ALAMOSA — First Southwest Bank is proud to announce the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund (CDFI Fund) recently granted First Southwest Bank more than $227,000 in Bank Enterprise Awards (BEA), the maximum amount presented for this award.

“This program is open to more than 5,700 FDIC-insured institutions and only 102 were awarded this year,” says Kent Curtis, First Southwest Bank CEO. “Truly notable, this award correlates to last year’s progress in aiding our underserved rural Colorado communities, and it is a cycle that gains more momentum each year.”

With plans to invest a portion of the funds into new leadership and entrepreneurial efforts in rural Colorado already underway, First Southwest Bank is eager to invest these funds back into the Doers of rural Colorado --- pioneering new models, markets, and businesses.

Curtis adds, “We’re ecstatic that we can support the dedicated entrepreneurial spirit of rural Colorado, play a role in investing where most banks rarely seek to lend, and proud of the hard work that sets us apart.”

Serving the San Luis Valley and rural Colorado for more than 100 years, First Southwest Bank offers personal and business banking at their seven branches, with an emphasis on businesses supporting rural communities. See fswb.com.