Community Bank of the Bay Unveils Oakland First Fund

If you believe that Oakland is a great place to live and work and that it is bursting with potential that deserves financial support, Community Bank of the Bay agrees - and wants to help you put your money where your mouth is.

Any depositor - whether a business or individual - who wish to, can designate their deposits for this fund, at no cost or any other change in the way the deposits are handled.

Community Bank promises that all money deposited into the Oakland First Fund will be used exclusively for loans to businesses and individuals who agree to use the money in Oakland, whether to build housing, create jobs, start or expand a business or any other use that is intended to improve the community.

It's a very simple idea, we're a community bank. The community is an essential part of our reason for being. If our depositors want their money to stay here, to be loaned to other Oaklanders, and to be used to benefit Oakland, we're going to see to it that happens, and that Oakland benefits as a result.

We can do this because we are a very hands-on bank. There's nothing remote about our operations. We pay close attention to each of our customers, whether they are investing their money here or borrowing from us. We know where our deposits are coming from and where they are being used, almost off the tops of our heads. Large banks can't do that.

Community Bank also plans to be accountable about how the Oakland First Fund is used, both to investors and to the community. Regular reports are planned, featuring the improvements that the fund's investments bring about.

To arrange a deposit to the Oakland First Fund, simply call your Community Banker, at (510) 433-5400. If you don't yet have a personal or business representative at Community Bank, just ask for one.

Community Bank, is located at 1750 Broadway, Oakland. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Information on the Bank and its services is available online at www.communitybankbay.com

Member FDIC