OCC Goes Online With Community/Consumer Database

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced the availability of its new online Community/Consumer Organization Database through the Internet — located at the agency's website, http://www.occ.treas.gov.

"Community and consumer organizations are a vital resource to the financial services industry, banking regulators, and federal, state and local officials," said Comptroller Eugene A. Ludwig. "The OCC database will establish a centralized public information source to help interested parties identify, learn about, contact and draw on the expertise of these organizations."

The OCC will use the database registry to help identify local contacts for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) examinations and for community and consumer input to the agency's supervisory and regulatory processes. Database information may be used by the banking industry, for example, to identify community development partners, identify local contacts to solicit for input into the CRA planning process or for assessing community needs. The OCC will also share database information with other federal financial regulators.

"Beginning today, community and consumer organizations will be able to tell us — electronically or by submitting a form — where they are, who they are and what their mission is," Ludwig added. "The information stored in the database will be an invaluable resource."

The Community/Consumer Organization Database can be accessed and searched by anyone with access to the Internet. The database now contains basic information on nearly 500 organizations drawn from the OCC's current community organization mailing lists. The database will expand as additional organizations self-register. The OCC is encouraging organizations to first search online for their entries and then to email the OCC with changes or additional information. Organizations may newly register themselves online if their entry is not already included. Organizations without Internet access may call the OCC's Community Relations Division at (202)874-8770 for registration instructions.

The database provides basic locator information on registered organizations — including contact names, addresses, phone and facsimile numbers — along with information on organization type; organizational focus, description and mission; geographic scope and major programs. Additional data on organizational funding sources and banking partners is requested, but will only be used internally by the OCC in the supervisory process and will not be publicly accessible.

The OCC also provides terminal access to the Community/Consumer Organization database (and all other OCC website locations) in its Public Reference Room located on the ground floor of the agency's headquarters building at 250 E Street S.W., Washington, D.C. Visitors to the Reference Room may use the terminals to register with the Community/Consumer Organization database or to search and retrieve data from this and other OCC website modules.