HISTORY
In the early 1950s, a company called Corning Glass Works had been in business for 100 years. From its headquarters in Corning, N.Y, the company had earned a worldwide reputation for solving tough scientific and manufacturing challenges. Lightbulbs, durable cookware and labware, and mass-produced television tubes were among its many achievements.
Against this backdrop of growth and technology leadership, the corporation – active in community affairs since its beginning a century before — decided to formalize its approach to corporate giving. Corning Glass Works Foundation became a free-standing non-profit organization in 1952, responsible for administering the company’s charitable donations to educational, cultural, community, and civic organizations.
Within just a few years, Foundation grants were having a profound impact on Corning business communities. Cultural and educational programs, infrastructure improvements, and disaster relief are just a few ways the Foundation — renamed Corning Incorporated Foundation in 1989 — has helped answer community and humanitarian need.
The Employee Matching Gifts Program has doubled individual contributions to eligible schools, healthcare-based organizations, cultural institutions, and more.
Today, Corning Incorporated Foundation has renewed its strategic efforts on key focus areas – specifically, programs and services that help enhance and sustain vibrant Corning communities. By focusing on education, human services, culture, and volunteerism, the Foundation strives to foster communities where people have a sense of belonging and true empathy for others.
These concepts – closely aligned with the Values of its sponsoring corporation — will guide Corning Incorporated Foundation along its path through the coming years.
Corning Incorporated Foundation Timeline
