Mother playing with daughter in living room.

A Commitment to Community

A Part of Something Bigger

Understanding and serving the needs of our associates as well as of the individuals, families, businesses, non-profits, and local municipalities throughout our footprint, has a positive effect that ripples far beyond our own communities. Benefiting not only today’s generations, but tomorrow’s as well.

Community Support

Our company is dedicated to creating measurable impact within the communities we serve – from the picturesque towns nestled within the Finger Lakes region to the vibrant neighborhoods of Buffalo and Rochester, we are engaged.

See Less

Volunteering for incredible non-profits like the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement and GLOW YMCA
Charitable investments in food banks, educational scholarships, and more
The Star Volunteer Program allows employees to give back with one volunteer day, fully paid
Deliver financial advice and education

Charitable Investments & Grants

Five Star Bank is proud to support countless organizations throughout Western New York. We make significant investments through various donations and community sponsorships across our geographic footprint, including:

See Less

Our established a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) budget allows us to make community development focused donations that support our communities
Donations to community action groups
Contributions to agencies providing housing services
Food bank donations
Donations to organizations providing educational scholarships

We are dedicated to empowering individuals and neighborhoods by investing in areas that support affordable housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, and community services targeted to low- to moderate-income individuals and communities.

Grant applications can be submitted to our Community Development Director, Karla J. Gadley at KJGadley@five-starbank.com. Additional eligibility guidelines include:

Tax Exempt Status/501(c) 3
Need for private financial support
An organization may apply no more than once a year

Looking to submit a sponsorship request? Learn more by visiting our Partnerships page.

Download Form

Community Development & Financial Literacy

Five Star Bank’s comprehensive product offerings include several products tailored to meet the needs of the unbanked, underbanked and/or low-to-moderate income individuals (“LMI”).

Access to the right products provide members of our communities with many opportunities.

See Less

The opportunity to conduct basic financial transactions
Save for emergency and long-term security need
Build credit history
Access credit on fair and affordable terms

Our Community Development Director is responsible for identifying Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) qualified community development activities throughout the Bank’s CRA Assessment Area. She cultivates strong relationships with local governments, community leaders, businesses and non-profits; manages the CRA grant intake process; and so much more.

In addition, a team of Community Development Mortgage Loan Officers play an important role in promoting home ownership education and increases access to residential loans and low-cost deposit product opportunities in low-to-moderate (LMI) neighborhoods.

Community Report

Bank on
Certification

Five Star Bank is dedicated to strengthening financial stability in the communities we serve. Our Bank On certified Progress Checking account gives individuals access to safe, simple banking by removing common barriers, like unexpected fees and high minimums, and providing everyone with:

See Less

No monthly service fee and no overdraft fees
Low minimum account balance of $0.01 to avoid closure
Access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide
Easy-to-use digital tools that help with savings and budgeting

For more than 200 years, Five Star Bank has been committed to providing our communities with access to opportunity, trusted support and reliable financial services. We understand that a checking account is a foundational financial building block. It provides individuals and households with the opportunity to conduct financial transactions, save for emergency and long-term needs, build credit history and access credit on fair and affordable terms.

By meeting the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund’s National Account Standards, our Progress Checking account proudly helps more people take a step toward stronger financial futures.