WASHINGTON, DC – April 2, 2025 – Green America launched an updated version of its searchable directory of banks that don’t finance fossil fuels, engage in predatory practices that hurt consumers, or do business with destructive industries. The expanded Get A Better Bank directory has added thousands of new listings for local and regional banks and credit unions, allowing consumers to find financial institutions that support local entrepreneurs, serve community non-profits, create affordable housing, and finance renewable energy.
The directory includes a searchable map with listings for over 3,000 community development banks and credit unions, with almost 17,000 locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It is the largest resource of community development banks and credit unions available.
Bill McKibben, founder of Third Act and 350.org, said: “The Get a Better Bank directory makes it easy for consumers to find local banks or credit unions that are engaging in responsible business practices. Just imagine if every American suddenly stopped banking with financial institutions that harm people or the planet. We could change the world!”
Cathy Cowan Becker, Responsible Finance Campaign Director at Green America, said: “The world's largest banks have plowed over $7 trillion into expanding fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement. It's time for people to vote with their dollars by moving their money out of US megabanks and into local banks and credit unions whose mission is to build their communities. Green America's Get a Better Bank map provides options for mission-driven financial institutions in every community, along with guidelines for how to make the switch. This is how each of us can use the banking we do every day to build a better world.”
Banks and credit unions in the Get a Better Bank directory include:
- Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which specialize in lending to people, organizations, and businesses in under-resourced communities.
- Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), in which the majority of ownership or membership and the community it serves are minority groups such as Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or Women.
- Low-Income Designation (LID) credit unions, for which over half their membership has a family income of 80% or less of the median family income for the metropolitan area.
- Membership in Inclusiv, a federation of community development credit unions whose mission is to help low- and moderate-income people and communities achieve financial independence.
- B Corp certification, a designation that a bank meets high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency.
- Membership in the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), an international network of frontrunner banks and credit unions that use finance to serve people and the planet.
- Green America Green Business Network certification, the first and most diverse network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses in the country.
What sets Green America’s Get a Better Bank map apart from other bank listings is its focus on financial institutions that work to build their communities. Each bank or credit union has a mission of building their communities through mortgage, car, small business, and social service financing. They do not engage in lending that harms people or the planet.
The top nine US banks have plowed over $2 trillion into fossil fuel development since the Paris Agreement, financing methane gas plants, coal mining, fracking, liquid gas export, tar sands oil, and more. Megabanks also lent billions in predatory subprime mortgages that their borrowers could not repay, leading to the housing market crash in 2008. Almost 10 million Americans lost their homes. Consumers file thousands of complaints each year against megabanks over fraudulent practices, deceptive lending, and predatory fees.
By choosing a community development bank or credit union, Americans can ensure that their money helps to build stronger communities and a better world.
ABOUT
Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses, investors, and consumers to solve today’s social and environmental problems. http://www.GreenAmerica.org
Third Act is a growing community of Americans aged 60 and older determined to change the world for the better. Third Act harnesses an unparalleled generational power to protect our climate and safeguard our democracy. Using our life experiences, skills, and resources, we unite to tackle the unfinished work of our lifetimes and ensure a safe and stable planet for generations to come. http://thirdact.org
MEDIA CONTACT: Parke Qua for Green America, (216) 276-2476 or pqua@hastingsgroupmedia.com
