Washington Trust Honored for Dedication to Community Service
Award presented by Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network

(Washington, D.C. – August 5, 2005) – The Washington Trust Company, a financial services company based in Westerly, R.I., received the Award for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs (AEWVP) in recognition of the company's outstanding commitment to engaging employees in community service.

The award was presented today at 12PM at the Washington Convention Center during the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications, Polo Ralph Lauren, was the keynote speaker at today's awards luncheon.

The Awards for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs is an international award that honors businesses of all sizes and from all industries that have made a commitment to effectively engaging employees in volunteering. The Points of Light Foundation, the nation's leading volunteer resource, views companies as one of the primary sources of volunteers. The Foundation provides a full range of services to help businesses develop and sustain workplace volunteer programs.

Washington Trust's service to the community, though both its employee volunteerism and charitable contributions, impacts its employees, customers and community by spreading a sense of social responsibility and goodwill among them. The positive response from all affected reveals the importance of the Bank's employee-selected core values – quality, integrity and community.

“Washington Trust is extremely honored to be the recipient of the Points of Light Foundation's prestigious Award for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs,” said John C. Warren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Washington Trust. “Being recognized by Points of Light for our work in the community is the most important award we could receive. The employees at Washington Trust take great pride in serving the communities they work in and have volunteered for everything from Walk-A-Thons to holding food drives to serving as board members for local nonprofit agencies. Our employees show great enthusiasm and commitment towards volunteering in the community and I know they are grateful, as well, for the opportunity to experience the rewards of helping those in need.”

“Workplace volunteering can have a profound impact on employees, communities and the long-term success of a company,” says Robert K. Goodwin, president & CEO of the Points of Light Foundation. “Washington Trust is a shining example of the role that businesses can play in alleviating social problems and bringing about healthier communities.”

Washington Trust was selected by a panel of distinguished judges from major business and nonprofit groups, who based their decisions on how well the company's overall workplace-based volunteer program reflects the Principles of Excellence for Workplace Volunteering, a plan to ACT:

•  Acknowledge that effective volunteer programs contribute to a company's ability to achieve its business goals;

•  Commit to establishing and supporting a program that involves all employees and treats volunteering like any other key business requirement; and

•  Target volunteering to address serious social problems within their communities.

“Washington Trust is a role model for other members of the business community to make volunteering an integral part of their workplace culture,” Goodwin adds.

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The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization, supports and organizes the vital work of community volunteers who help solve our nation's most serious social problems by bringing people and resources together. The Foundation builds knowledge, skills and programs for volunteer leaders and volunteers to succeed, and provides leadership to mobilize volunteers in thousands of local communities across the country. For more information, call 202-729-8000 or visit www.pointsoflight.org.