Watertown Savings Bank opens voting for annual nonprofit awards

Watertown Savings Bank has opened voting for its 27th annual Customer Choice Awards, giving local residents a chance to help direct $100,000 to nonprofits serving communities including Waltham.

Community members may vote for their favorite eligible 501(c)(3) organization through April 5, via the bank’s website. Each person may vote once. Votes cast by Watertown Savings Bank customers will be counted twice; noncustomer votes will be counted once. The top vote-getter will receive $15,000, with the remaining funds distributed among other high-ranking organizations.

The Customer Choice program has been a significant source of support for Waltham nonprofits in recent years. At the 26th annual awards last April, St. Mary’s After School Program in Waltham earned the second-place prize of $10,000, while The Cat Connection received $7,500. Eleven additional Waltham-based nonprofits, including The Waltham Times, also received awards, bringing Watertown Savings Bank’s total Customer Choice giving over the life of the program to more than $1.2 million.​

This year’s awards night presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the Sons of Italy Hall in Watertown, where representatives of the winning organizations will be recognized. Winners will be notified after voting closes and results are tallied.​

Bank officials encourage residents to spread the word among family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and community organizations and to share Customer Choice information on their websites and social media channels. Local groups, including Waltham charities, are already mobilizing online campaigns to encourage their supporters to vote.