Compare socially responsible banks for your savings

Socially responsible banks make a positive impact on society because they allow you to control what your dollars support when you choose to stash them in an ethical bank account for your savings. While some banks might not have an ethical savings account specifically, they might use its dollars to support green causes.

Compare ethical savings accounts

These ethical banks and alternatives let you align your money with important causes.

Discover Online Savings Account

4.6

★★★★★

Finder score

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Discover Online Savings Account made this list of ethical savings accounts because the bank has invested over $14 million in financial literacy programs for high schoolers, including more than $1 million in Chicago Public Schools.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Competitive APY. You'll earn 4.35% APY on your total balance, a rate that's considerably higher than traditional accounts.
  • No hidden fees. Discover doesn't charge anything for monthly fees, excessive transactions, overdrafts, account closures and more. You can also open an account with any amount.
  • Auto Redemption feature. If you have a Discover Cashback checking account, you can have your bonuses automatically deposited into your savings account each month.

  Cons

  • Limited deposits options. As with most online banks, you can't deposit cash or travelers checks. That said, you can still do direct deposits, online transfers and mobile check deposits.
  • Not directly ethical. Discover Online Savings Account isn't a socially responsible bank account, but your dollars still go to support improving financial literacy in US high schools.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	4.35%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$0
  Monthly transaction limit	6
  Fee per transaction over the limit	$0

APY	4.35%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$0

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American Express® High Yield Savings Account

4.9

★★★★★

Finder score

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The American Express® High Yield Savings Account made this list because American Express uses 100% renewable energy in US data centers and has donated over $65 million to preserve historic sites across the US.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Earn 4.30% APY
  • $0 monthly fees
  • $0 minimum opening deposit

  Cons

  • No in-person support

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	4.30%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$1
  Fee per transaction over the limit	$0

Partner terms and conditions

Member FDIC

APY	4.30%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$0

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Ando Savings

3.8

★★★★★

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Ando is fighting back against climate change by pledging to use 100% of its investments to fund green initiatives that support sustainable transportation, regenerative agriculture, clean energy and more. Track how your money is making a difference from the Impact Center in the mobile app. The savings account is free to open, but you'll need to open the Ando checking account first.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • No monthly fees. Ando doesn't charge anything for monthly maintenance, transfers, excessive transactions or overdrafts, making this savings account completely free.
  • Banking for good. Ando promises that 100% of its investments actively reduce emissions and fight climate change. You can track what Ando does with your money in the mobile app.

  Cons

  • Requires Ando checking account. You must open this account in conjunction with the Ando checking account, which could be a drawback if you already have a checking account you love.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	5.00%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$0.01
  Monthly transaction limit	6

APY	5.00%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$0

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Ally Bank Savings Account

4.8

★★★★★

Finder score

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Ally Bank supports its local community by offering grants to Charlotte and Detroit-based nonprofits offering affordable housing, financial education and workforce preparedness.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Earns interest. Your savings grows unhindered with a 4.25% APY on your total balance. This is hard to beat considering traditional savings accounts earn around 0.01% APY.
  • Four savings tools. Reach your savings goals faster with automatic deposits, savings buckets, checking account analyses and debit card round-ups.
  • No hidden fees. Ally prides itself on transparency and doesn't charge any fees for monthly maintenance, incoming wires, cashier's checks and account closures.

  Cons

  • 30 days to fund the account. You can technically open this account with $0, but Ally will close it if you haven't funded it within 30 days.
  • Not directly ethical. Ally Savings doesn't give you a direct way to be socially responsible with your money, but the bank uses its profits to support charities in Charlotte and Detroit.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	4.25%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$0
  Monthly transaction limit	6
  Fee per transaction over the limit	$10

APY	4.25%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$0

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Capital One 360 Performance Savings

4.8

★★★★★

Finder score

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Capital One puts a focus on the environment by operating on 100% renewable energy. It also uses 95% environmentally preferred paper and sponsors a local Dress for Success program that provides low-income women with professional attire to use for job interviews.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Convenient deposit methods. In addition to direct deposit, ACH transfers and mobile check deposits, you can also deposit checks or cash at certain Capital One ATMs.
  • Competitive interest rate. You'll earn a 4.3% APY on every penny you deposit into your Capital One 360 Performance Savings account.
  • Automatic Savings Plan. Set up a Capital One 360 checking account and have money automatically deposited into savings each time you get paid.

