Community Plan Highlights
by Region

Racial & Social Equity

• In June of 2020, Huntington helped facilitate a convening of Canton business and community leaders to establish the Stark County Community Moving Forward (SCCMF) initiative. SCCMF will serve as a catalyst for diversity by creating equity and opportunity through access to business, workforce, education, healthcare, and capital in support of diverse and Black-led businesses and organizations.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers and Huntington co-hosted a three-session Supplier Diversity Series in April 2021. Presenters provided tips to help small business owners build their businesses and relationships, develop strategies to win proposals, and conduct business with various corporations. The series culminated with the National Basketball Association (NBA), presenting on potential needs and opportunities associated with the NBA All Star Game to be held in Cleveland next year. Diverse, women, and Veteran business owners, as well as organizations that serve them, were invited.
• In our Columbus market, Huntington partners with the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity to elevate and empower diverse women business owners and innovative leaders with equitable access to the capital, connections, and training they need to create wealth and jobs, close the racial and gender wealth gap, and foster economic equality.
• Collaboration is critical to Huntington’s commitment to small business lending in the Chicagoland market. Partnerships include the Community Business Academy and Business Acceleration Services Program through Sunshine Enterprises; Mujeras en Accion small business training program which supports Latina women who want to start or accelerate their business and the Women’s Business Development Center's Access to Capital programs in both Chicago and Aurora.

Community Development Lending & Investing

• Through a partnership with the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Huntington supported improved digital connectivity for low income residents at Lyons Place II and Twin Towers Place in Dayton. The initiative allowed St. Mary Development to provide voice-controlled smart speaker devices, Wi-Fi in 145 resident apartments, and refurbished iPads for the residents' library.
• In response to the Midland flooding in 2020, Huntington provided funding to local community agencies. Support included emergency food and relief for residents in Saginaw and Midland through partnerships with the Midland & Saginaw Community Foundation and the Midland and Saginaw United Way.
• Huntington's Reality Day financial empowerment program was presented in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown. The curriculum covered financial matters as well as post-secondary education and career options. The sessions included information on budgeting, goal setting, gross vs. net income, payroll deductions, credit, and debit and credit cards. The students were presented with information and then participated in a Game of Life simulation that provided an opportunity to make real life budgeting decisions.
• The Urban Mission Food Pantry in Steubenville Ohio provides food to hungry families, in part, through Huntington support. The City of Steubenville is a food desert with no grocery stores located within the city limits. The pantry distributes food to over 300 families every week.
• New Beginnings, a program of the Women's Resource Center in Grand Rapids, focuses on workforce and life development services, mentoring, and wrap-around supports for high-risk/high-need women at the Kent County Correctional Facility (KCCF). Huntington is proud to support this program to reduce recidivism, provide equitable service access for female offenders, and increase the economic self-sufficiency of women returning to the community after incarceration.

Home & Consumer Lending

• Our partnership with Impact Development, a Loveland, Colorado CDFI focused on affordable housing, includes financial support and volunteerism provided by employees who serve on the organization’s finance committee.
• The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority is relaunching West Virginia Housing, a home ownership program that provides a grant to borrowers below 80% of area median income. Huntington is proud to be a partner in this program to increase homeownership for low- and moderate-income individuals and families.
• The East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation worked with Huntington Bank to obtain a loan and a Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program grant to support 50 affordable housing units in partnership with the LeBron James Foundation and the I Promise School.
• Huntington is participating in the Flint Home Improvement Fund, a new citywide program that provides Flint residents with funding to renovate and improve homes. The Fund provides low or no interest loans of up to $20,000. Huntington provides low interest unsecured home improvement loans for all qualifying borrowers as part of the Flint Home Improvement Fund. Partners from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors came together to create and promote the Fund, which is managed by Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. Other partners include Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, City of Flint, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Genesee County Land Bank Authority, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and the Neighborhood Engagement Hub.

Small Business

• As part of our participation in the Pure Michigan Microlending program, Huntington partners with Northern Initiatives, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Northern Michigan. Support includes microloan funds and help for technical assistance to benefit small businesses in low- and moderate-income areas in Northern Michigan and across the state.
• In partnership with Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance, Huntington proudly provided support for the COVID-19 Response Initiative to assist small businesses that were adversely impacted by the global pandemic. The funds were used to support graduates of the Prosperous Detroit & Cody Rouge Entrepreneur Training Program in a virtual pitch competition. A Huntington colleague served as a judge to provide advice and assist in scoring each finalist. Huntington continues to support the Warrendale-Cody Rouge Neighborhood as part of a $10 million, 5-year investment and commitment to the City of Detroit Strategic Neighborhood Fund.
• In Wisconsin, partnerships with microlenders include Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC), Legacy Resource Center and First American Capital Corporation. Support includes microloans for diverse and women owned businesses as well as loans to Native American small business clients.
• Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers’ "Open to Business" program provides technical assistance and access to capital for low wealth and Black, Latino, and diverse communities to advance economic opportunities, start/grow small businesses, and promote job creation in the region. Huntington assists the organization in its mission to serve the seven county Metro area that includes Minneapolis, St. Paul and 141 suburban communities.
• In partnership with the Indianapolis Black Chamber and others, colleagues helped develop, prepare, and present a webinar for Black-owned small businesses. 'Resiliency in Tough Times: Tools to Recover' was designed to help small diversely-owned businesses recover and survive the pandemic.