It may allow loans that another bank would forgo. To finance some conservation-based projects, SBP will form joint loan partnerships with another bank. ShoreBank Pacific's loan quality, capital adequacy, and solvency are reviewed systematically by federal regulators. Unlike most banks, however, ShoreBank Pacific's equity capital was obtained primarily from foundations making program-related investments. SBP covers unchartered ground.
Most banks emphasize retail banking and compete for depositors within their local communities.
ShoreBank Pacific's smaller CDs are competitive with regional rates and national averages for comparable accounts. As ShoreBank's deposit base grows, loans will flow into a rural area that has suffered disinvestment because of liquidation of the natural resources on which residents depend. ShoreBank Pacific is, in part, a specialist small business lender that looks to work with other banks, public sector agencies, and nonprofits. Shorebank Enterprise Pacific initiated one such project on the Astoria, Oregon waterfront, where hydrocarbon contamination from an abandoned plywood mill threatened an intertidal mill pond that empties into the Columbia River. The contamination prevented site re-development.