At BankUnited, we give back to the communities in which we live and work because we believe vibrant communities sustain our neighborhoods and are the foundation of successful businesses. We are proud of the impact we have made in Florida and New York through our commitment to our customers, shareholders, employees and the communities we serve.
In 2022, we supported our communities with approximately 2,650 reported volunteer hours serving 110 community organizations and a total of approximately $2 million in grants, sponsorships and contributions to over 200 community and not-for-profit organizations.
Through our iCARE™ program, we have partnered with universities in our local markets to provide scholarships and internship programs, with a primary focus on minority students. We have established the ATOM Pink Tank program, a six-month leadership development program which creates opportunities for female students in STEM to build upon their technical and leadership skills, in partnership with Florida International University and engaged in several other community outreach initiatives and activities. For more information about our iCARE™ program, please visit here.
At December 31, 2022, we had 64 Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) eligible community development loans totaling approximately $329 million, including $59 million in affordable housing loans, and 538 CRA eligible small business loans totaling $146 million and $100 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credit Investments. Following its most recent CRA performance evaluation in October 2021, BankUnited received an overall rating of "Satisfactory."
We continue to invest in our digital platforms to enhance the banking experiences of our consumer and small business customers. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to us how valuable that investment is, as our customers were able to access many banking services without leaving their homes or offices.
Our digital banking app allows our customers to safely manage their accounts from anywhere at any time. Customers can check account balances, pay bills, transfer funds, pay friends and family and set up account alerts.
We are committed to supporting the growth and development of small businesses in our markets. We offer a variety of small business loan and deposit products. As a U.S. Small Business Administration Preferred Lender, we offer our clients several types of SBA loans, including 7(a), Express and 504 loans.
Partnerships with our key suppliers are integral to providing high quality banking services. Strong supplier partnerships including help elevate our brand and strengthen our competitive position.
We have a robust third-party risk management function that ensures proper management of the risks attendant to reliance on third parties in providing banking services and adherence to applicable regulatory requirements. Our third-party risk management framework encompasses initial and ongoing supplier due diligence, contract lifecycle management and performance monitoring.
As part of our commitment to partnering with innovative third-party suppliers, BankUnited places the utmost emphasis on the ethical behavior of the suppliers we contract with. In keeping with the high standards we hold ourselves to, we’ve developed the BankUnited Vendor Code of Conduct that outlines the expectations of our third-party suppliers.