  Cons

  • Deposit holds. While cash deposits, ACH transfers and wire transfers hit your account the same day, checks from other banks can take up four business days to process.
  • Not directly ethical. This Capital One savings account isn't ethical in the traditional sense, but the bank runs on 100% renewable energy and uses funds to support local charities.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	4.30%
  Interest compounding	Monthly
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$0
  Monthly transaction limit	6
  Fee per transaction over the limit	$0

APY	4.30%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$0

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Alliant High-Rate Savings

4.3

★★★★★

Finder score

$5 opening deposit is paid for you

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Alliant Credit Union offers financial literacy classes in the Chicago area. It also matches each employee's charitable giving up to $200 per year and underwrites educational grants, reading program funding and school supply drives.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Alliant pays your opening deposit. There's a $5 opening deposit for this account, but Alliant pays it on your behalf if you're a new member.
  • ATM card. Unlike most savings accounts, this one comes with an optional ATM card to withdraw cash on the go. You'll also get a free replacement if your card is lost or stolen.
  • Supplemental savings accounts. Open as many Alliant supplemental savings accounts as you want to save for an emergency fund, travel, new car and anything else.

  Cons

  • APY requirements. You must keep at least $100 in your account to earn interest. If your balance drops below $5, Alliant may close your account.
  • Miscellaneous fees. You'll pay $50 for outgoing international wire transfers, $10 for account inactivity, $5 for ACH transfers initiated by phone and more.
  • Not directly ethical. Alliant High-Rate Savings isn't a socially responsible bank account, but this credit union uses its dollars to better the Chicago community.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	3.10%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$100
  Monthly transaction limit	6

APY	3.10%
Fee	$1 per month (can be waived)
Minimum deposit to open	$5

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Aspiration Spend & Save Account

4.2

★★★★★

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Aspiration is a Certified B-Corp, member of 1% For The Planet and it donates 10% of its profits to charity each year. It offers a socially responsible cash management account that rolls your spending and savings into one. But you'll need to pay a monthly fee for its Plus account if you want to earn it's highest rate at APY.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Track your spending impact. Use the Aspiration Impact Measurement app to track the environmental impact of your spending.
  • Plant Your Change. Opt in for this feature and your debit card purchases get rounded to the nearest dollar. For every dollar, Aspiration plants a tree.
  • Free ATM withdrawals. Aspiration reimburses one out-of-network ATM fee a month for Plus members.
  • Optional monthly fee. There's no mandatory monthly fee for the basic Aspiration plan. But if you open the Plus plan, you'll pay $7.99 or $5.99 a month if you pay annually.

  Cons

  • APY requirements. To earn on your Save balance, you must sign up for the Plus account, maintain less than $10,000 and spend at least at least $500 a month with your Aspiration debit card.
  • Required bank account. To sign up with Aspiration, you'll need to link your existing bank account. There's no way around this.

• More details

  APY	3.00% on balances of $0 to $10,000 1.00% on balances of $0 to $10,000
  Rewards	Unlimited cash back rewards on debit card transactions, plus extra cash back at businesses with high AIM scores
  Fee	From $0 per month
  Nonsufficient funds fee	$0
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	1%
  Overdraft fee	$0

APY	Up to 3.00%
Fee	From $0 per month
Minimum deposit to open	$10

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Amalgamated Bank Give-Back Savings

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Amalgamated Bank is a Certified B-Corp and member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV). With its Give-Back Savings account, it will match half the interest earned on your account each month and donate it to a charity of your choice. So, if you earn $20 in interest, the bank donates $10.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Support a charity of your choice. You get to choose which charity your matched-interest goes to each month.
  • No balance requirements. You don't need to maintain a certain balance to open this account or earn 0.35% interest.
  • Large ATM network. Each savings account comes with an ATM card that gives you access to over 55,000 ATMs in the Allpoint network.

