In spite of the challenging global economy, Bermuda’s banks have certainly come to the aid of the community.Between them, this year the Island’s retail banks have given more than $2 million to charities and staff have donated hundreds of hours to volunteering.Here are some highlights of HSBC Bermuda, Butterfield Bank and Capital G’s charitable giving programmes in 2011.HSBC BermudaHSBC Bermuda is aligned with HSBC’s global giving approach, committing a portion of its annual net income to education, environment and community initiatives in Bermuda. In 2011, HSBC Bermuda donated more than $1 million to 21 charities supporting the community.“HSBC firmly believes that we all have a responsibility to support the communities in which we operate and here, in Bermuda, we support the local community through sponsorships, donations and volunteer projects,” said Philip Butterfield, CEO of HSBC Bermuda. “By supporting our community, we ensure the future success of our people, our Island and business.”Their charitable giving is broken down into three prongs: education- programmes that support the academic development of the community; environment- projects that protect and preserve the environment; and the community- initiatives that benefit a broad cross section of people.“The current global economy is significantly impacting our local community and the needs in our community have increased,” said a bank spokesperson. “HSBC Bermuda is very pleased that in these challenging economic times it has been able to provide a similar level of philanthropic generosity in 2011 as it did for 2010.”HSBC Bermuda also encourages staff to volunteer in the community and in 2006, introduced their Staff Volunteer Community Action Day Programme.Employees can take time off from work each year to volunteer for pre-selected projects focusing on charitable activities in one of their three focus areas.Since inception of the programme, HSBC staff have volunteered 6,900+ hours of time.Among many others, some of the charities that has received the bank’s 2011 charitable giving include: the Adult Education School, Bermuda Employers Council, Family Centre Middle School Project, in partnership with TN Tatem Middle School, Cooper’s Island Restoration Project, Bermuda Zoological Society and in partnership with the Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ) beautification of Princess Street and Tills Hill and educational seminars for EEZ residents and businesses.Butterfield BankButterfield Bank changed their charitable giving philosophy this year, becoming more focused and targeted in their donations.They created the Butterfield Hope Award, which gives $25,000 each month to a charity in the human services field for an annual total of $300,000.Instead of scattering funds across a number of different areas, Butterfield Bank wanted to focus their giving.“Looking back at any year, we gave a little here and a little there but it was very difficult to explain what we did,” said senior executive vice president Michael Collins. “While individually the charities we gave to were all great, we couldn’t define what we, as a company, stood for.”The bank set out in the beginning of 2011 to create a theme and focus their giving.They chose to hone in on the area of human services, charities and organisations that provide food, shelter, family support, societal and social family support. Those at the bank felt this area was very timely given the hard economic times.“Bermuda is struggling, across the board and it filters through society,” said Mr Collins. “We wanted to focus on where we think there’s the greatest need today.”Twelve charities received funding from Butterfield Bank in 2011, including: The Reading Clinic, Feed the Children Ministries, Meals on Wheels, Hands of Love Ministry, The Sunshine League, Coalition for the Protection of Children and The Family Centre, among others.Going through the submission process this year, said Mr Collins, really opened their eyes.“While you sense it and feel it, until you speak with some of these charities, you don’t really have a direct view of what’s going on,” he said. “We were surprised at the depth of some of these social problems and how dedicated these people (charity directors) are to their cause and making Bermuda a better place.”The bank typically receives 10 to 15 applications per month and while only one charity takes home the donation, those that don’t go back into the pot for the next month.They plan on continuing the programme into 2012 and are open to shifting their focus as the times dictate. While they are focusing on human services now, they say the theme will evolve but for this particular three to four year period, this is the area they felt was most important.Every year Butterfield Bank also does their ‘Back to School’ drive where they purchase school supplies and backpacks for 500 needy middle school children. They are also the title sponsor, with the National Trust, of the annual Christmas Walkabout in St. George’s.Capital GEach December Capital G usually hosts a client holiday appreciation party for their high-net wealth customers, but this year in lieu of the annual affair, the bank decided to donate $20,000 to the Bermuda Division of The Salvation Army.The charity received the cheque in December to help them provide a daily soup kitchen in Hamilton for the homeless via their mobile van service and operate the Harbour Light facility on King Street as well as the North Street Shelter.“Capital G’s donation to the Salvation Army is keeping with the Company’s 2011 ‘giving back’ mandate to support charities that focus on education, the youth and families,” said Ian Truran, president & CEO of Capital G Bank Capital G Bank Limited & Capital G Trust Limited.While Capital G has supported The Salvation Army for a number of years through financial and in-kind donations, they say their larger donation is indicative of the hard times felt throughout the community.“Bermuda is experiencing hard times,” Mr Truran said. “Real unemployment is being felt across a broad section of people and they are experiencing lower wages and reduced working hours. The Salvation Army was another vehicle through which Capital G felt it necessary to assist a group who has an immediate connection to the hardship of these economic realities.”According to James Gibbons, chairman of Capital G Bank Limited, from 2009 to 2011, the bank has doubled its charitable giving from $240,000 to $450,000.When asked why they’ve bumped up their annual donations, he said: “Because we sensed a need in the community.”“Our company is part of the community, we have roots going back hundreds of years,” he added. “We believe that if you take something out of the community, you should give back.”The bank also donated fifty $500 Lindo’s grocery vouchers and launched its Youth Initiative in 2009, where teams from competing high schools identified a charitable organisation they wanted to support, create a fundraising plan and provide measurable objectives and anticipated outcomes of their giving plan in both written and presentation form.