There’s a proverb that says sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. Living in – and working towards – a strong community builds resiliency, multiplies impact and reinforces relationships. This is especially true for a region’s nonprofit organizations, like downtown Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum. They embrace partnerships, like their ongoing work with Bank of the Pacific, as a way of continuing service to local and visiting families.
Like the Hands On Children’s Museum, Bank of the Pacific has a longstanding commitment to its hometown neighbors. They work around the clock to benefit the families and businesses they serve. Both organizations focus on education, family support and working together to keep Western Washington strong.
Building Hands-On Partnerships on Behalf of Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum
CEO Patty Belmonte has been with the museum for 27 years. She explains that “we simply couldn’t offer the breadth of exciting and engaging programming without the support of our generous corporate partners. We are so lucky to live in a community where our regional businesses offer such strong funding for the nonprofit sector. The quality of life in our community is so much better thanks to their investment.”
Hands On Children’s Museum serves more than 300,000 visitors each year with 130,000 of those using a free or discounted admission access program. “Without the community’s generosity,” says Belmonte, “we simply couldn’t offer the array of access programs that make it possible for so many families to visit the Museum.”
Corporate partners do more than simply send a check. By lending their cachet, the Hands On Children’s Museum has been able to leverage gifts from other businesses as well as become more competitive when applying for grants to support their future. “As a result,” Belmonte says, “we encourage our members and visitors to support the businesses that really show up in our community and make the investments in families.”
Bank of the Pacific employees also give their time. “We have wonderful board members from Bank of the Pacific and other businesses,” says Belmonte, “who offer leadership and subject matter expertise that the Museum simply couldn’t get without these generous volunteers.”
Long-standing Friendships and Commercial Partnerships Keep the Community Strong
For Bank of the Pacific, working with respected, enduring groups like the Hands On Children’s Museum is a natural fit. From their founding, the goal was to provide great personal service, make decisions locally and be active and supportive in their communities.
Senior Vice President and Commercial Team Leader Lindsay Paylor has been with Bank of the Pacific for 15 years. She explains that the bank has been a Hands On Children’s Museum sponsor for the last five years and chose to work with them because of their longstanding place within the community.
The bank sponsors Hands On Children’s Museum’s annual Summer Splash! Gala, says Paylor, and they appreciate their mission and outreach as a whole. “Having programs that bring cultural experiences through arts, STEM and fun and allowing access to all, regardless of social economic status, is a community benefit,” she adds.
Bank of the Pacific prides itself on not only financial contributions but also encourages its employees to donate time and board involvement. The partnership with the museum allows Paylor to fulfill her own personal philanthropic needs as well.
“The Bank likes to work with nonprofits and other organizations that make a difference and a positive impact in the communities that we serve,” says Paylor. “We are proud to partner with Hands On Children’s Museum.”
Bank of the Pacific: Working, Volunteering, Building and Growing Together
If you’re looking for a financial institution as devoted to your hometown as you are, check out Bank of the Pacific. They offer personal and business banking, home loans and educational tools for every stage of your journey. With 18 branches in Western Washington and Northern Oregon, it’s always easy to bank close to home.
To spread the wealth and help future generations grow, consider joining the Hands On Children’s Museum Leadership Circle, become a corporate member, sponsor an exhibit or program or buy a fish or frog to honor a loved one. You can also donate directly by calling 360.956.0818 extension 151 or make HOCM the recipient of your Washington State Combined Fund Drive donations.
Like the proverb says, we’re unbreakable when we work together. The same is true for our donations. You may think your contributions are small or insignificant, but if we all pledge a little, it adds up to year-round fun – and learning – for generations of children, and that’s a truly hands-on foundation for a strong community.
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