M&T Bank: Partner in Justice and Leader in Corporate Social Responsibility
M&T Bank’s Eastern MA Regional President Grace H. Lee, Esq. accepting the MBF’s 2024 Community Changemaker award, presented by MBF Trustee Tara Dunn Jackson, Esq.
M&T Bank (M&T) is a recent recipient of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation’s Community Changemaker award, which celebrates the outstanding contributions of organizations driving meaningful change across the state in the pursuit of justice and equity. The Foundation honored M&T Bank with the award at its 60th Anniversary Gala last November in recognition of the bank’s commitment to advancing economic empowerment, inclusivity, and social impact. For over 150 years, M&T has provided quality, community-minded financial services.
Originally founded in Buffalo, New York in 1856, M&T Bank has grown exponentially. As of publication, they have 950 stand-alone branches, including 64 in Massachusetts. This number does not include ATMs. For many, M&T is a reliable institution for everything from savings accounts to mortgages and investments, but the bank is more than a trusted financial partner. It is also a trusted community partner through its Charitable Foundation, the official site of the bank’s philanthropic work since 1993.
Joel Jaquez, Senior Regional Program Officer of the M&T Charitable Foundation in Eastern Massachusetts, highlighted the bank’s dedication to community service, one of its core values.
“We seek to be accessible and responsive to the communities we serve, meeting needs locally and centering on all people in everything we do,” said Jaquez. “By investing in initiatives that support financial well-being, education, workforce development and community reinvestment, we are helping to create positive change.”
M&T Bank goes above and beyond to expand access to opportunity and encourage societal progress. In keeping with this philosophy, the bank has championed access to justice as a Safe Harbor Institution. Safe Harbor Institutions maximize the interest rates they set for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA). The Massachusetts Bar Foundation receives and distributes IOLTA funds to community-based legal aid programs, witnessing firsthand the importance of maintaining this vital funding.
M&T Bank also sets a strong example of how financial institutions can support legal aid initiatives in other ways. “Through the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation’s Amplify Fund, we have supported organizations that uplift low- and moderate-income communities,” Jaquez said. “This work removes barriers to justice by addressing financial inequities and empowering communities to help ensure access to legal and financial tools they need.”
“The nonprofit organizations we support are centered around improving financial health and resiliency, wealth building, and providing opportunities that are eliminating barriers, paving sustainable economic pathways and promoting economic empowerment in communities,” he continued. “By supporting community partners and organizations like the Mass. Bar Foundation and investing in community development initiatives, financial institutions can play a vital role in increasing access to justice and financial resources.”
M&T Bank takes a well-rounded approach to banking and customer support, proving that private institutions have a substantial ability to uplift the people they serve. As the bank has grown, it has continued to thoughtfully seek opportunities to improve lives in the diverse communities where it operates.
“We take very intentional steps to expand access to resources and programs, help amplify local efforts, and respond with empathy and purpose,” said Jaquez.
In Massachusetts, that means maintaining the powerful practice of community giving and employee volunteerism. “In 2024 alone, The M&T Charitable Foundation awarded nearly $4.5 million in grants across Massachusetts,” said Jaquez. “That same year, our Massachusetts employees served 7,302 volunteer hours with an economic impact of $244.5K. These efforts reflect our belief that real change happens when we invest in people, listen to our communities and work together.”
M&T’s legacy of community investment is alive and well here in Massachusetts. The bank has built meaningful partnerships with a wide range of nonprofits, acknowledging the value of countless organizations that strengthen the Commonwealth.
The M&T Charitable Foundation supports changemakers working across diverse fields, including civic affairs, human services, education, healthcare, and the arts. “We are the longtime partner of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and support many other organizations including Jane Doe Inc, The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, The Essex County Community Foundation, and Northeast Arc,” said Jaquez. “We are also the proud sponsor of the Pan Mass Challenge supporting its mission of raising money for life-saving cancer care and research.”
Since 1856, M&T Bank has grown from 13 founding stockholders forging a new path for banking in Buffalo to a comprehensive financial service provider managing $208 billion in assets. M&T has cemented its position in East Coast communities along with its longstanding tradition of helping all people thrive. “As needs evolve in the communities we serve, so do we,” Jaquez said. “We walk alongside our community partners to see what they are seeing in their neighborhoods and hear the experiences of people living in those communities.”
M&T has embraced its social responsibility, and communities, including those in Massachusetts, are better for it. The Massachusetts Bar Foundation applauds M&T Bank for its commitment to advancing opportunity and justice for all.