With your participation, we donated a total of $23,990.28 to local school nutrition programs.
Want to help in 2023? Switch today! Every time you use your SBSI Community Debit Card for a non-ATM transaction, we will donate to one of our local school and nutrition programs. It’s free. It’s easy. And it could make a difference in a student’s life.
Learn more about each participating school program by clicking on the cards in the gallery below:
Why school food and nutrition programs?
Statewide, 38.8% of students attending Maine schools are eligible for free or reduced lunch. According to the National Education Association, child nutrition is a critical factor in development and achievement. Eating breakfast at school helps children perform better, have better attendance, and exhibit fewer behavior problems.
| School System | 2021-22 Transaction Donation | Total Program Donations To Date |
|---|---|---|
| Biddeford Public Schools | $3,804.60 | $12,856.88 |
| Old Orchard Beach (RSU 23) | $8,264.24 | $27,401.24 |
| Saco Public Schools & Thornton Academy | $8,096.92 | $28,243.40 |
| Scarborough Public Schools | $1,837.28 | $5,956.20 |
| South Portland Public Schools | $1,604.60 | $3,560.32 |
| Westbrook Public Schools | $3,080.32 | $10,116.88 |
| Total Donations | $26,687.96 | $88,134.92 |
| School Enrollment | Free Lunch | Reduced Lunch |
|---|---|---|
| 153,140 | 52,475 (34.27%) | 6,940 (4.53%) |
Information from Maine Department of Education:
An interchange fee is a fee paid to the issuing bank of a debit or credit card program by the merchants that process debit or credit transactions. The fee is intended to cover handling costs, fraud losses, or other risks associated with approving debit/credit transactions.
Any non-ATM transaction counts toward the program. This includes: Card-present transactions (swiped or dipped in stores), online, mail, and phone purchases. It does not include a withdrawal, balance inquiry, or transfer made at an ATM.
Yes, your card number will need to change. This is to ensure that your eligible transactions are being given to the school program of your choice (participating programs only).
You can use the SBSI Community Debit Card just like a traditional debit card for purchases and ATM access.
For every non-ATM transaction you make with your SBSI Community Debit Card, we will donate a percentage of the interchange fee to your local school’s food and nutrition program.
These cards are available at no cost to you. Just visit any of our locations and a new card can be printed for you instantly! Want to support the Biddeford program? Get the Tiger Pride Debit Card! Live in Westbrook? Support the Blue Blazes!
For details on all communities involved in the program, please see the "Where is my money going?" question below, or click on a card in the gallery above to learn more.
Each SBSI Community Debit Card benefits one of the five participating communities' food programs and/or nutrition programs for students who need assistance. A portion of the bank’s interchange earned for qualifying transactions will be donated to the appropriate school program each year. Please see the key below to learn about each individual card:
You can get the SBSI Community Debit Card of your choice by visiting any of our branch locations. We will print your new card instantly… at no cost to you!
For security reasons to our customers as well as liability to the bank, SBSI does not typically issue more than one card to the same customer on an individual account. However, if you have multiple checking accounts with SBSI, you can have a different school issued for each account. Also, each account owner can select their own card design. (The bank is not responsible for any rivalry arguments that may ensue as a result!)
At this time, the individual school logos are not able to be added to mobile wallets. The card will instead appear with our standard green logo design. However, your community card will still work with each of the apps, and any qualifying purchases made using mobile wallets will still count towards your school program!
