PPG Foundation Gives Back to the Community

It’s important for people to give back to their community as best they can; not only are they helping people who can use the assistance, but there is also a sense of accomplishment. This is also true of businesses, who can not only offer financial support, but also the efforts of their employees who choose to volunteer their time and energy.

This is certainly the case at PPG. The PPG Foundation has served as PPG’s primary grantmaking organization in the United States since its establishment in 1951. Aligned with its global priority areas, the PPG Foundation helps to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s opportunities, revitalize communities and enable employees to lead the way in volunteerism.

In 2023, PPG and the PPG Foundation invested more than $17.5 million worldwide, up more than $1.3 million from 2022. The company notes that the funding supports more than 450 community partners and programs that are focused on advancing education and delivering community sustainability while encouraging PPG employee volunteerism.

“At PPG, our community engagement initiatives support our vision to protect and beautify the world,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility. “We focus on education, employee engagement and community sustainability, three areas that represent an intersection of our business strengths and our ability to create positive impacts across communities where PPG employees live and work.”

Promoting STEM Learning

Dunn noted that both the PPG Foundation in the US and in the global community looks to bring brightness and color to communities worldwide. One way of doing that is through promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educational opportunities.

For example, the PPG Foundation has supported the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program for the past five years. PPG employee volunteers and X-Bots team members pair with middle school and high school students from a robotics team and Boys & Girls Club youth participants, who all together build specially designed electric cars for toddlers with mobility challenges.

The PPG Foundation has also teamed up with four Girls Inc. affiliates in Huntsville, AL; the Southeast Wisconsin area; Atlanta, GA; and Tarrant County, TX to create science inspiration such as the Eureka! STEM program, an initiative designed to build girls’ confidence and skills through hands-on learning opportunities.

The Eureka! Program included exploration of Black women in STEM fields and careers, coding workshops, a drone camp, introductions to AI and virtual reality, weekly field trips, classes at local colleges and more.

Since 2017, the PPG Foundation has partnered with STREAM Global Innovations, an organization on a mission to connect the dots between education and career in low-income and underserved communities. The organization provides learning and activities in partnership with industry experts, schools, and organizations.

Dunn said that much of PPG Foundation’s funding aims to build the next generation of STEM leaders who are ready to help society meet collective challenges quickly, creatively and effectively.

“As a science and technology company, we know how important a skilled STEM workforce is to create stronger, more sustainable communities,” Dunn said. “Within our focus on education, we invest in programs and partners that enable students to discover the joy of experimentation through hands-on STEM learning, in addition to supporting work-readiness skills training programs and post-secondary STEM studies.

“Our funding supports students at various points along their educational continuum,” added Dunn. “We join together with our community partners to help increase the number of young people with an interest in STEM, with a focus on historically excluded populations, and support diverse students entering advanced STEM studies.”

Programs that enable her to step into schools and educational spaces and connect with educational partners to establish new STEM learning programs are among Dunn’s favorites over the years.

“The benefits of a quality education hold significant value,” Dunn observed. “Education can change the trajectory of not only a person’s life but also the lives of their family members.

“I experienced this firsthand within my own family, which is why this area has always been a personal passion for me that grew into a professional one,” added Dunn. “Some of my favorite projects include stepping into schools and educational spaces, whether that be volunteering with my colleagues to paint classrooms with engaging colors for learning or connecting with educational partners to establish new STEM learning programs. Each of these projects have enabled possibilities and progress in the lives of young people.” 

Bringing Color to Communities

Dunn noted that PPG and the PPG Foundation grants also support community transformations through colorful spaces, essential needs and opportunities for neighbors to thrive. In 2023, 60 COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® projects were completed in 26 countries.

Since 2015, 26,500 PPG employee and community volunteers have positively impacted more than 9.2 million people in 50 countries.

“Through the PPG COLORFUL COMMMUNITIES program, our employees regularly volunteer to paint important spaces in need like schools, hospitals and community centers,” Dunn observed. “In 2023, PPG employee volunteers completed the 500th Colorful Communities project since 2015, helping to exceed our $10 million investment goal two years ahead of the target. We’re going to continue the Colorful Communities program with an additional commitment of $5 million by 2030.”

