First Interstate Bank marks $100 million in giving at Coeur d'Alene branch

First Interstate Bank tied its $100 million giving milestone to a Coeur d’Alene open house at its W. Riverstone Drive branch, putting a hard number on more than three decades of philanthropy in North Idaho. The bank says its local market includes five locations, and its annual report says the foundation passed the $100 million mark in 2025.

Retail Manager Rana Cantrell framed the milestone as part of the bank’s daily identity, saying First Interstate believes communities are stronger when people and institutions pitch in together. The company says its giving supports financial literacy, youth development, disaster relief and nonprofit capacity building, with broader grants directed to civic and community organizations, arts and culture, K-12 and higher education, health, human services and sustainability-related groups.

The most tangible local impact shows up in specific grants. First Interstate’s Believe in Local campaign, launched in 2022, lets employees nominate nonprofits for support. In June 2024, Family Promise of North Idaho was chosen from more than 550 submissions after being nominated by local employees. Other North Idaho recipients that have benefited from $25,000 gifts include Safe Start, Canopy Village and the Coeur d’Alene Backpack Program.

The bank has also built volunteerism into its giving model. Its employee gift and volunteer matching program adds dollars when staff members donate time, and First Interstate regularly closes early for Volunteer Day so employees can work in the community. In September 2021, all branches closed at noon for that effort, and more than 1,820 employees supported 234 nonprofits.

That recurring support matters in Kootenai County, where family-service groups often operate on tight budgets. First Interstate said it and the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation gave more than $7.1 million in grants and donations in 2024 alone, and a December 2024 grant to The Kroc Center’s Clothe a Child program provided $5,000 to help children spend $150 on clothing. The bank’s latest milestone shows its local footprint is measured not just in branches and balances, but in the cash, staff hours and program dollars that keep North Idaho nonprofits moving.