OneWest Bank Announces $25,000 in Grants to Support Asian Small Businesses

PASADENA, Calif., February [X], 2022— OneWest Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, today announced that in the spirit of celebrating Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger, it will provide $25,000 in grants to support the work of five non-profit organizations across the Asian community in Southern California through a partnership with Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF). The grants will benefit approximately 360 small businesses in the Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Thai communities through nonprofit programming which, in recent years, has helped provide over 340 businesses with general strategic business counsel, resources for businesses struggling during the pandemic, operational management guidance and counsel, and more.

OneWest Bank is providing a grant to each of the following five nonprofits: APCF, Chinatown Service Center, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, and Thai Community Development Center. OneWest Bank selected these organizations to provide a customized approach to amplify and maximize the impact of each donation.

The funds will provide much-needed assistance during the pandemic which has heavily impacted Asian American small businesses. Chinatown Service Center will serve 20-30 small businesses via individual consultations and 20-40 small businesses through two virtual workshops. Koreatown Youth and Community Center will serve 250 small businesses through a program designed to help Korean American owned businesses in Los Angeles and Orange Counties recover from the pandemic. Search to Involve Pilipino Americans plans to provide support to 20-25 small business through two Small Business Roundtables. Thai Community Development Center will help 18 first-time small business owners as they move into the Thai Town Marketplace business incubator this spring.

“OneWest Bank is proud to recognize Lunar New Year by supporting the impactful programming of nonprofits that empower Asian American small businesses,” said Rans Tenorio, senior vice president, area manager at First Citizens Bank.  “These grants further our commitment to supporting and making meaningful contributions to the Asian community in Southern California.”

About OneWest Bank
OneWest Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender), helps consumers and small businesses in Southern California reach their financial goals with a wide variety of banking and lending products. First Citizens Bank’s parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution, with more than $100 billion in assets. As the largest family-controlled bank in the United States, First Citizens is continuing a unique legacy of strength, stability and long-term thinking that has spanned generations. First Citizens also operates a nationwide direct bank and a network of more than 600 branches in 22 states, many in high-growth markets.  For more information, visit onewestbank.com.