goBeyondProfit, a first-of-its-kind business leader initiative that inspires business generosity, today announced it has honored Fitzgerald-based Colony Bank and its CEO, Heath Fountain, with the goBeyondProfit Champion Award.

Founded in 1975, Colony Bank has grown to nearly 40 offices throughout Georgia, 500 team members, and $3 billion in assets. Colony Bank and its CEO Heath Fountain were nominated and selected by fellow Georgia business leaders as a goBeyondProfit Champion for their demonstrated commitment to a larger purpose beyond the bottom line.

In our interview with Colony Bank CEO, Heath Fountain, he clearly articulates not only the role that community banks play in improving lives but also offers practical ways to connect daily tasks and customer interactions back to the purpose.

“We don’t want to just write a check and walk away,” says Heath Fountain, CEO of Colony Bank. “We want to be investing in the things that our team members support, that our customers support. The foundation of the community banking system is about giving back and it’s certainly what we try to do here at Colony Bank.”

In an interview with goBeyondProfit, Heath Fountain shared his perspective on the importance of intentional leadership as well as specifics on how to communicate purpose across a dispersed workforce. See the full interview here: www.gobeyondprofit.org/champion

“As an industry we haven’t done a great job of helping connect people back to this idea of a larger purpose beyond profit,” said Fountain. “It’s more important to the younger generation. They want to be a part of something bigger, and we really offer that in community banking at Colony.”

“Each goBeyondProfit Champion has a story of exceptional generosity.” said goBeyondProfit president, Megan McCamey. “Thanks to Heath’s leadership, Colony Bank deliberately infuses purpose into every aspect of daily business and communications. As a result, Colony Bank demonstrates a unique consistency in purpose and generosity across their entire footprint.” 

This sense of investing in local communities manifests itself in the ways Colony Bank gives back: 

• Financial Literacy Programs in over 20 schools giving more than 5,000 students a foundation in basic personal finance in partnership with the Dave Ramsey Organization.

• Colony Leadership Academy is a year-long youth leadership program tailored for high school juniors and seniors. With 40-50 students participating each year, the program utilizes professional leadership trainers through UGA’s Fanning Institute and provides exposure to various industries including business, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and the military.

• In 2023, Colony Bank donated $195,000 to support nine local schools through the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program.

• Colony Bank has donated a total of $900,000 to the Georgia HEART Hospital Program to help rural hospitals improve healthcare delivery in local communities.

Past goBeyondProfit Champion award winners include Gas South, Creature Comforts Brewing, H.J. Russell & Company, Aflac, W&A Engineering, Cox Enterprises, Herschend Enterprises, Chick-fil-A, Signature FD, Vector Global Logistics. Including this year’s award winners: Goodr, and Sunnyland Farms.