Empowering Your Business with Financial Solutions
Start by maintaining a $5 minimum balance in your savings account to establish membership. With no minimum monthly balance requirements and no per-check fees, you have one less thing to worry about while you focus on running your business. As a member of our cooperative, you’ll gain access to accounts crafted to support your business’s growth and stability.
Open Your Business Account at Alternatives
To open an account with us, you must submit a Business Member Questionnaire prior to account opening. Simply download the fillable form and send your completed form via secure email to newaccounts@alternatives.org.
You may also send it via fax or mail:
Fax: 607-277-6391, ATTN: New Accounts
Mail: 125 N Fulton St., Ithaca, NY 14850, ATTN: New Accounts
Once the Business Member Questionnaire is complete and submitted to the New Accounts team, schedule an appointment to open your new business account.
Alternatives also offers a non-dividend Business Checking Account. Ask for more information.
Who Can Join?
Businesses must be located within our service area of the following counties: Tompkins, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Yates, Onondaga, and Broome.
What Documents do I need?
Start by providing proof of identity and a current physical address. See below for the specific documents you’ll need based on your business type:
Corporation
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Proof of Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- New York State (NYS) filing receipt for the Certificate of Incorporation
- Proof of business address
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Articles of Organization
- NYS filing receipt for the Articles of Organization
- Proof of EIN
- Proof of business address
- Note: Sole Member LLCs may use the owner’s SSN instead of an EIN.
Partnership
- Partnership Agreement
- DBA (Doing Business As) Certificate from a County in our service area
- Proof of EIN
- Proof of business address
Sole Proprietor
- DBA Certificate from a County in our service area
- Proof of EIN (if applicable)
- Proof of business address
Club or Organization
- Proof of EIN
- Signed minutes indicating authorization to open the account
- Proof of business address
Campaign Accounts
- Proof of EIN
- For “Friends of [Candidate Name]”: Signed minutes indicating authorization to open the account
- For “[Candidate Name] for Office”: Campaign documentation from the Board of Elections
- Proof of business address
Assumed Names for Corporation or LLC
- NY Department of State Assumed Name Certificate or Filing Receipt
- Required documents for Corporation/LLC as listed above
Alternatives Business Development offers 1:1 business consulting to help you expand and grow your business. Our consultants will also help you prepare for a business loan application if that is something you are interested in.