"From local scout troops to hospitals and housing development organizations, banking nonprofits have turned into big business for many community banks.

At Beneficial State Bank in Oakland, Calif., nonprofits account for 33% of the total client portfolio, encompassing nearly 1,000 different groups. 'It is really an important vertical for us,' says Mary Edmeades, vice president and client treasury manager at the $1.7 billion-asset community bank."