News Releases

BMO Harris Bank and FCI partner to provide financial webinar series for Wisconsin nonpr ofits

MADISON, WI (April 10, 2012) - To help nonprofits navigate the uncertain economic environment, BMO Harris Bank is teaming up with Forward Community Investments (FCI) across the state to support the expansion of a financial literacy program for Wisconsin's nonprofit community.

FCI launched Building Nonprofit Sustainability: A Financial Learning Series last month. The series highlights critical areas for nonprofits, including: budgeting, calculating costs, cash flow management, financial management, and building capacity. The learning series is being offered in several communities across Wisconsin, and BMO Harris Bank is sponsoring a series of webinars to augment the learning presented in the series. Participating nonprofit organizations will attend the sponsored webinars on alternating months, to expand their financial acumen and organizational effectiveness and to increase their capacity for building near-term success and long-term sustainability. The webinars will be archived for future use.

"Nonprofit organizations are a community's social safety net. While FCI has a long history of sustaining nonprofits by bridging gaps through credit, they are committed to developing the skills of nonprofit managers, too, which is crucial to addressing current needs" Doug Nelson, Regional President, BMO Harris Bank. "This statewide learning series has been established to develop nonprofit financial leadership during these challenging times and is a continuation of our work," added Salli Martyniak, President-FCI.

For more information, go to www.forwardci.org/financial-learning-series.

About BMO Harris Bank:
Based in Chicago, BMO Harris Bank N.A. provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 650 branches and approximately 1,350 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. BMO H arris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S. Deposit and loan products and services provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches, and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion.

About Forward Community Investments:
Forward Community Investments expands the financial capacity of Wisconsin nonprofits through low-cost, flexible financing and advisory services. Since its inception in 1994, Forward Community Investments has disbursed more than $30 million to nonprofits whose mission is to benefit low- and moderate-income people and disadvantaged communities throughout Wisconsin. More information is available online at www.forwardci.org.