BMO Celebrates Pride with the Return of "Rainbow Deposits" in support of Rainbow Railroad

• BMO Rainbow Deposits campaign invites people to share pictures of rainbows on social media to raise funds and drive progress for an inclusive society through Rainbow Railroad
• BMO will have Pride activations at the San Francisco Pride parade, Los Angeles Football Club, and Angel City Football Club home games

TORONTO and CHICAGO, June 1, 2023 /CNW/ - BMO is kicking off the second year of its Pride-themed "Rainbow Deposits" campaign, today through August 31. Canadians and Americans are invited to "deposit" pictures of rainbows using the BMO Rainbow Deposits web app at www.BMORainbowDeposits.com and share on social media using the hashtag #BMOPride. For every rainbow deposited, BMO will donate $1 to Rainbow Railroad, up to $50,000 CAD.

BMO Rainbow Deposits is Back

Rainbow Railroad is a global non-profit organization that helps at-risk members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community get to safety. Since its inception in 2006, Rainbow Railroad has helped more than 9,263 2SLGBTQ+ individuals from 69 different countries.      

"At BMO, we're dedicated to fostering an environment where all colleagues and customers are valued, respected and heard – where everyone feels that they belong and can show up as their authentic self," said John McNain, Head, Canadian Personal Banking Products and Experience, and a Director of Rainbow Railroad. "We encourage everyone to deposit multiple rainbows over the summer and be a part of this exciting initiative that closely aligns with BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. The deposits will translate into tangible, life-saving support for 2SLGBTQ+ people in need. Rainbow Railroad has many requests for help, and BMO's donation of $1 for every rainbow deposited will support Rainbow Railroad's ability to help even more people find safety through emergency relocation and other forms of assistance and drive progress for an inclusive society."

New this year, BMO will have Pride activations at BMO Fanfest at the Los Angeles Football Club and Angel City Football Club home games on June 24 and 25. Following the Bank of the West's long-time presence as a Celebratory Sponsor at the San Francisco Pride parade, BMO has elevated its participation this year to a Platinum Sponsor.

"We're deeply grateful for BMO's partnership and continued support of our mission of helping at-risk LGBTQI+ individuals get to safety," said Dane Bland, Head of Development, Rainbow Railroad. "The Rainbow Deposits campaign was a huge success last year, raising key funds and awareness for Rainbow Railroad's mission. Pride, for us, is about solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ people we help every year — and we are excited BMO will bring this spirit to more people across North America this year!"

Rainbow Deposits is just one way BMO is supporting Pride and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The bank's longstanding commitment includes more than two decades of support. Highlights include:

• For the fifth consecutive year, BMO U.S. was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as an industry leader in 2SLGBTQ+ workplace equality – receiving a score of 100 on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI).
• BMO is proud to have a long history of sponsoring Pride-related events in communities across North America – including the pride & remembrance run in Toronto which BMO has sponsored for 27 years. The run raises funds to support 2SLGBTQ+ organizations and fosters community spirit, goodwill, volunteerism, and sportsmanship in the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ community.
• The BMO Pride Employee Resource Group, consisting of 2,100 2SLGBTQ+ and ally employees guides the bank's commemoration and celebration of Pride. BMO Pride is an enterprise-wide group of 2SLGBTQ+ and ally employees committed to promoting an equitable and inclusive environment for all.
• BMO Road to Allyship training program was created for BMO employees who want to be supportive of their 2SLGBTQ+ colleagues. The course offers steps and resources that help to strengthen their ability to stand up for others.
• Mastercard's True Name™ enables transgender and non-binary individuals to use their chosen name across BMO banking cards without the requirement of a legal name change – BMO was the first financial institution to issue the cards in Canada and the U.S. Recently, Bank Administration Institute recognized BMO in its 2022 BAI Global Innovation Awards for an Honorable Mention – Innovation in Diversity Equity and Inclusion for the bank's True Name partnership with Mastercard.
• BMO illustrates its commitment to creating safe, inclusive spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ colleagues and customers with the "Respecting Pronouns: The Importance of Inclusion" training initiative launching in June.

More information on BMO's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments, can be found here.

About BMO Financial Group

BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.25 trillion as of April 30, 2023. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to over 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future and inclusive society.

About Rainbow Railroad

Headquartered in New York and Toronto, Rainbow Railroad is an international charitable organization that helps LGBTQI+ people seeking safe haven from state-enabled violence and persecution in countries where same-sex intimacy and diverse gender expressions and sex characteristics are criminalized. Rainbow Railroad is a registered Canadian charity and 501(c)3 organization in the USA. For more on Rainbow Railroad, visit www.rainbowrailroad.org.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

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