Bank employees can enter local businesses in sweepstakes for $5,300 grants

CINCINNATI, November 20, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Small businesses across Fifth Third’s 11-state footprint will feel the love this holiday shopping season: from now until Dec. 1, Fifth Third employees can enter their favorite local small business in a sweepstakes to win one of five $5,300 microgrants.

"At Fifth Third, we know that small, local businesses form the foundation of our communities – where we live, work, and play. And when they succeed, we succeed," said Melissa Stevens, chief marketing officer for Fifth Third. "Our employees are excited to show our local small businesses some extra love this holiday season, and we hope that community members will join us in supporting the local small business community."

From now through Dec. 1, Fifth Third employees will be leaving $53 tips for their favorite small business workers as a random act of kindness during the two weeks leading up to Small Business Saturday.

During the month of November, Fifth Third employees are also encouraged to visit nearby small businesses to swap in Fifth Third pens, snap photos and share their experience on social media to enter the business into the sweepstakes. Visit Fifth Third’s Instagram or LinkedIn to see the entries or follow #love53. Any Fifth Third employee in an area with retail branches can participate in the sweepstakes.

"As a company that’s over 19,000 employees strong, we make a fundamental difference in the vitality of the places we call home, both as an organization and as individuals who live and work in the communities we serve," Stevens said. "Our small businesses make our lives a Fifth Third Better, and we’re proud to again support them in this unique way."

For this second annual "Swap, Snap, Share" campaign, Fifth Third defines small businesses as those with 100 or fewer employees, and $1 million or less in annual revenue. The business must be locally owned and operated and provide goods or services to the local community. Once the sweepstakes entry period concludes, Fifth Third will randomly select five entries to receive $5,300 grants. The businesses will be notified in early December¹.

Fifth Third proudly serves more than 320,000 small business clients in communities across the U.S. Supporting small businesses through lending, investments and technical assistance is a significant part of the Bank’s commitment to community and economic development.

Additionally, Fifth Third is committed to helping nurture, grow and strengthen small businesses through initiatives such as its Neighborhood Investment Program, which creates and implements innovative place-based strategies to effect positive change in nine historically disinvested neighborhoods across the Bank’s 11-state footprint, and a new Small Business Catalyst Fund launched in October.