PPG also donates in times of need, sending more than $6.2 million to community sustainability efforts, which include disaster and humanitarian relief to regional organizations supporting local emergency relief and recovery efforts such as the Red Cross, following natural disasters in Acapulco, Mexico; Emilia-Romagna, Italy; Turkey; Slovenia and Morocco.

“In times of urgent needs such as when disasters strike or communities face extreme hardships, we help meet essential needs and strengthen local economies,” Dunn added. “Across all that we do, the PPG Foundation and our community engagement activities are viewed through a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lens to ensure that many of our investments are targeted to historically excluded populations.”

Employees Make a Difference

Dunn said that PPG’s employees take an active role in the Foundation, bringing attention to groups in need of support.

“Our employees bring to life our commitment to protect and beautify the world and are inspired to improve the lives of others by taking a service-oriented approach to making a difference for those in our local communities,” Dunn said. “With this in mind, PPG and the PPG Foundation back our employees by supporting the causes and organizations they care about through programs such as our matching gifts program.

“Working with many PPG Foundation partner organizations, our employees share their STEM expertise by participating in career panels, mentoring aspiring chemists, and sharing science experiments in classrooms,” added Dunn.

Plans for the Future

Dunn said that the PPG Foundation has made commitments to the future that will help to make a tremendous difference.

“I am excited about two new giving commitments made in 2023, both aligned directly with creating brighter futures,” Dunn said. “PPG committed $5 million by 2030 to environmental sustainability education, supporting programs that meet the specific environmental needs related to climate action and a more circular economy. To meet this commitment, we are supporting organizations such as National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in the U.S. and the STEM Learning organization in the UK.

“PPG also committed $2 million by 2025 for future skilled worker training through organizations including the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) in the U.S. and donations of PPG MOONWALK and PPG LINQ Pro educational tools to vocational schools in Europe,” Dunn added.

“Both commitments follow a plan announced in 2021 to invest $20 million by 2025 to address systemic racism and advance racial equity in the US by funding educational pathways for Black communities and people of color,” Dunn noted. “At the end of 2023, 89% percent progress was made on this commitment, giving support to Black people and people of color who are pursuing advanced studies in engineering, chemistry and data science and other STEM fields. We also invest in programs that encourage early interest among more Black students and students of color through hands-on STEM experiences in afterschool programs, camps and in-school settings, as well as mentoring and career exposure.”

PPG Foundation Grant Recipients

The organizations that PPG supports appreciate the PPG Foundation’s efforts. Life’sWork of Western PA is one such group. Life’sWork of Western PA is an agency dedicated to increasing the quality of life of youth and adults with physical and mental disabilities by strengthening workplace abilities, building life skills, and developing meaningful relationships.

“The PPG Foundation grant will make a powerful impact on many lives,” said Timothy Parks, president and CEO of Life’sWork of Western PA. “With support from the PPG Foundation, we are helping individuals build skills to achieve meaningful employment—providing hope and fulfilling dreams. We are truly thankful to the PPG Foundation for investing in these life-changing opportunities.”

During 2023, PPG marked the five-year anniversary of the PPG SCIENCE PAVILION at the Carnegie Science Center, a longstanding PPG Foundation partner that delivers informal STEM education in Pittsburgh, PA.

“As we celebrate the remarkable milestone of the five-year anniversary of the PPG Science Pavilion, we reflect on the profound impact that this partnership has had on our community,” said Kim Amey, chief of staff, Carnegie Science Center. “Within the PPG Science Pavilion, where international touring exhibitions dazzle, summer camps ignite young minds, and STEM-related programs flourish, we’ve created a hub of exploration that reaches far beyond our walls.”

PPG also supports the Association for Materials Protection and Performance’s (AMPP) EMERG program, which helps veterans receive training to begin a career in the corrosion and protective coatings field.

“Through initiatives like EMERG, we aim to create a continuous cycle of engagement, education, and professional development that not only supports students but also enriches our industry as a whole,” said Kim Ray, director of the EMERG Student Outreach Program. “We are immensely grateful to the PPG Foundation for their generous donation, enabling us to expand our reach and impact more students and future industry leaders.”