SouthState Plans $8.3 Billion to Support Underserved Communities
3/25/2025 - Stories & Insights
WINTER HAVEN, Florida – March 25, 2025 – SouthState Bank today announced a five-year, $8.3 billion plan to meet the needs of underserved communities across the eight states the bank serves, including Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama and Virginia.
This plan builds on SouthState’s legacy of 90 years of fair banking practices and serving communities through volunteerism, engagement, investment and philanthropy.
The plan, which will span 2025-2029, was developed as a result of collaborative listening sessions in which more than 75 community leaders from seven states discussed the most pressing needs of their communities with SouthState and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC).
“As a leading regional bank in the South, I am proud of SouthState’s proactive outreach and partnership with community leaders, including those associated with NCRC, to solve the most pressing challenges facing our friends and neighbors in our communities,” said LeDon Jones, director of Corporate Stewardship. “This significant commitment underscores the importance we place on ensuring we continue to be excellent stewards, fair bankers and good corporate citizens.”
"Communities across the southeast, Texas and Colorado will benefit from the SouthState team's commitment to above-baseline mortgage and small business lending, which reflects SSB's dedication to listening to its customers," said Jesse Van Tol, president and CEO of NCRC. "This plan's transparency and accountability mechanisms -- including annual reports and state-level breakdowns of its lending goals -- demonstrate a robust commitment that stands as a model to others in the industry."
“SouthState has been a great partner throughout this process, showing a commitment to listening to community members and using the feedback to create a plan that reflects what they heard," said Katy Crosby, NCRC’s chief of Community Engagement and Institutional Accountability. "I do not doubt that our partnership moving forward will reflect the same as evidenced by their commitment to continue engaging in dialogue with local stakeholders through their footprint and using what they learn to make appropriate adjustments to products, services, and engagement. I am looking forward to our work together.”
Highlights of the five year plan include:
This plan builds on SouthState’s legacy of 90 years of fair banking practices and serving communities through volunteerism, engagement, investment and philanthropy.
The plan, which will span 2025-2029, was developed as a result of collaborative listening sessions in which more than 75 community leaders from seven states discussed the most pressing needs of their communities with SouthState and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC).
“As a leading regional bank in the South, I am proud of SouthState’s proactive outreach and partnership with community leaders, including those associated with NCRC, to solve the most pressing challenges facing our friends and neighbors in our communities,” said LeDon Jones, director of Corporate Stewardship. “This significant commitment underscores the importance we place on ensuring we continue to be excellent stewards, fair bankers and good corporate citizens.”
"Communities across the southeast, Texas and Colorado will benefit from the SouthState team's commitment to above-baseline mortgage and small business lending, which reflects SSB's dedication to listening to its customers," said Jesse Van Tol, president and CEO of NCRC. "This plan's transparency and accountability mechanisms -- including annual reports and state-level breakdowns of its lending goals -- demonstrate a robust commitment that stands as a model to others in the industry."
“SouthState has been a great partner throughout this process, showing a commitment to listening to community members and using the feedback to create a plan that reflects what they heard," said Katy Crosby, NCRC’s chief of Community Engagement and Institutional Accountability. "I do not doubt that our partnership moving forward will reflect the same as evidenced by their commitment to continue engaging in dialogue with local stakeholders through their footprint and using what they learn to make appropriate adjustments to products, services, and engagement. I am looking forward to our work together.”
Highlights of the five year plan include:
- SouthState will seek to originate an aggregate of $1.5 billion in home purchase, home refinance, and/or home improvement loans for historically underserved borrowers and in historically underserved communities.
- SouthState will seek to originate or purchase $3.2 billion in loans to businesses with less than $1 million in revenues in historically underserved communities.
- SouthState will seek to originate or invest $3.5 billion in community development loans and investments, as well as $25 million in CRA-eligible philanthropic contributions in the bank’s footprint that align with the bank’s Core Values and Guiding Principles.
- SouthState will continue encouraging and promoting employee volunteerism, as well as community partnership and leadership through programs like the bank’s Community Development Advocate program, local market listening sessions, and collaboration with community stakeholders such as NCRC through a new Community Advisory Council.
