"Giving back to our society is a big part of who we are," said Craig. "For the coming year we are challenging ourselves further and will be the first business in B.C. to participate in the Seeing is Believing program."

Seeing is Believing is a collaborative approach to develop social, economic, and environmental capacity by inviting business leaders to discover first hand, how they can play a role in addressing some of these concerns. Coast Capital Savings has also launched a new corporate volunteer program that provides staff with paid time to volunteer and provide their expertise to worthy causes.

The Imagine Caring Company program started in 1988 and quickly became Canada's national program to promote public and corporate giving, volunteering and support for the community. It provides a leadership benchmark for business to give at least one per cent of pre-tax profits to community, promoting and encouraging collaborative partnerships between companies, nonprofits and charities. The Caring Company program is part of Imagine Canada, a new national organization launched in January 2005 that supports Canada's charities, nonprofit organizations and community-minded businesses and gives voice to the work that they do.

Coast Capital Savings is Canada's second largest credit union with $7.2 billion in assets, 300,000 members and 46 branches across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. Coast Capital Savings is listed among Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies. The credit union, designated as a Caring Company by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, has been recognized on numerous occasions for its community involvement. It received the United Way Organizational Support Award for its dedication to local communities and the Ethics in Action Award for Overall Leadership.