A Look Inside the Ecolab Foundation’s Minnesota Giving

Ecolab is a global company that specializes in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions. It serves customers around the world in the food, hospitality, healthcare and industrial fields. According to EcoLab, the company is “a trusted partner at nearly three million Ecolab customer locations” in over 170 countries today.

But when it comes to philanthropy, much of EcoLab’s giving centers on St. Paul, Minnesota, the location of its corporate headquarters. To get a sense of what the company is paying attention to in neighborhoods close to home, here’s a closer look at the Ecolab Foundation’s grantmaking in Minnesota.

Four focus areas

Ecolab is a pretty well-rounded corporate foundation with a variety of interests at the local level. It regularly gives grants in four categories: youth and education, arts and culture, environment and conservation, and civic and community development.

Giving for youth revolves around the needs of at-risk young people and the promotion of youth development programs. Arts and culture grants often go to youth-serving nonprofits as well, in addition to museums and performing arts groups. Ecolab’s grants for hands-on environmental learning programs also have a youth focus. Meanwhile, civic and community development grants address issues like affordable housing, hunger relief, work readiness and crisis assistance.

A unique grantmaking process for St. Paul

Local nonprofits should know that applying for a St. Paul area grant works slightly differently than applying for a grant in another U.S. Ecolab location. Although topics of interest are consistent across all geographic locations, the deadlines are different and the number of grants awarded each year differs as well. In St. Paul, the foundation typically notifies applicants of decisions by the end of March, and the next application period opens up in September.

In addition to St. Paul, other cities of interest are located in the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, West Virginia, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida and North Carolina.

Grants currently by invitation only

In the past, the Ecolab Foundation has had an accessible grant application process and considered unsolicited requests. However, the 2022 grant cycle is currently available by invitation only, and open only to existing grantees. However, the foundation staff is still available to respond to questions and general inquiries by both email and phone. In general, the grant application process is conducted online.

Other types of support

Ecolab offers more than just grants. Its employee giving program has been active since 1985, channeling $3 million to charitable causes in a recent year. It also gives in kind, donating cleaning, sanitization and health products after natural disasters. Another initiative involves donating produce from Ecolab’s Giving Garden in Eagan, Minnesota to Neighborhood House’s food shelf in St. Paul. In addition, Ecolab engages in various public relations efforts, promotes employee volunteerism and offers free meeting spaces for community use.

Read more about the Ecolab Foundation and other foundations giving in the St. Paul area in IP’s Upper Midwest and Plains funding guide.

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