Types of Community Bank Prospects
- Savings banks/thrifts (increasingly moving into the commercial market).
- Niche banks.
- DeNovo banks (start-ups).
Please Note: U.S. credit unions are NOT currently eligible for RMA membership, but DO participate in RMA events at non-member price.
Target the Banks in Your Area
- Ask RMA HQ for the list of member/nonmember banks in your area.
- Focus on specific asset sizes/ranges.
- Divide up potential new community bank members among your board and have a board member call them directly.
- Ask board members if anyone has a specific contact(s) for each bank prospect.
- If you can't locate a specific contact person, target your call to the president, senior lender, or senior credit officer of the bank.
Establish Community Bank Programming
- Community Banks are more likely to be involved in your chapter if you regularly schedule community bank-specific programs. Make sure that your programming topics are of interest to community bankers. For example, Basel II and Key Risk Indicators may not be subjects of interest to community banks, but a regulatory update or How to Improve Your Risk Rating System might be.
- Set up a community bank senior officer event (Round Table, panel discussion, etc.) and invite nonmember community banks to participate.
- Move events to areas that are served by pockets of community banks. Don't assume that they will just show up in urban areas or at one location.
- Survey your community bank members and nonmembers in an effort to see what programs they feel are most valuable.
- Diversify your board to ensure community bank representation.
- Ask other chapters for ideas and success stories during yourr regional conference call.
- Partner with other chapters to reach out to certain markets.
- Try a joint event with a state bank association. These groups usually have a very high percentage (95%+) of community bank membership statewide.
- Ask your board and community bank members what value-added opportunities they believe are needed.
- Cosponsor events with other professional organizations that cater to community banks (AICPA, ACB, TMA, etc.).
Nonmember Involvement
- Ask staff of a nonmember community bank to participate in a panel session, so they can see first-hand the value of the RMA local chapter!
- Ask a nonmember community bank to speak at a networking session.
- Invite nonmember community banks to local Round Tables and ask them what types of local programming they would like to see.
- Call nonmember community banks to poll them on various local topics and issues.
- Hold one open event that's FREE for nonmembers.
Board Involvement
- Designate a Community Bank Programming Committee.
- Contact your local RE for the names of local community bankers who may already be members of RMA, but not currently involved with the chapter.
- Appoint members to the regional board, so they can help you with programming outside of urban or centralized settings.
- Recognize new community bank members at meetings.
Other Involvement
- Use the Community Bank Audioconference Series as the basis/hook to attract community bankers to lunchtime get-togethers.
- Set up a regulatory panel.
- Invite a regulator to a Community Bank Round Table or presentation, to provide members an update.
- Ask your RE to speak about the products and services that are most beneficial to community banks.
- Explain the value of RMA Credit Risk Certification, eMentor, and chapter networking
For more information and for additional resources, please contact William Githens at bgithens@rmahq.org or 215-446-4124.