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Beyond the Bottom Line: First Fed's Community Philosophy

On paper, the grant was for sewing machine repairs and supplies.

But Angela Wells, AVP and Customer & Community Engagement Manager at First Federal Bank, knows the real story runs deeper.

"There are quite a few women in domestic violence situations where that is their chance to get out - to learn skills so they can financially support themselves,” Angela explains. "On the surface, it's a sewing machine, but it goes much deeper."

This one grant through the First Federal Foundation captures, something essential about how First Fed approaches community giving: look past the line item and find the human impact.

Over the years, First Fed has channeled millions of dollars into Idaho communities through grants, sponsorships and donations. In 2025 alone, over $750,000 was contributed to community organizations and initiatives. The giving flows through multiple channels—a formal foundation, an unconventional tournament, employee-driven programs, and a steady stream of local sponsorships and donations—but the through-line stays consistent: invest where it matters.

Two Grant Cycles, Nine Volunteers, Tens of Thousands Donated

The First Federal Foundation runs two grant cycles annually, distributing more than $100,000 each year. A nine-member volunteer board—bank employees alongside community leaders like CSI President Dean Fisher and Cassia County School District’s Kim Bedke – evaluates every application.”

"The Board reviews each application thoroughly," Angela says. "Every member brings different perspectives from across the community. Someone unfamiliar with a particular nonprofit might hear from a colleague who's volunteered there and can share what they've seen and experienced firsthand."

The Foundation prioritizes education, health, safety, and social services, but Wells notes the board focuses on community needs rather than checking category boxes. Recent grants include that skid steer for South Central Community Action Partnership's housing projects—equipment that helps build homes faster and serves other community needs year-round.  Everybody House in Twin Falls recently received funding for a fire suppression system—a safety upgrade that protects those it serves in addressing food and housing insecurity, program accessibility and much more. Another grant supported Girls on the Run Southern Idaho with technology upgrades, enabling better communication with volunteers and families while expanding the program's reach to more young girls across the Magic Valley.

A Tournament Unlike Any Other

If you ask Angela about Rock, Paper, Scissors, she will smile. "It's hard to describe to somebody who hasn't attended," she admits. "But it's a really fun time."

The annual tournament—held in both the Magic Valley and Treasure Valley—generates tens of thousands of dollars each year for local nonprofits. Business partners compete bracket-style, with winners directing prize money to their chosen charity. There's a "non-winners bracket" (not a losers bracket, Wells emphasizes), Best intro award with costumes and choreographed entrances, with crowd-driven judging.

"The imagination from our business partners, what they come up with—it's pretty fun to see."

When Employees Lead

First Fed's employee programs put giving decisions directly in staff hands. Paid volunteer time lets employees support causes that matter to them personally—no restrictions on which organizations qualify.

"If you're passionate about working at the animal shelter, walking dogs, we support that," Wells says. "If your passion is reading to kids before school, we support that as well."

The Pay It Forward program goes further, providing employees with funds for spontaneous acts of kindness like paying for someone’s groceries. Wells recalls one of her own: noticing young kids at a restaurant and paying for their meal anonymously.

"The waitress gave them one of our Pay It Forward cards. Just the looks on their faces—and the waitress said it made her day too. Those random acts of kindness, they spread to everybody around you." While these are small gestures, its another way First Fed helps create outsized impact—a twenty-dollar meal can change the course of someone's day.

The Steady Work

Beyond headline programs, First Fed maintains a constant rhythm of community support. Wells estimates handling 20 to 30 sponsorship and donation requests monthly—gift baskets for fundraisers, school carnival donations, golf tournament sponsorships. The bank participates in more than 100 events yearly, from Boys and Girls Club meal service to building beds with Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Why Mutual Matters

As a mutual bank—owned by depositors rather than shareholders—First Fed reinvests in communities instead of returning profits to investors. That structure enables the Foundation, Rock Paper Scissors Tournaments, employee programs, and daily sponsorship work.

But for Wells, the difference is simpler than structure.

"When we say we care about the community, we show that," she says. "In the day and age that we're in right now, to be able to work for a company that does what they say they're going to do—I think that is becoming rare."

The grants, the tournaments, the random acts of kindness—they all tell the same story: community isn't a statement for First Fed, it's an investment in what matters most.