PPG Foundation invested more than US$17.5M in communities worldwide in 2023

PPG and the PPG Foundation have invested more than US$17.5M worldwide in 2023, an increase of US$1.3M over 2022. The funding supports more than 450 community partners and programmes that are focused on advancing education and delivering community sustainability while encouraging PPG employee volunteerism.

“In 2023, our purpose to ‘protect and beautify the world’ came to life across all areas of PPG’s community engagement investments. While our employees created colorful classrooms, our funding aimed to advance learning and inspire STEM careers,” said Malesia Dunn, Executive Director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility. “With new commitments in environmental sustainability education and workforce development, our priorities and giving centered around creating brighter communities for the future.”

Highlights of the 2023 community engagement commitments include:

• US$10.3M to build the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM) leaders.
  • 2023 marked the five-year anniversary of the PPG SCIENCE PAVILION® at the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center (formerly Carnegie Science Center) in Pittsburgh.
  • PPG launched a three-year partnership with the Finnish Science Centre Heureka to help fund Heureka’s new ‘Power of Play’ exhibition and colour workshops for young students.
  • PPG teamed up with programmes such as Casa Hacker’s ‘Girls in Tech’ in Sumaré, Brazil, for students pursuing advanced STEM studies.
  • Through its partnership with Give2Asia and Live2Give in China, PPG delivered the PPG Scholarship Program at eight universities and the PPG Career Intelligence Class in 15 universities.
  • The PPG Foundation partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org to equip teachers and 10 schools in PPG communities with STEM education tools.
  • In Soborg, Denmark, students visited PPG’s architectural coatings plant as part of Science Day and an ongoing partnership with STEM education group Naturvidenskabernes Hus.

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• Progress in DE&I, sustainability education and workforce development
  • 89% progress made toward the commitment to invest US$20M by 2025 supporting programmes for black communities and people of colour in the USA
  • PPG committed US$5M by 2030 to environmental sustainability education, supporting organisations such as National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in the USA and the STEM Learning organisation in the UK.
  • PPG also committed US$2M by 2025 for future skilled worker training through organisations including the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) in the USA and donations of PPG MOONWALK® and PPG LINQ™ Pro educational tools to vocational schools in Europe.
• US$6.2M to community sustainability and disaster and humanitarian relief:
  • PPG and the PPG Foundation contributed to regional organisations 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.
• 60 COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® projects completed in 2023 in 16 countries:
  • In 2023, PPG’s global Colorful Communities programme reached its 500th project milestone. Since 2015, 26,500 PPG employee and community volunteers have positively impacted more than 9.2 million people in 50 countries.
  • In 2023, PPG committed an additional US$5M to the Colorful Communities programme through 2030, enabling PPG volunteers to incorporate new activities and elements into projects that focus on environmental sustainability.
  • Throughout June, July and August 2023, the Colorful Communities program completed its second New Paint for a New Start initiative, transforming a total of more than 60 schools into engaging environments for 35,000 students.

Learn more about PPG and the PPG Foundation’s investments in 2023.