Banking on Women 2026: How Indiana Banks Can Support Childhood Literacy

This week, The Book Fairy attended the 2026 Banking on Women Conference, surrounded by women from banks across Indiana who know a thing or two about money. Naturally, I showed up with books to sell and ideas for how they could spend some of theirs.

Sylvia, my 1965 Avion camper turned mobile bookstore, sat this one out. Apparently, rolling a 27-foot trailer into a conference wasn’t part of the floor plan. So, I went old-school: one table, stacks of children’s books, holiday steals, and a perfectly reasonable plan to convince bankers that investing in literacy is good business.

And honestly? It made for some pretty great conversations.

Let’s Talk About CRA (Without Making Everyone Regret Stopping at My Table)

Beyond the holiday shopping, I was there to introduce The Book Fairy to banks interested in making a meaningful impact in their communities.

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) encourages banks to help meet the credit needs of the communities they serve, including low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods.

So, here’s my thought: What if banks partnered with The Book Fairy to bring free book fairs to LMI schools and community centers throughout Indianapolis?

Not a box of random donated books from someone’s basement. Not a table of leftovers nobody wanted.

An actual book fair. With great titles, plenty of choices, and kids getting to select books they genuinely want to read.

Banks could sponsor the experience, employees could volunteer, and children could walk away with books of their very own.

Essentially, a chance for bank employees to channel their inner Oprah. Without the television production budget.

Women Who Mean Business

One of the best parts of the day was meeting women from across Indiana, representing different banks, communities, and roles within the industry.

There was plenty of networking, thoughtful conversation, and a shared understanding that supporting communities requires more than writing a check and hoping for the best.

Sometimes it requires showing up, getting involved, and doing something a little different.

And sometimes it starts with a woman selling children’s books at a banking conference.

The Bottom Line (Since We Were Surrounded by Bankers)

The Book Fairy exists because access to books shouldn’t depend on a child’s ZIP code or their family’s budget.

If we can connect financial institutions looking to invest in their communities with schools that could use a little extra support, that’s a partnership worth pursuing.

A huge thank-you to the organizers of the 2026 Banking on Women Conference for bringing together so many incredible women and giving The Book Fairy a seat at the table.

And to the bankers I met: Let’s keep talking. I’ve got the books. You’ve got the branches. I think we can figure something out.

Interested in partnering with The Book Fairy to bring books to Indianapolis-area schools and community centers?

Email: casey@thebookfairyindy.com
Website: www.thebookfairyindy.com