Community
At Ball we strive to enrich the communities in which we live and work beyond traditional economic investments such as jobs, benefits and local taxes. Throughout the world, our company and employees donate money and time to support organizations, programs and civic initiatives that advance sustainable livelihoods because we believe it is important to be a good neighbor, corporate citizen and employer of choice in all our communities.
Ball Foundation
Ball has a long history of supporting charitable organizations. The five Ball brothers who founded our company in 1880 are remembered not only for their business prowess but also for their charitable activities. They were great community benefactors; in 1922 alone, according to that year’s New York Times, the brothers donated $1 million to charity, a remarkable sum for the time.
As our company has grown through the years, we have continued to support communities through corporate philanthropy and volunteerism. Today, we believe it is important to take a strategic approach to our charitable giving by supporting organizations that solve problems central to our company values and business strategy. In late 2010, we began our transition from corporate philanthropy to impact-driven community investment when we formed the Ball Foundation. Ball now directs the majority of its corporate giving in the U.S. through the Ball Foundation, and its creation is a key proof point to our commitment to sustainability.
The Ball Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support to not-for-profit, U.S. organizations that sustain the communities in which we live and operate by improving and promoting education, recycling and community engagement. To achieve this, the Ball Foundation provides grants to tax-exempt organizations that meet the Ball Foundation guidelines and have measurable plans to improve communities where Ball employees live and work.
The Ball Foundation’s grant-making guidelines are linked to Ball’s overall corporate strategy and will play a key part in our global charitable giving efforts. While the distribution of Ball Foundation funds will be limited to the U.S., the guidelines and processes created will be leveraged across our global footprint. As we move forward, this will bring more purpose, structure and transparency to our giving around the world by providing greater focus on which organizations we support and why, and by giving us the ability to track and measure the impact it makes.
