About
Bank On Arkansas: A Big Idea Comes to Life
In 2017, Darrin Williams, the CEO of Southern Bancorp, shared a Big Idea with the Arkansas Times for their annual tradition on how to improve life in Arkansas. His dream? To create a statewide coalition to reach the unbanked and underbanked with secure and reliable bank accounts.
Less than a year later, that dream became a reality when the Arkansas Chapter of the Asset Funders Network, a regional chapter of grantmakers who advance equitable wealth building and economic mobility, convened 70 stakeholders at the Federal Reserve office in Little Rock and planted the seed to launch the first statewide coalition of the national Bank On model.
In 2018, Bank On Arkansas+ became a reality with six Arkansas financial institutions as our founding coalition members: Bank of America, Diamond Lakes Federal Credit Union, Iberia Bank, Southern Bancorp, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.
Today, the coalition has grown to include nearly 50 members, including banks, credit unions and trusted community partners operating in all 75 Arkansas counties.
The Bank on Movement
Bank On Arkansas+ represents a movement towards financial empowerment and economic mobility for all Arkansans. Through the coalition's efforts, hardworking individuals and families gain access to secure and reliable bank accounts, enabling them to save, build credit, and create a foundation for long-term wealth.
Bank On Arkansas+ is proud to be part of the national Bank On movement led by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.
About Arkansas Asset Funders Network
Arkansas AFN is a regional chapter of grantmakers who advance equitable wealth building and economic mobility. Members include private, public, corporate, and community foundations, public-sector funders, and financial institutions who want to help Arkansans secure economic stability, for now and for years to come. Arkansas AFN connects funders and their peers in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.