{"id":262508,"date":"2025-09-30T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/?p=262508"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:56:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T20:56:36","slug":"ncrc-and-umb-financial-corporation-announce-multibillion-dollar-community-benefits-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/ncrc-and-umb-financial-corporation-announce-multibillion-dollar-community-benefits-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"NCRC and UMB Financial Corporation Announce Multibillion-dollar Community Benefits Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>National Community Reinvestment Coalition<\/span><\/a> (NCRC) and <\/span>UMB Financial Corporation<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Nasdaq: UMBF) announced today UMB\u2019s plan to contribute approximately $5 billion in loans, investments and other financial support to provide greater economic opportunity for small businesses, low- and moderate-income (LMI) families and communities, and people and communities of color. The bank\u2019s five-year Community Benefits Plan was developed in conjunction with UMB\u2019s acquisition of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (Heartland Financial) and will be in effect from 2026 through 2030.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“This $5 billion commitment is a big win for historically marginalized communities across UMB’s operating footprint,” <\/span>said Jesse Van Tol, President and CEO of NCRC. <\/span><\/b>“UMB’s staff were eager, curious and thoughtful partners in the conversations with our members that shaped this plan. Thanks to that local knowledge, this isn’t just money — it’s <\/span>smart <\/span><\/i>money, primed to route efficiently to the highest-impact activities that community leaders helped UMB identify, with ongoing relationships and conversations to ensure we maximize outcomes over the duration of the plan.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2016, NCRC has facilitated <\/span>more than 30 community benefits plans<\/span><\/a> with bank groups that committed nearly $600 billion for mortgage, small business and community development lending, investments and philanthropy in LMI and under-resourced communities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This plan represents significant investments in communities the bank currently serves as well as those it has expanded into through its acquisition of Heartland Financial.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor more than a century, UMB has maintained a commitment to the prosperity of each community we serve,\u201d<\/span> said Mariner Kemper, chairman and chief executive officer, UMB Financial Corporation.<\/strong> \u201cMore than ever, regional financial institutions are critical contributors to local economies and have become increasingly important in supporting community growth and stability. This plan is an extension and expansion of work that is an ingrained part of our business, and we\u2019re excited to continue our service and partnership across our now 13-state footprint.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To inform this plan, members of UMB\u2019s leadership team met with NCRC and its member organizations in the bank\u2019s markets to identify pressing needs and consider how UMB can help increase the flow of capital to historically underserved communities. UMB will continue to work with NCRC and its members, other community groups and public officials to address these existing and emerging needs in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUMB\u2019s plan invests directly in entrepreneurs and the organizations serving our most underserved communities,\u201d said Gabriel Munoz, Founder and Executive Director of The Toolbox: Small Business Resource Center in Kansas City, which co-signed the plan. \u201cBy expanding small business lending and supporting organizations led by people of color, they are opening doors for more entrepreneurs to succeed, no matter their starting point. This is the kind of commitment that fuels small business growth and drives lasting economic change.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Metro Milwaukee Fair Housing Council is excited that UMB’s commitment will leverage their merger to provide increased financial services to everyone within their footprint,\u201d said Bethany Sanchez, Senior Administrator of Metro Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, another co-signer of the new plan. \u201cWe look forward to helping the bank connect with people of color who can access UMB’s new Special Purpose Credit Program, facilitating the homeownership dreams of those who had previously been shut out of the homeowner market.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Community benefits plans are a cornerstone of NCRC\u2019s work to increase the flow of private capital into underserved and under-resourced communities and communities of color to end the racial wealth divide. The agreements depend on dialogue between banks, community organizations and local reinvestment coalitions to identify local priorities and strategies to address them. This dialogue continues after an agreement is established through community councils set up to advise on implementation and to monitor bank performance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UMB\u2019s plan addresses key areas of need identified during its meetings with community leaders, including:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n