Citizens Bank & Trust

Citizens Bank & Trust is a for-profit financial institution headquartered in Guntersville, Alabama, registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) since December 2019. As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the bank specializes in providing financial services and lending support to economically distressed communities, with a particular focus on low- and moderate-income populations. The bank operates as a federally insured depository institution that strategically targets underserved markets and aims to increase access to capital and financial services for communities facing economic challenges.

Through multiple federal grant awards from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, Citizens Bank & Trust has received significant funding across several targeted programs, including the Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) Program, Community Development Financial Institutions Equitable Recovery Program (CDFI ERP), and CDFI Rapid Response Program (CDFI RRP). These grants, totaling approximately $7 million between 2021 and 2025, have enabled the bank to expand lending, make investments, and provide technical assistance in economically distressed communities, with a specific emphasis on responding to economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bank's grant-funded activities include increasing capital access for qualifying borrowers, building organizational capacity through technology and staffing investments, and delivering expanded lending and investment services to minority and underserved communities. Each grant award has a specific focus on supporting community development, increasing financial service accessibility, and helping local businesses and individuals navigate economic challenges.