Whether it involves bundt cakes, backpacks or bicycles, community service is a tradition of the mortgage industry, turning opportunities for good publicity into components of effective business strategy.
Volunteering and other forms of charitable work are a common theme running through
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"Sometimes there's a personal connection, but from a business standpoint, it does provide an opportunity to partner, whether it's a title company or real estate agent, and to include them in that community-type service. We do see that as a very positive business move," said Sharon Rivers, chief operating officer at Mortgage Investors Group.
"If any of the investors we sell to are in our area, we always make them aware of our efforts," she added.
Alongside monetary donations or sponsorships, intentional and well-planned community service plans can reap dividends down the road thanks to the relationships that develop away from the office and consistently put a lender top of mind, Dana Leaman, chief marketing officer at Austin, Texas-based LoanPeople, similarly noted.
Whether it's a builder, developer or a real estate agent, "they want to see that you're actively involved in the community," she said.
The effect on recruitment and retention
While the causes a company chooses to support come from various sources, some of their most impactful emerge from staff themselves.
Alongside the positive impact for individual charities, opportunities for staff to get involved in activities they care about leads to engagement that increases productivity and retention and can prove alluring to new prospects.
Gallup research published in 2026 also found companies with the highest degrees of employee engagement reported a 78% lower rate of absenteeism, and 51% less turnover than businesses with the least amount of commitment among its staff. The study also calculated an 18% increase in sales productivity and a 23%
"The people we're trying to attract to work here — they care about this. It's very common that when we're in a final interview with someone, they will tell you, 'I went on your Linkedin. I went on your Instagram. I was looking at those nonprofit efforts,'" Leaman said.
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"If that's completely absent, that's a red flag to a lot of good employees that want to join and work for you," she added.
Among the range of causes and organizations LoanPeople supports either via fundraisers and hands-on volunteering are the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Dell Children's Hospital and the SETH Project, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research into ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.
The lender's involvement in the latter stems from a biking and workout fundraiser first initiated by its Jacksonville, Florida-branch. Those efforts eventually turned into a broader company event stretching all the way to its Texas headquarters. In total LoanPeople was able to donate $6,000 to the SETH Project, thanks to meaningful participation from staff.
"We didn't realize how many people at the company were affected by ALS — somebody in their family or someone close to them. It's actually been a huge thing at our company," Leaman said.
The chance to generate positive buzz
Whether it's a local community-driven activity or a festival requiring months of planning, charitable initiatives also generate the type of internal and external enthusiasm companies can build upon.
What at first appears to be a small business-oriented event can morph into a shared camaraderie-building project, especially when it involves partners and spreads to local communities.
Leaders at Knoxville, Tennessee-based MIG took advantage of an open house event at new headquarters in late 2025 to turn it into a food drive fundraiser alongside business partners. That corporate effort encouraged branches to come up with their own friendly challenge to support neighbors across the Southeast.
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"We did that very quickly, so I'm thinking, 'Look what we can do when we really take our time to plan it,'" Rivers said.
MIG, which also holds annual back-to-school drives where it hands out backpacks and other supplies, said providing branch support for local charitable efforts serves as a prime lead-generating marketing opportunity, elevating both the brand and morale of its retail team members, positioning them as valuable sources of expertise in the markets they serve.
"It helps them get to know the people that they're trying to sell homes to. It really helps encourage that personal investment in the community and getting involved," said Kelley Hairrell, MIG's director of human resources.
While a large-scale sponsored event requires far more lead time and personnel to develop, its success can set a marketing foundation, which creates tailwinds and brand recognition for years, especially when it demonstrates commitment to community institutions and causes.
In 2025, Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Consumers Credit Union set a record for the world's largest cakewalk, a musical-chairs style competition and festival, aimed to benefit Special Olympics and mental health and antibullying efforts in its home state. Held at the world's largest Special Olympics sports facility in nearby Grand Rapids, the event attracted 659 participants and generated $20,000 for the charities, with bundt cakes awarded to all involved.
While it has the highest profile of all the events the credit union supports, the cakewalk tied back to Consumers' goal of establishing itself as a pillar in Western Michigan thanks to its cooperation with community business partners — in this case a local bakery — and associating its name with a valued resource.
"It's intentional in how we want to make sure our communities receive the best benefits of the ways that we can give," Consumers Credit Union chief marketing officer Lynne Jarman-Johnson said.
As a regional institution, being present at all of the events it supports is prioritized, whether they attract dozens or hundreds of participants. Alongside sponsored campaigns, the credit union also frequently assists in financial planning and homeownership education activities to support employees of local businesses.
"We will not do an event unless we're there. We have to be a part of it; that is a huge focus for us," Jarman-Johnson said.
The cakewalk also presented an opportunity to get the organization fully involved on a single common goal. "We probably had 30 that walked alongside us and helped make sure that we could raise the money. Then, every department in our credit union participated in some way, whether that was actually walking, volunteering in advance, being on a committee," she continued.
A fully involved community service strategy that can sustain the revenue-generating momentum requires annual budgeting and dedicated planning that encourages participation, leaders say.
LoanPeople attempts to participate in one campaign per month on average, with suggestions coming from employees and partners. While impossible to accommodate every request, they are an easy sell from a business perspective that ultimately can benefit all parties involved.
"You don't get a whole lot of pushback from referral partners," Leaman said. "They want to participate, and they're excited about it."
