Bank of the Sierra Awards Over $206K in Grants During First Quarter of 2026
May 28, 2026
Porterville, Calif. – Bank of the Sierra is proud to announce that it donated $206,500 to organizations across its service areas through its Sierra Grant Program during the first quarter of 2026. Since the program’s inception in 2004, the Bank has awarded more than 1,900 grants, totaling over $5.6 million to organizations that strengthen and improve local communities.
From January through March 2026, more than $92,000 in funding was presented to nine organizations in the Central Valley. In addition to that amount, more than $2,000 was awarded to support four organizations in the Bank’s Coastal and Southern California markets, while $89,000 was distributed among seven organizations that provide services in multiple regions or statewide.
Sierra Grant recipients for the first quarter of 2026 include:
- Fresno County
- Bridge2College
- Junior Achievement of Northern California
- Kern County
- Clinica Sierra Vista
- Habitat for Humanity Golden Empire
- Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Education Foundation
- Kern Partnership for Children and Families
- San Luis Obispo County
- Court Appointed Special Advocates of San Luis Obispo County
- San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
- Tulare County
- Community Services Employment Training
- Optimist Club of Porterville
- Sierra View Foundation
- Ventura County
- Ojai Community Farmers Market
- Ventura College Foundation
- Regional/Statewide
- American Red Cross
- Asian Pacific Community Foundation
- California Coalition for Community Investment
- Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation
- REACH (Regional Economic Action Coalition)
- San Joaquin Valley Housing Collaborative
- Ukulele Kids Club Inc.
“Bank of the Sierra is committed to supporting organizations that make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve,” said Kevin McPhaill, Bank of the Sierra President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to invest in these companies and the important work they continue to do throughout our regions.”
About the Sierra Grant Program
Since its inception in 2004, the Sierra Grant Program has been responsible for donating more than $4.9 million to organizations that improve local communities.
About Bank of the Sierra
Bank of the Sierra is in its 48th year of operations and is one of the largest independent banks headquartered in the South San Joaquin Valley. Bank of the Sierra is a community-centric regional bank, which offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking services through full-service branches located within the counties of Tulare, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara. The Bank also maintains an online branch and provides specialized lending services through an agricultural credit center in Templeton. In 2025, Bank of the Sierra was recognized as one of the strongest and top-performing community banks in the country, with a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial.
