The Oak Creek branch of PPG Industries, a Pennsylvania-based coatings manufacturing company, has contributed more than $45,000 in grants to community organizations and schools this year.
The funding, which comes from the PPG Foundation, is available through two programs established in 1951.
The Public Education Leadership Community program allows employees to designate up to $1,000 to projects, materials and activities to public schools in the areas where they live. Employees can get up to three grants approved per year.
Current and retired employees can also obtain $500 grants for organizations they volunteer for, or $1,000 if they serve on the organization’s board, through the Grant Incentives for Volunteerism by PPG Employees and Retirees program.
PPG’s Oak Creek branch has made an extra effort to apply for grants this year, with 54 requests so far, said Jack Marshall, plant manager.
“The programs have existed for awhile, but the public education one in particular really didn’t have a lot of exposure,” Marshall said. “It’s a really open program, it’s just a matter of getting the word out.”
PPG Foundation grants are good for providing kids with field trips and assembly programs, since those have been cut from some schools’ budgets recently, he said. Employees have sponsored trips to Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, the Milwaukee County Zoo and Old World Wisconsin.
“There’s science and arts and culture. It’s really open to any way you can enhance the program or enhance the opportunity for students,” Marshall said.
The PPG Foundation asks employees to serve as agents in their communities to build relationships and community engagement, said Sue Sloan, executive director.
“We use them to really look for and identify the appropriate organizations to build the partnerships and relationships in those communities,” she said. “Jack Marshall and his team in Oak Creek have really stepped up and encouraged employee participation.”
