Philanthropy and the W. R. Grace Foundation
Grace makes significant financial and volunteer service contributions to the communities where we operate around the world. Members of the Grace family donate hours, ideas, and effort to improve community health and safety, education, the environment, civic leadership, and much more. Many programs and initiatives are in response to requests while others develop under the leadership of more than 4,500 Grace employees in their own communities.
Since 1961, the W. R. Grace Foundation has supported charitable organizations and educational institutions that promote the wellbeing of the communities where we live and work in the United States. In communities where our operations are located elsewhere around the world, Grace's support for local charities is managed by the leaders and employees of each facility.
Focus on Stem Education and Basic Needs
Grace contributes to programs and projects that improve the quality of life in the most impactful ways possible. Our focus is on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and basic needs, such as food, shelter, first aid, and healthcare. We also support health and human services organizations, as well as civic, environmental, and cultural programs. We support organizations based in areas where Grace has a significant employee presence.
The company matches, dollar for dollar, personal gifts made by our employees to accredited secondary schools, community and junior colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and graduate and professional schools.
Supporting Biodiversity in Baton Rouge
In 2021, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana site received Wildlife Habitat Council's (WHC) Conservation Certification for its Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Program. The site earned WHC's "Certified Silver" recognition for continuing to plant native cypress trees, installing turtle basking platforms, monitoring bluebird nesting boxes, improving the butterfly garden and cataloguing the wildlife seen on site. This is great news for the site but only marks the beginning of work to earn recertification in 2023.
The Program is a cooperative partnership among employees of Grace, Albemarle, and Ethyl corporations. Baton Rouge site employees began the formal effort to improve the wildlife habitat in 2011. The value of this work was recognized and certified by WHC since 2013. Employees of Albemarle, Grace and Ethyl continue to volunteer and advance this effort.
The Wildlife Habitat Council's website notes, "WHC's certification program, Conservation Certification, is the only voluntary sustainability standard designed for broad-based biodiversity enhancement and conservation education activities on corporate landholdings. It is built on best practices of global recognition programs, reflects contemporary conservation efforts, and aligns our members' collective works with the future of biodiversity across the globe."
The WHC is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1988 to help preserve and enhance biodiversity on corporate lands. WHC works with more than 100 member companies in 25 countries. Grace has joined WHC as a corporate member, inspired by the Baton Rouge employee volunteer efforts.
Grace believes that such conservation projects help to promote a safer and compliant operating environment and advance corporate citizenship efforts.