In the Community. Of the Community. For the Community.

Our History

In 1960, many banks left the Bronx, labeling it a "community in decline." Fortunately, our founders, migrants from Puerto Rico, saw nothing
but the potential of a proud neighborhood anchored by a strong immigrant work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.

They saw that all it needed was financial investment and vowed to provide it. Today, our designation
as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Minority Owned Depository Institution (MDI) certifies our commitment
as an investor in the future of our communities. Ponce Bank is where neighbors envision their future, pursue their dreams, and celebrate every
step along the way.

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Purpose

Our purpose is to help our neighbors prosper by providing banking services, financial education, community building initiatives and partnership that allow them to dream and achieve vibrant futures. 
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Mission

We're on a mission to prove that Community Banking is a powerful engine for social equity. 
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Our Vision is to be:

  • A financial institution with every $5 billion in assets
  • Consistently earning a return on average assets of at least 1%
  • Recognized as an employer of choice
  • A trusted and indispensable asset to the communities we serve
  • A place where every customer is supported and empowered by a dedicated Ponce Banker
National - Large Community Banks - Gray

Ponce Bank has been recognized by S&P Global Market Intelligence as one of the Top 50 Best-Performing U.S. Community Banks of 2025, ranking #40 nationally in the $3 billion to $10 billion asset category.

As a Minority Depository Institution (MDI) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), this achievement reflects our belief that strong financial performance and deep community commitment go hand in hand.

Founded by migrants from Puerto Rico back in 1960, today we are a certified Minority Depository Institution!
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1960
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1990
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2023
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2024
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Skyline of buildings along Central Park West viewed from above Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in New York City.

Bank with a CDFI

Ponce Bank earned the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) distinction by investing over 75% of our loans in the communities we serve. Our CDFI designation from the US Department of the Treasury certifies our role as an investor in the future of underbanked communities.

#1 in Housing Focus

Ponce Bank is ranked among the top CDFIs

#2 in Loans in LMI Communities

#5 in Total Loans

CDFIs Invest Money in Your Community

CDFIs use the deposits from customers to make loans that support local businesses and finance the dream of home ownership within the community. By lending your dollars here in the com-munity, we help your neighbors grow and thrive. So when customers bank with Ponce Bank, they’re putting money right back into your own neighborhood.

CDFIs Are Engines for Social Justice

CDFIs were founded as part of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. We combat the systematic disenfranchisement of people based on race, origin, or where they live, by addressing the inequalities in banking and economic development.

CDFIs Are Accountable

CDFIs are mandated and monitored to dedicate at least 60% of their lending to low- and low-to-moderate income (LMI) communities in order to achieve this certification. In fact, in 2023 alone, 75% of the dollars Ponce Bank loaned were in these designated communities, easily surpassing the 60% minimum.

 

75%

of loans

We invest over 75% of our loans in low to moderate income neighborhoods.
60+

Years of Service

We have served the New York City Metro Area for more than 60 years.
#1

Nationwide

National Community Investment Fund rated us #1 for lending in low to moderate income communities among Community Development Financial Institutions.1

Proud to Be Designated a Minority Depository Institution (MDI)

We’re proud to be one of fewer than 40 banks in the US to be certified both CDFI and MDI.

We’re proud to be one of fewer than 40 banks in the U.S. certified as both a CDFI and an MDI. A majority of our Board of Directors are people of color, and we primarily serve minority communities. We’re committed to delivering concierge-level banking to individuals and communities too often overlooked by traditional financial institutions.

Language access is central to how we serve. A majority of Ponce Bankers speak Spanish, and across our network we speak more than a dozen languages—helping us provide banking that is accessible, personal, and inclusive.

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Don’t let your money be misused

At Ponce Bank we live in your neighborhood and we’ve seen the outsized impact that climate change and poor environmental stewardship has on our communities. From the deadly flooding of Hurricane Ida to the punishing heat of our hottest summer on record, our neighbors suffer more than most. We won’t invest your money in fossil fuel extraction and are committed to a variety of environmental programs to help reduce the impact of climate change on our neighbors and friends.!