Frequently Asked Questions
What are your rates?
Rates can change daily - please refer to today's rates. Our rate sheets for our various products are categorized by individual, non-profit, and business accounts.
You list Ilwaco, Washington as your headquarters. Where the heck is that?
Pay attention—the answer could win you the Geography Bee some day. Ilwaco is located in Washington, at the southern tip of the Long Beach Peninsula, just at the mouth of the Columbia River, across the river from Astoria.
What is the mission of ShoreBank Pacific?
Not all banks can claim to have a mission statement. We can and here it is:
ShoreBank Pacific profitably assists businesses, and through them their communities, to be sustainable in economic, social, and environmental practices.
Why should I bank with ShoreBank Pacific / switch to you from my other bank?
To be honest, we'd like your business. Furthermore, being the first U.S. bank with a commitment to environmental sustainability, we have a lot to offer. We provide a range of individual and commercial banking products and services, including credit cards that support Ecotrust's Salmon Nation campaign and ReDirect Guide's carbon offset program. For a full listing of our products, visit our Business, Non-profit, or Personal banking sections for further information.
When you deposit your money at ShoreBank Pacific, you are helping to create sustainable companies, vibrant communities, and healthy environments by providing funds to our lending programs. Huh? Well, just like other banks, we provide commercial loans; however, unlike other banks, we are conscientious to whom we lend, and potential customers are "scored" using a program of sustainability criteria, including conservation, community development, and economy measures. Our scoring process should not be seen as a deterrent to the loan process, but rather as an active step toward improving sustainability from the "bottom up". A healthy and sustainable business will translate into a healthy and sustainable community and economy. Learn more about our sustainability scoring system.
What are some of your internal environmental practices?
As a sustainable bank, we take this environmental thing pretty seriously. We use The Natural Step as the basis for evaluating both our internal performance and that of customers. We have been carbon-neutral since 2003 by purchasing carbon offsets from our customer, The Climate Trust. Although we try to minimize paper use, sometimes printing is necessary, and when it is, we use 100% post-consumer recycled paper, supplied to us by Grays Harbor Paper, located in Hoquiam, Washington.
We also encourage employees to use public transportation, carpool, or use Zipcar (formerly Flexcar) whenever possible. Additionally, several employees choose to walk and/or ride their bike to work. In 2007, we received a BlueWorks award from the City of Portland's Office of Sustainability for our outstanding commitment to waste prevention and recycling. For a more in-depth examination of our practices, please read our 2006 Sustainability Report.
Tell me about your Science Group - what do they do?
We finally have help for our children's science projects. Although that may be the case, our Science Group has more important things to do these days. Using it's degrees in science, botany, and chemistry, our brainy Science Group, which includes both Sustainability Officers and Science Officers, provides consulting services to businesses in order to improve their environmental impact and fiscal performance. For additional information and a summary of recent consulting projects, visit the Science Consulting section of our website.
Our Science Group was instrumental in developing our sustainability scoring system, which continues to be refined on an annual basis. It also seem to be kept busy with sustainability assessments for perspective loan clients. If that isn't enough, it continues to keep us all informed with simple ideas for minimizing our ecological footprint.
If you don't have local branches, how do I deposit money into my account?
Haven't you heard - branches are so 20th Century! Banking with ShoreBank Pacific just got easier (and "greener")! Your deposits can be made directly through ATMs (find one near you using the Plus Network or Accel/Exchange network), which are conveniently located near you. If you are a business, we can make it even simpler for you by setting you up with a Desktop Direct account.
If you are lucky enough to live near our headquarters in Ilwaco, Washington, our bank staff will be happy to take your deposits directly.
Can I get a loan from you to buy a home or pay off my debt?
Sorry, we do not finance home mortgages, equity loans, or for that matter, personal debt. However, we do have a Green Building Loan Program that rewards sustainability. commercial builders who are interested in sustainability and need financing for new construction or rehabs, should give one of our regional real estate lenders a call.
We also specialize in providing loans for the Agricultural, Fish, and Alternative Energy sectors.
What is the difference between ShoreBank Pacific and ShoreBank Corporation?
Good question. ShoreBank Pacific is wholly owned by ShoreBank Corporation, the nation's first community development and environmental banking corporation, located in Chicago. Along with Ecotrust, it was responsible for starting ShoreBank Pacific 10 years ago. ShoreBank Corporation's President, Mary Houghton, sits as the chair of our Board of Directors, and continues to provide insight and strategy.
Where are you located? Can I stop by and say "hi?"
Sure, we love visitors! We have three locations in the Pacific Northwest - view our locations.