National Bank Financial Group and its Employees Donate $1,278,834 to Centraide of Greater Montreal

National donations to Centraide/United Way total close to $2.3 million

• Press Release
• Source: National Bank Financial Group
• On 9:00 am EST, Tuesday January 20, 2009

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Jan. 20, 2009) - National Bank Financial Group (TSX:NA - News) had the honour of presenting Centraide of Greater Montreal with a cheque for $1,278,834 at the unveiling of the results for the 2008 campaign. This amount represents funds collected from active and retired employees in the Greater Montreal area as well as a corporate donation from the Financial Group.

Related Quotes

Symbol	Price	Change
NA.TO	64.07	+0.89

{"s" : "na.to","k" : "c10,l10,p20,t10","o" : "","j" : ""}

"Despite the difficult economic climate, we're proud to be able to report that we have once again achieved our objective," stated Louis Vachon, President and CEO of National Bank Financial Group. "Our current and retired employees have proven again that by all giving a little, we can change a lot."

Nationwide

Across Canada, the employees of National Bank Financial Group and most of its subsidiaries, including National Bank Financial, also participated in their local Centraide/United Way fundraising campaigns. Their contributions allowed us to donate $2,297,635 to benefit a variety of organizations across Canada.

In 2008, National Bank Financial Group supported hundreds of Canadian organizations through its donations and sponsorship program and its employee initiatives. Our charitable activities focus primarily our four main areas of activity - education, health care arts and culture and community outreach - with the goal of generating positive spinoffs for communities.

More information on the many causes and projects the Financial Group supports as part of its commitment to the communities it serves can be found in our Social Responsibility Report, available on our Internet site at www.nbc.ca.

A photo is available and may be obtained by contacting Public Relations.

About National Bank of Canada

National Bank of Canada is an integrated group which provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. The National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. National Bank has more than $129 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 17,146 people. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:NA - News). For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.nbc.ca.

The telephone number provided below is for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives.

Denis Dube
National Bank Financial Group
Senior Manager - Public Relations
514-394-8644