Banreservas has been named Latin America’s best bank for corporate responsibility in 2025 for its wide-ranging and deeply embedded efforts to promote financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability and cultural development across the Dominican Republic in a way that sets the example across the region.
In 2024, the bank marked the tenth anniversary of its Preserva financial inclusion programme, a flagship initiative that has helped strengthen the financial skills of more than 390,000 Dominicans. Through workshops focused on savings, consumption and investment, the programme has contributed to a 10.9% increase in savings accounts and a 154.7% rise in checking accounts between 2020 and 2024.
Banreservas also expanded access to banking through its Bancarizar es Patria initiative. In 2024 alone, the bank held seven national banking education days, opening 6,525 inclusive digital and basic accounts and 211 children’s savings accounts.
Support for entrepreneurship remains a core focus. The Cree Banreservas programme evaluated 366 entrepreneurship projects in 2024, selecting four for financial support totalling RD$17 million (approximately $279,000). The programme also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Young Americas Business Trust and the Organisation of American States to support young entrepreneurs.
The Coopera programme, which promotes the development of social economy enterprises, trained 3,295 producers from 65 social enterprises in 2024. These efforts are designed to improve business management and foster cooperative structures that can sustain long-term economic growth.
Banreservas’s commitment to education and inclusion extends to its workforce. In 2024, the bank delivered 77 training sessions to 2,237 employees on gender, disability inclusion, sustainability and environmental management. It also began work on ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system.
Environmental sustainability is another area where Banreservas has made measurable progress. Through its Recycling Route initiative, the bank recycled more than 558,000 pounds of solid waste in 2024, supported by 3,000 recycling stations across its locations. As a result, 62 branches have been certified under the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) programme.
The bank’s strategy is not only about delivering services but also about building capacity, fostering inclusion and promoting long-term wellbeing
The bank’s Voluntariado Banreservas programme plays a central role in its community engagement. In 2024, it extracted 129,544 pounds of plastic from the Ozama and Yaque del Norte rivers and planted 9,300 trees during its annual reforestation days. It also awarded scholarships to 83 high-achieving students from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds through the Reserves of the Future programme.
Voluntariado Banreservas also supports women’s empowerment through partnerships with organisations such as Pepsico Dominicana and the Foundation for Economic and Social Development. The Women with Purpose programme provides free training to help women improve their job prospects and business performance.
The bank’s cultural contributions are equally significant. The Banreservas Cultural Centre allocated more than RD$25 million to events supporting the preservation of cultural heritage, including theatre seasons, film cycles and a cultural heritage congress.
In total, Banreservas’s CSR budget for 2024 reached RD$190 million, supporting initiatives in financial education, entrepreneurship and cultural development. Its philanthropic efforts extended to 28 provinces, impacting more than 247,000 families.
The bank’s organisational structure reflects the scale of its commitment. A team of 48 employees is involved in sustainability and social responsibility initiatives, distributed across divisions focused on financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, cooperative development, monitoring and strategy. The Voluntariado Banreservas programme acts as a key ally, identifying and addressing the needs of vulnerable communities.
Banreservas’s approach is holistic and integrated. Its sustainability and social responsibility committee oversees all programmes, ensuring alignment with national development goals. The bank’s strategy is not only about delivering services but also about building capacity, fostering inclusion and promoting long-term wellbeing.
As the Dominican Republic’s largest bank, Banreservas has used its scale and reach to deliver tangible impact. Its initiatives are not one-offs but part of a sustained effort to embed responsibility into every aspect of its operations. Whether through financial education, environmental stewardship or cultural investment, the bank continues to demonstrate that corporate responsibility is central to its mission.