  Cons

  • Can't open it online. You must visit an Amalgamated Bank branch to open this account.
  • Limited branch locations. This bank has about 13 branches spread across New York state, Washington, D.C. and California, so you'll need to be comfortable with banking online.
  • $5 excessive transaction fee. If you make more than six outgoing transactions a month, you'll pay $5 each time. This policy may be temporarily suspended, so contact Amalgamated Bank to see if this fee still applies.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	0.35%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$0
  Fee per transaction over the limit	$5

APY	0.35%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$100

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BankPurely SavingPurely account

3.9

★★★★★

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BankPurely is a green bank with a clear conscience. It supports various charities focused on human and eco-related causes, and it's PayItGreen Approved, meaning it uses the least paper possible in order to reduce waste. BankPurely also has a small carbon footprint thanks to its lack of physical branches.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Plant a tree. BankPurely plants one tree each time someone opens a SavingPurely account.
  • Earns interest. Earn 0.25% APY on your total balance.
  • Large ATM network. Use over 55,000 ATMs in the Allpoint network for free.

  Cons

  • Non-network ATM fees. You'll pay $3 to withdraw cash from an out-of-network ATM.
  • Wire transfer fee. BankPurely charges a $15 fee for all domestic wire transfers.
  • No branch. This is a fully-digital bank, so you can't visit a branch for in-person support.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	0.25%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$0
  Monthly transaction limit	6

APY	0.25%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$100

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Mascoma Bank Statement Savings

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Mascoma Bank is a Certified B Corporation that donates 10% of its profits to charity each year. It gives all of its employees paid time off to volunteer in the local community and 42% of the bank's board members are women.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Avoidable monthly fee. The $2 monthly fee is waived when you keep at least $100 in your account.
  • Daily customer support. Reach out to customer support on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
  • Online application. It takes 10 minutes or less to open an account with Mascoma Bank.

  Cons

  • APY requirements. You'll need to maintain a $100 minimum daily balance to earn interest.
  • Low APY. This account earns 0.1% APY, which is much lower than the competition.
  • Limited branch locations. Mascoma is a regional bank with offices in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. If you live outside this area, you're limited to phone and email support.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	0.10%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$100

APY	0.10%
Fee	$2 per month (can be waived)
Minimum deposit to open	$10

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Clearwater Credit Union Primary Savings

3.8

★★★★★

Finder score

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Clearwater Credit Union is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) and Inclusiv, an organization serving residents in low-income communities throughout the US. It's dedicated to protecting the environment, reducing its carbon footprint, providing equal pay to employees and helping families in need.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Clearwater Credit Union is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) and Inclusiv, an organization serving residents in low-income communities throughout the US. It's dedicated to protecting the environment, reducing its carbon footprint, providing equal pay to employees and helping families in need.

  Cons

  • Low APY. This account only earns 0.05% APY, which is much lower than the national average.
  • Membership restrictions. Generally, this credit union is open to those who live, work or worship in a few select counties in Montana. But you can also join if you participate in an association that's headquartered or dedicated to relieving poverty in its service area.

• More details

  Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	0.05%
  Interest compounding	Daily
  Minimum balance to earn interest	$5

APY	0.05%
Fee	$0
Minimum deposit to open	$5

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How to choose a socially responsible bank account

Consider these four factors:

• Your current bank’s values. If you already have a savings account, check their website to examine what their investment values are now. If you can’t find the information, call or visit a branch to find out more.
• How your money is being invested. Once you understand what your bank’s investment policies are, you can find out where your savings are being invested now. In most cases, banks that provide ethical savings accounts will disclose this information openly.
• Your personal beliefs and values. Think about the causes that you are passionate about and how you can make a positive difference to society or to the environment to narrow down your choices.
• If you’re ready to switch. If you’re not comfortable with the investing principles of your current bank, or find one that is more suited to your morals, it’s usually easy to switch your accounts by providing your new bank with the details of your current accounts.

What is a socially responsible savings account?

With an ethical savings account, your money automatically supports causes you care about — and doesn’t fund projects that you may be against. But like traditional accounts, you can access your money when you need it. And depending on the type of product you choose, your accounts attract interest and fees based on your daily balance. An ethical savings account can have any of the following features:

• Offered by a financial institution that makes a commitment to not have a negative impact on our society or environment. These principles will directly impact the way in which the bank chooses to invest and lend the money you deposit into your ethical savings account.
• Donates a portion of the interest earned to a registered charity or group of your choosing.
• The financial institution donates the same amount of interest you earn to a registered charity or group of your choosing.
• The bank only lends to ethical organizations.

What are the different types of socially responsible causes banks support?

There are a number of ethical causes being supported by various banks and other financial institutions, allowing you to choose one that impacts an issue you feel most passionate about:

Contribute to community aid

Banks and credit unions can make a choice to only invest in local businesses and causes that directly affect the community. For example, Greenwood Bank strives to recirculate money within the Black and Latinx community and supports causes, including fighting hunger and committing to civil rights.

The environment and sustainability

Ethical banks with an environmental focus, like US Bank, will research their business partners and customers thoroughly to ensure that they are not participating in any practice that is polluting the planet or causing damage to natural resources.

Stand up for animal rights

Specific ethical accounts may make efforts to support institutions that protect and preserve wild and domestic animals. For example, Aspiration makes it convenient to donate to your favorite charity, including the African Wildlife Foundation and Wild Earth Guardians.

Support political parties

If you feel passionate about the beliefs of a particular political party, you can find a socially responsible savings account that financially supports the same group. For instance, Amalgamated Bank has a Political Action Committee (PAC) that favors the Democratic party.

What are the pros and cons of having a socially responsible bank account?

Choosing an ethical bank makes your money do more good for the world, but it has a couple of setbacks.

Compare socially responsible banks to keep your savings

Use this table to explore other socially responsible banks that put a focus on education, giving back to the community or improving the planet:

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Name	Product	Ethical cause	Offer
Citi Savings Finder Rating: 2.9 / 5: ★★★★★ Citi Savings Finder Rating: 2.9 / 5: ★★★★★		Close the racial wealth gap and increase economic mobility in the United States		View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bank of America Advantage Savings Finder Rating: 3 / 5: ★★★★★ Bank of America Advantage Savings Finder Rating: 3 / 5: ★★★★★		environmental sustainability, driving economic and social progress, and enabling financial health.		View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Wells Fargo Way2Save Savings Finder Rating: 3.3 / 5: ★★★★★ Wells Fargo Way2Save Savings Finder Rating: 3.3 / 5: ★★★★★		Donates money to nonprofits to support social, economic and environmental causes		View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Wells Fargo Platinum Savings Account Finder Rating: 3.1 / 5: ★★★★★ Wells Fargo Platinum Savings Account Finder Rating: 3.1 / 5: ★★★★★		Donates money to nonprofits to support social, economic and environmental causes	To receive the Bonus APY the account must remain linked to a Portfolio by Wells Fargo® relationship. If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the bonus interest rate on all eligible savings accounts will discontinue and revert to the Bank's then-current applicable interest rate or fee.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One 360 Performance Savings Finder Rating: 4.8 / 5: ★★★★★ Capital One 360 Performance Savings Finder Rating: 4.8 / 5: ★★★★★		Operates on 100% renewable energy, uses 95% environmentally preferred paper and sponsors local Dress for Success program.		View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
TD Bank Simple Savings Finder Rating: 3.4 / 5: ★★★★★ TD Bank Simple Savings Finder Rating: 3.4 / 5: ★★★★★		Uses 100% renewable energy and awards grants to and partners with local nonprofits to increase access to affordable housing, education, health programs and more		View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Ally Bank Savings Account Finder Rating: 4.8 / 5: ★★★★★ Ally Bank Savings Account Finder Rating: 4.8 / 5: ★★★★★		Offers grants in Charlotte and Detroit to nonprofits that address affordable housing, financial education and workforce preparedness		View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Alliant High-Rate Savings Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5: ★★★★★ Alliant High-Rate Savings Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5: ★★★★★		Offers financial literacy classes in the Chicago area, matches employee giving up to $200 per year and underwrites educational grants, reading program funding and school supply drives	$5 opening deposit is paid for you	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Discover Online Savings Account Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5: ★★★★★ Discover Online Savings Account Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5: ★★★★★		Invests in financial literacy programs for high schoolers, including more than $1 million in Chicago Public Schools and $14 million overall		Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Bottom line

You might need to do some extra research to find a financial service provider whose ethics line up with your own, but once you do, you can feel good knowing that you’re saving money and supporting a good cause at the same time.

Frequently asked questions

What monthly fees will I have to pay for an ethical savings account?

Fees will vary depending on the financial institution you choose and the type of account.

What’s the difference in interest rates for a socially responsible savings account?

In most cases you’ll find that the interest rates paid on the balance of your ethical savings account are competitive with what other banks offer.