UMB Bank officially entered the Arizona market in 2005 and since then our associates have held a strong commitment to nonprofit, civic board and committee service, all of which are a cornerstone of our culture.
Organizations we support in the Arizona community
Throughout our nearly 20 years in Arizona, we have been involved in the community through our associates’ work with a variety of nonprofit organizations such as Teach for America‡, PCH50‡, Scottsdale Saguaros‡, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona‡, Thunderbirds Charities‡, Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jacket Committee‡, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Scottsdale‡, Sojourner Center‡ and the American Cancer Society‡ to name a few. Below, we take a closer look at some of these nonprofits and how our associates help serve the people and communities of Arizona.
Teach for America
Teach for America (TFA) recruits a diverse network of outstanding leaders to teach in classrooms for two years in low-income communities, where they tackle the challenges of expanding opportunities for children across the nation. Robert Faver, president of UMB Bank Arizona, was inspired to get involved in TFA by the great teachers he had growing up —including his family of educators.
“My sister is a special education teacher, my mom is a school counselor and my dad is a teacher, so I hear about the challenges they face and want to help in any way I can. Education is how we change people’s way of life, and every year at the TFA celebration dinner we can see and hear just how impactful these TFA educators are for students.”
TFA is focused on meeting communities and families where they are and helping them get to where they want to be – a mission that is reflected at UMB.
PCH50
PCH50’s mission is to harness the energy, enthusiasm and experience of 50 driven community leaders to support Phoenix Children’s Hospital through financial fundraising, volunteer efforts and awareness building. Since 2017, the organization has raised more than $3 million for Phoenix Children’s Hospital with signature events like Off the Record‡ and Pickle for PCH‡. This year, the organization is raising money equip ambulances and hire staff so the hospital can create a pediatric transport unit.
Kyle McMillian, senior vice president, commercial loan officer at UMB Bank, explains, “PCH50 is a fairly new organization that a client and founding member introduced me to.. Once I heard about the mission of the organization, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of for my own young children.”
While Kyle is still new to the organization, he has already involved his friends and shared the impact of the hospital and PCH50 with his fellow associates.
Scottsdale Saguaros
Scottdale Saguaros (formerly Scottsdale Active 20/30 Club) has served the Arizona community for nearly 35 years and hosts large fundraising events that offer both service and fun while supporting local children in need. In 2023, the Scottsdale Saguaros announced grants totaling $1.76 million to organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale‡, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center‡, Playworks‡, Gabriel’s Angels‡, Wigged Out‡ and more.
McMillian has been involved with this organization for a couple years and has held several roles including his current position as the chair of the Children’s Charities Board. “My time with Saguaros is coming to an end, as it is only offered to people 40 years old and younger, but my favorite memory comes from when I was president in 2019. I challenged the members to raise $1 million, which had never been done before, and wagered a tattoo if the milestone was hit. I now proudly have “$1.3MM” tattooed on my ankle,” says McMillian.
Thunderbird Charities
Thunderbirds Charities is comprised of 55 civic-minded members who have shown a sincere interest in sports and a dedication to community affairs. John Damiris, senior vice president and commercial banking team lead at UMB Bank in Phoenix, is a member of the nonprofit organization and has helped with events like the WM Phoenix Open‡ and contributed to the Thunderbirds donation of $14 million to a variety of local charities last year.
“The WM Phoenix Open allows professional athletes and celebrities to come together to raise money for deserving organizations. I got the opportunity to run the Shot at Glory event in 2021, where professional golfers try to get a hole in one to earn even more money for local charities and the crowd really gets into it – it is a fun and rewarding hour and a half,” says Damiris. The WM Phoenix Open happens every year in February and has been around for 88 years.
Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jacket Committee
The Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jacket Committee is a special group comprised of people who are committed to making a positive impact in the Arizona community, while delivering world-class hospitality to every guest at the elite college football bowl games. McMillian earned his yellow jacket in 2021 and currently serves on the media operations subcommittee. This yellow honor was passed down to him from John Damiris, as UMB associates continue to support this committee. McMillian and Damiris have been able to assist the Fiesta Bowl in its mission to provide charitable resources to the Arizona community through economic drivers like college football bowl experiences and various local events.
A culture built around community involvement
At UMB, we are passionate about supporting the community every day of the year and do so through an array of associate initiatives, drives, fundraisers, matching gifts and grants. Last year, our associates donated nearly $518,000 to 890 different nonprofit organizations across our eight-state footprint and matched the donations with $215,000.
“There has always been a big push at UMB for associates to be active in their communities and UMB backs up this initiative in many ways, which include financial donations and sponsorships,” says McMillian. We strive to always be a company that puts action behind words and support the issues and causes our associates care deeply about.
We empower our associates to support the causes they care about by offering them volunteer time off (VTO), two paid days off to volunteer their time and services. By getting involved in the community together through our VTO days, we can connect not only with the community, but also with one another and as a team.
The Arizona team comes together for a big volunteer event twice a year to support the American Cancer Society‡ through their Climb to Conquer Cancer‡ event and work with Southwest Human Development‡ by participating in their Gingerbread Kids Holiday Gift Drive‡ to provide gifts and holiday cheer to children who need it most. UMB encourages associates to better their communities and give them the time to do so while backing up their involvement with financial support.
“It is a privilege to work for a company that allows its associates to make a difference not only in the lives of their clients, but also the lives of Arizona community members and beyond.” –Robert Faver
Meet a few of your Arizona associates
We are excited for you to better get to know a few of our associates who are making a difference and serving the Arizona community.
Robert Faver
Robert Faver joined UMB in 2011 and has 29 years of experience in the financial services industry and a huge passion for giving back. A third generation Arizona native, Robert has spent his career serving Arizona businesses, community members and is active on various community boards. He is currently a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Scottsdale and a board member for both the Phoenix Art Museum and TFA in Phoenix.
John Damiris
John Damiris has been with the company for nearly two decades, dedicating the majority of his adult life to his clients and the Phoenix community. John began his career with UMB when it was only a $6 billion bank—and he has watched it grow over the years to a $44 billion bank. Just like the bank has expanded, John has also grown both professionally and personally. Since moving to Arizona in 2016, John has become fully entrenched in Phoenix’s community, watched his family learn and adapt to new challenges and continued to help expand UMB’s presence in this ever-evolving atmosphere.
Kyle McMillian
Kyle McMillian has an unusual career path, as he has spent his entire post-college career at UMB Bank and recently celebrated 17 years of service . He was one of the first UMB associates in the Arizona market where he’s helped grow the brand and expand the bank’s book of business over the last 15 years, primarily in Phoenix. Through his involvement with organizations like Scottdale Saguaros and PCH50, Kyle found his passion for improving the lives of Arizona youth, which continues to be a driving force in his life.
Community is at the heart of everything we do, and we take pride in amplifying the causes close to our associates. Our commitment to the prosperity of the communities we serve is one we have held for more than a century, and we cannot wait to see how our Arizona associates find ways to further enrich and support their communities in the future.
In 2022, UMB donated a total of $2 million to nonprofit organizations across its regional footprint, including a large contribution of $550,000 to BankWork$‡ (a CareerWork$‡ program), an organization that serves the Phoenix, Dallas and Denver communities. To learn more about UMB and our connections to the communities we serve, visit our community involvement page and follow us on Facebook‡ and LinkedIn‡.
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