Written by Kaylee Kellogg, Communications Intern

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“We help low- to moderate-income community members access the bank and work with those servicing the community through financial education, specialized products, access to business capital and providing grant and sponsorship dollars.”

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When most people hear PNC Bank, they probably think of a bank that offers financial services and financial products for people and companies. While this is in general what PNC Bank is all about, they also have a division that focuses on local communities they serve: PNC’s Community Development Banking. Jason Paulateer, Vice President and Market Manager of Michigan’s PNC Community Development Banking, explains that the Community Development Banking division “focuses on providing access to financial services to the entire community and focusing on the low-income community. We help low- to moderate-income community members access the bank and work with those servicing the community through financial education, specialized products, access to business capital and providing grant and sponsorship dollars.”

PNC’s Community Development Banking in Michigan focuses on leveraging bank resources in order to make them more accessible and understandable to the community members they serve. Two main focuses on how they do this is through human resources and economic development. On the human resources side, PNC Community Development Banking members provide and promote financial education, work with organizations who promote education and leverage other team members to participate and advocate the bank to the community. With economic development, these members often work with local nonprofits to provide capital debt and equity to construct affordable housing projects, promote community revitalization and community stabilization efforts. They do this through loan, investment and grant dollars to groups looking to help low- to moderate-income people improve their conditions.

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In the field, day-to-day battle against things happening in Michigan, it’s important that we tell the truth of the story that people are facing on a local level.”

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When asked if Michigan faced any unique issues, Paulateer said that the answer was no. Many of the issues Michigan communities face are not unique – what Paulateer says is unique is that the issues in Michigan communities tends to end up on a bigger stage. “In the field, day-to-day battle against things happening in Michigan, it’s important that we tell the truth of the story that people are facing on a local level. Our problems aren’t unique […]” Issues from financial challenges and budgeting, affordable housing and water crises are happening all across this country, but Michigan is taking the main stage and representing them on a larger scale. Since this is the case, Michigan communities’ supports must approach these issues while knowing that many others are watching.

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“Paulateer says he wants to make sure the people he’s helping see ‘low-income housing as a stepping stone rather than a landing place,’ and wants to help see them into homes where families can build a life in.”

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Paulateer also mentions that he feels it is so important for large corporations to support the communities that they are serving, and how on each level the needs and passions are different, yet complimentary. When speaking on PNC, Paulateer says that their largest focuses are on early childhood development and economic development. Through these initiatives, PNC has created the Grow Up Great program, which has put millions of dollars into helping young children get prepared for kindergarten, as well as supporting their parents through developing the communities they grow up in. Michigan’s PNC Community Development Banking division shares this goal, and in particular want to “support the parents of those kids that would be directly impacted by this statistic.” This means economic development through financial services that the bank could offer these families, such as banking services, a loan for a home or helping them start a business. Then, there is Paulateer’s personal goal in serving the community – graduating people out of affordable or low-income housing and into homes for a lifetime. Paulateer says he wants to make sure the people he’s helping see “low-income housing as a stepping stone rather than a landing place,” and wants to help see them into homes where families can build a life in.

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“In our industry, I think that reducing or decreasing the unbanked and underbanked population is our ultimate goal. We want people to feel comfortable using the bank, working with the bank and accessing the bank that might not have done so otherwise.”

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Paulateer expresses that he believes success in this particular industry is based on how many people they are able to serve, as well as what the impact of that service is. “In our industry, I think that reducing or decreasing the unbanked and underbanked population is our ultimate goal. We want people to feel comfortable using the bank, working with the bank and accessing the bank that might not have done so otherwise.” There are reports stating that the unbanked don’t have access to banks, they believe they don’t have access to banks or they are uncomfortable turning to the bank for help. “We try to break down those barriers,” says Paulateer, and they try to help as many community members as possible in the process.

Learn more about PNC’s Community Development Banking divisions at www.pnc/communitydevelopment or contact Jason Paulateer at jason.paulateer@pnc.com.

Membership Spotlight are blogs highlighting the great work that our member organizations do within their communities. If you are a CEDAM member and would like to be featured, please contact Lisa Assenmacher at lisa@cedamichigan.org.