank and Trust (FNBT) donated nearly $70,000 in COVID-19 specific programs in 2020 to support area non-profit organizations through several initiatives aimed at supporting individuals in need.

In March, FNBT was one of the first businesses to step up to donate $10,000 to the United Way’s COVID-19 Action Fund to help the United Way provide flexible resources to nonprofit programs in Rock County and northern Winnebago County that directly support vulnerable residents and families in the community.

FNBT participated in two grant programs in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB). The FHLB offered grants for COVID-19 Relief to member institutions and the communities they serve. In June, FNBT applied for the COVID-19 Relief Grant to support 20 neighborhood small businesses and nonprofits throughout the bank’s communities, each with $1,000. Later, the bank matched a second grant from the FHLB for the Targeted Impact Grant to benefit four area organizations. ACTS Housing, Habitat for Humanity of Green County, NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region and YWCA Rock County were the recipients of the $35,000 grant in Sept.

An Employee Directed Donation campaign in July provided FNBT employees an opportunity to select area organizations for the bank to support during this challenging time. A total of $2,500 was donated to more than 50 non-profit agencies through this initiative.

“Each of these programs provided critical support to our communities during a very difficult year,” said David McCoy, President and Chief Executive Officer of FNBT. “I could not be more proud of our employee family. The commitment to our local businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program and support of individual financial needs of varying levels; the commitment to each other during the bank’s core and digital system upgrade; as well as the commitment to our community family through giving and continued volunteerism shows that we live up to our mission of treating others like family. It has been a difficult year for everyone, but FNBT continues to do the right thing to help everyone succeed.”

For more information about FNBT’s commitment to its community family, visit www.bankatfirstnational.com/about-us to view the bank’s Community Report.