Southern Bancorp

About

In 1986, a group of business, political, and community leaders came together with a bold vision: to create economic opportunity in rural America by ensuring that underserved communities had access to affordable, responsible financial services. That vision gave birth to Southern Bancorp, one of America's oldest and largest Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). What started with an initial investment of approximately $10 million has grown into a $4.7 billion asset organization that has become a model for the entire CDFI industry. Today, Southern Bancorp operates more than 65 branches across Arkansas and Mississippi, serving over 65,000 customers. The organization is unique in that it combines traditional banking and lending services with financial development tools, public policy advocacy, and community partnership programs. As the only Certified B Corporation bank in Arkansas and Mississippi, Southern Bancorp balances purpose and profit by considering the impact of business decisions on workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. The organization is also a proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), joining a network of 67 banks from 40 countries dedicated to creating positive change through values-based banking. Southern Bancorp's mission is to be wealth builders for everyone in the communities they serve, regardless of where individuals are on their personal financial journey. Through services like credit and housing counseling, financial education workshops, homeownership programs, and small business lending, the organization helps families build lasting economic stability. The company has been recognized as Arkansas Business' Best Place to Work and one of America's top community development organizations, demonstrating that doing well financially and doing good for communities can go hand in hand.