When We Give, Good Grows Here: BMO Kicks Off the 2023 Employee Giving Campaign

Giving to communities and the organizations that sustain them and supporting our employees’ giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO’s Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, and a key part of our culture.  

BMO’s employee giving campaign is industry leading and our colleagues are an integral part of the movement. 

Over the past decade, BMO employees have donated more than $200 million to charities across Canada, the U.S., and beyond to support the causes that are important to them. 

Here are a few of those employees, who exemplify BMO’s giving culture, inspiring colleagues to Grow the Good in our communities.  

Why I give

“My son lives with ADHD and other elements of neurodiversity. Living with ADHD can be hard, so for over two decades I have been advocating for and supporting my son and other people impacted by ADHD. I’m proud to continue my advocacy work as the Global Co- Chair for BMO Without Barriers, and as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada.”

– Faelyne Templer
People, Culture & Brand, Toronto

“I’ve been involved in community outreach programs since childhood and am deeply committed to community service. By volunteering with The Black Professionals in Tech Network, JA Canada and Rotary International, I am building a more inclusive and equitable society.”

– Ivan Vugampore 
North American Personal & Business Banking, Toronto

“I believe in our collective power to bring positive change. My passion is gardening and tree planting projects in the community, particularly to support local climate resiliency programs. I’m also proud to support education programs with young people in my community, as financial literacy is a critical skill to help us live better.” 

– Nikki Tran-Delleva
North American Personal & Business Banking, San Francisco

“The notion of everyone having a safe place to live inspires me tremendously. That’s why I volunteer with Solano Napa Habitat for Humanity, who give low-income families and households the opportunity to be homeowners. Serving as an executive board member and treasurer, finance committee chair, I am playing a small role in addressing the shortage of affordable housing in my community.”

– Guneet Bains-Ajmani 
Wealth Management, San Francisco

“For decades, I have been volunteering by lending my professional expertise to Working Solutions, the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, and Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley (RTSV). I deeply connect with the mission of these organizations that tie to my profession, my ethnicity, and aging parents (respectively), with RTSV helping aging homeowners live safely and with pride by giving their homes a ‘facelift’.”

– Steven Martinez 
BMO Commercial Bank, San Francisco 

“BMO’s Employee Giving program is a great platform for me to donate time and money to the causes I care about. I have served on the board of What About Us, a charitable enterprise, and was a Grand Master in the Free Mason Fraternity for over a decade. What I am most proud of is a holiday season bike raffle where we ended up with the double the number of children than expected. So, I promised that they will all have bicycles and within two months, they did.”

– Henry Ollie 
Technology & Operations, Chicago

“As a child I was inspired by my father’s devotion to serving others. I am proud to serve on the Board of Directors of Elim, where they seek to educate and equip families, schools, and the local community to better support people with disabilities, creating an opportunity for each person to flourish.”

– Ross Van Drunen 
Enterprise Risk and Portfolio Management, Chicago

“Social equity is fundamental to a thriving and inclusive community. This has led me to work with organizations that are addressing racial injustice, poverty, and sexism. I support by donating funds and creating awareness and understanding around the barriers and biases faced by marginalized groups. I am also on the board of Inspiration Corporation, an organization that works with Chicagoans experiencing homelessness and poverty.”

– La’Shawn Hill 
People, Culture & Brand, Chicago

“Several years ago, I was suffering from deep depression, and I stumbled upon The Trevor Project who saved my life. They do life-saving work, providing 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ youth. I support The Trevor Project, so they can continue to do for others what they did for me”

– Marietta Marquez 
North American Personal & Business Banking, Chicago

BMO thanks you and hundreds of colleagues across North America for Growing the Good in our communities, for the future, and for all! Because when we give, good grows here.