The 2015 Community Impact Awards: Business of the Year | Small Firms

WINNER

Pacific Continental Bank
Seattle

Pacific Continental Bank specializes in nonprofits, a category of client that few banks pursue, even though nonprofits have a big impact on their communities.

They [nonprofits] are actually pretty heavy depositors, says VP/Marketing Director Amy Delaney, so we can turn around and lend to other industries that are more credit heavy, like health care.

Pacific Continental, which also serves professional service providers, community businesses, and dental and medical professionals, has 21 employees at its offices in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma. While its presence in Washington is small, its influence is large. It partners with the University of Washingtons Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute, a six-day professional development program for nonprofit managers, and also helps nonprofit clients operate more efficiently by providing regular white papers and educational seminars on topics such as legacy giving.

In keeping with this focus on nonprofits, Pacific Continental grants each of its bankers up to 40 hours of paid time off annually for volunteer work. CEO Roger Busse calls it an investment in the places we work and the people we hire [because] supporting your people and your community isnt just good policy. Its good business. Last year, staff members donated more than 600 volunteer hours to more than 30 organizations in the Puget Sound region.

SILVER AWARD

Windermere Real Estate
Seattle

Family-owned Windermere Real Estate has a network of 7,000 agents across the western United States who have provided more than 1.5 million hours of community service. The Windermere Foundation also donates a portion of the proceeds from every sale to support low-income and homeless families. Since 1989, the foundation has donated $28 million to more than 430 nonprofit and community organizations.

CFO Selections LLC
Bellevue

Since 2007, CFO Selections, which provides financial and accounting staff to clients on an interim or permanent basis, has provided nearly $2 million in pro bono and discounted services to organizations in the Pacific Northwest as well as $350,000 in grants, through its CFOS Foundation. Children in foster care are a special focus, but the firm supports employees in charitable activities of their choice and also reserves funds for crisis situations, such as the earthquake in Nepal earlier this year.