Summary​

Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) are mission-driven community banks that provide access to capital in
communities across the United States. Each year, the National Banker Association publishes an annual survey
of MDI leadership where we ask our members about economic conditions, growth strategies, technology, talent, and more. In this year’s survey, we added new questions around appetite for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and marketplace activity such as loan participations and syndications. In addition to sharing our findings in this report, we also share quotes from our members to provide additional context and insight. 

 

Main Findings Include:

• At the start of 2026, 77% of NBA member banks are confident in current national economic conditions, a 12% decrease from 2025, while confidence in the local economy rose 9%.

• 69% of member banks aspire to grow into the next asset band. To drive growth, banks are considering M&A activity (54%) and are interested in lending marketplace activity such as loan participations (85%) and loan sales (62%).

• Our members are prioritizing investment in customer-facing technology (92%), expanding branch networks (27%), and training and professional development for staff (27%). 

• The main pain points for our members include technology (62%), talent (50%), and fee income/business opportunities (42%).

• Enhancing customer service technologies remains a core focus, though the main barriers continue to be cost (62%), lack of technical expertise (50%), and difficulty in integrating with existing systems (46%). Additionally, our members plan to utilize generative AI for marketing (35%), customer service (31%), and sales (31%). 

• NBA member banks are increasing impact through their lending and continuing to offer financial literacy workshops, affordable housing financing programs, and micro loans for small businesses.

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Download  the 2026 Bank Leaders Priorities Survey Report

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Published February, 24, 2026

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