This month, Independent Bank is contributing $160,000 to more than 80 Michigan causes and organizations as part of its 160th Anniversary and "Be the Difference Day" tradition. On October 14, nearly 800 employees joined together in their communities for the ninth annual "Be the Difference Day," which brings corporate and community branch teams to non-profit organizations and local projects of their choosing for a day of service.

"We're celebrating 160 years in Michigan, and this year's Be the Difference Day is our biggest yet. Our team loves having this opportunity to choose projects that they truly care about as invested community members," said President and CEO, Brad Kessel. "This is an event that we look forward to every year, and we are honored to partner with so many wonderful organizations that are making such a positive difference in our community every day."

Forbes recently named Independent Bank the Best-In-State Bank, following in-depth surveys that asked consumers to rank financial organizations on customer service, quality of financial advice offered, fee structures, ease of navigating digital and branch services, and trust.

For more information on Independent Bank's Be the Difference Day, please visit IndependentBank.com/BTDD.