IRVINE, Calif. – April 30, 2012 – Opus Bank (the “Bank”) and Opus Community Foundation (the “Foundation”) announced today the Foundation’s approval of 15 grant awards to charitable organizations that the Bank and Foundation believe will have an immediate and long lasting impact on efforts to rebuild our communities. The initiatives receiving the Foundation’s financial support create enrichment and advancement opportunities that directly improve the lives of individuals and families in the communities Opus Bank serves.

Stephen H. Gordon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Opus Bank and Chairman of Opus Community Foundation, stated, “While Opus Bank remains focused on providing capital funding to business owners, real estate investors, and entrepreneurs who share our vision to expand and grow, our vision doesn’t stop there. The organizations with whom we have chosen to partner have programs targeting specific areas of need in our California and Washington communities. These programs have consistently proven to be very successful and have shown great results.”

California Grant Awards

Angels Gate Cultural Center received a grant to support its Artists in Classrooms programs, which provide arts education to underserved youth of San Pedro and Los Angeles Harbor through sustained, skills-based, in-classroom arts instruction and field trips to the Cultural Center’s galleries and workshops.

El Viento received a grant to support its programs, which provide low income youth in grades 4 through 12 from the Oak View Community the support and opportunity to graduate high school and get into college through their after-school tutoring, college preparation and guidance, enrichment activities, and leadership opportunities.

OC Stem Initiative received a grant to support its programs, which are designed to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education throughout Orange County in grade levels K through 12 by developing a collaborative relationship among Orange County’s schools, teachers, non-profits, businesses, and educational science centers.

Operation Jump Start received a grant to support its college preparation and scholarship programs, which provide at-risk youth from Long Beach with the skills and vision to go to higher education through individual mentoring, educational case management, developmentally-based educational workshops, college tours, community service initiatives, and social programs.

Orange County Community Housing Corporation received a grant to support their College Awareness Program, which prepares students in grades 7 through 12, and their parents, with the necessary knowledge and resources to pursue a higher education through academic counseling, character development, leadership development, cultural awareness, civic duty, and parent involvement.

Reality Changers received a grant to support its after-school programs, which provide inner city youth from disadvantaged backgrounds with the resources and inspiration to become first generation college students by supplying academic support, financial assistance, leadership training, community service opportunities, mentoring, and college application assistance.

Riordan Programs at the UCLA Anderson School of Management received a grant to support its Scholars Program, which provides educational and college preparation courses, mentorship, and professional development for high school students from underserved communities.

University of California, Irvine received a grant to support its Financial Literacy Summer Residential Program, which provides a residential education experience focused on financial literacy to young women and men from underserved, low-to- moderate income areas of Southern California.

Westside Children’s Center received a grant to support its programs, which provide underserved, vulnerable children and their families in southwest Los Angeles County with crucial services, including early care and education, child development, family preservation, foster care, adoption, mental health, and health services.

Washington Grant Awards

Eastside Friends of Seniors received a grant to support its program, which mobilizes volunteers to provide basic needs and services to senior citizens residing in Eastern King County that allow them to remain in their homes and maintain their independence.

Encompass received a grant to support its Family Service programs, which provide low income families living in the Snoqualmie Valley with family and parenting support and education that improves early childhood literacy and school readiness.

Housing Hope received a grant to support its programs, which provide affordable housing, education and employment support, child care and child development services, and adult life skills education to low income or very low income individuals and families in Snohomish County.

Village Theatre received a grant to support and fund scholarships, which give at-risk youth from low income families the opportunity to participate in the theatre’s multi- faceted youth arts education program.

Volunteers of America-Western Washington received a grant to support its Mentoring Children of Promise program, which pairs at-risk youth with adult mentors who help the youth to develop and reach positive academic, career, and personal goals.

YMCA of Snohomish County received a grant to support its Casino Road Youth Development Center, which provides academic support, career exploration, mentoring, and service learning opportunities for youth ages 5 through 18.

About Opus Community Foundation

The Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) organization established by Opus Bank on September 30, 2010. The Foundation targets its philanthropic efforts in the areas of affordable housing, community development, education, financial literacy, health and human services, and the arts. The Foundation’s goal is to stimulate economic change, promote reinvestment, inspire philanthropy, and strengthen our communities.​

About Opus Bank

Opus Bank, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is an FDIC insured California-chartered commercial bank with $2.4 billion of total assets, $1.6 billion of total loans, and $1.9 billion in total deposits, as of March 31, 2012. Opus Bank provides high value, relationship-based banking products and exceptional service to its clients comprised of small and mid-sized commercial businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, professionals, and consumers. Opus Bank offers a wide range of loan products, including commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, multifamily residential, conforming and jumbo single-family residential, and consumer loans; and is a Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Preferred Lender. Opus Bank currently operates 45 banking offices, including 23 in the Seattle/Puget Sound region in Washington and 22 banking offices in Southern California. Opus Bank has announced plans to open new banking offices in Danville, located in Contra Costa County; Del Mar, located in San Diego County, California; Gig Harbor, located in Pierce County; and Mount Vernon, located in Skagit County, Washington. For additional information about Opus Bank, please visit our website: