The $495 million Mazuma Credit Union in Kansas City, Mo., has announced the launch of its new corporate social responsibility program.

 The new program will focus on three key areas: community development, education and the arts. To support these causes, 5% of the year's earnings will go toward local organizations in these three categories.

“We want to make a real impact on the things we value most in Kansas City,” said Mazuma President/ CEO Brandon Michaels.

An innovative part of the program is an initiative called “40 Hours for Good.” It allows all Mazuma team members 40 hours of paid time to volunteer in the community during the year.

Similar programs in the industry average 10 to 15 hours, Mazuma said in its announcement.

“We're serious about making our community better, so we're not just throwing money at it, we're volunteering our time as well,” Michaels said.

The new initiative builds on Mazuma's heritage of charitable outreach and community development, the announcement said. It also provides a formal structure for Mazuma team members to more easily continue their self-motivated volunteer activities.

“All of us have values we passionately believe in,” Michaels said. “So we've created opportunities for our team members to see those values in action.”

In addition, Mazuma has launched a new website, www.mazuma.org/happytohelp, which details the multitude of ways the credit union is contributing to the greater Kansas City-area community.

The site also includes an email address, [email protected] , where organizations can send requests for support of their causes.

“It's all about mobilizing the 'people helping people' philosophy,” Michaels said. “It's been a part of the unofficial credit union credo for decades and falls within our goal of making Kansas City a happier place to live and work.”