First Financial Bank and the First Financial Foundation have awarded a total of $35,000 in grants to six organizations in Northern Kentucky as an extension of its ongoing commitment to support growth for the people and neighborhoods it serves.
In Northern Kentucky, First Financial provided grants to Brighton Center, Brighton Properties, Be Concerned, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Covington, Learning Grove and Life Learning Center.
“Supporting our clients and communities has always reflected who we are as a bank,” said Roddell McCullough, chief corporate responsibility officer for First Financial. “Every year of our annual grant campaign brings us new optimism around the positive impacts we’re delivering through our local partners.”
For the entire 2025 campaign, total funding includes $550,000 for 96 organizations throughout the Midwest, making this the largest grant campaign in First Financial’s history. First Financial grants focus on supporting neighborhood development, workforce development and education, and culture in the arts, and they emphasize providing support to low-income communities.
“We are deeply grateful to the First Financial Foundation for helping Life Learning Center candidates and members meet essential basic needs that make finding and sustaining gainful employment possible,” said Alecia Webb-Edgington, president of Life Learning Center. “Without this generous support, many would go without the critical items necessary to focus fully on their personal and professional goals. We are honored to partner with an organization that understands how vital it is to help people get back on their feet and reenter the workforce with confidence and stability.”
To deliver assistance to more people through this grant campaign, First Financial added funding for the campaign from CREA, a low-income housing tax credit organization.
First Financial’s annual grant campaign is a key element in its comprehensive approach to engage in the growth of its communities. The bank is now in the second year of its new Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the period of 2024-2028, during which it has a goal of providing $18 million in philanthropy.
In another aspect of this work, the Federal Reserve Board, in its evaluation of performance under the Community Reinvestment Act, recognized First Financial with the highest overall rating of Outstanding in the last two review cycles, an accomplishment only achieved by a small number of banks. Additionally, First Financial team members donated more than 14,000 volunteer hours last year throughout its footprint, under the bank’s program to provide employees with volunteer time to support local communities.
First Financial Bancorp.