Better Communities.
Kohler seeks to make a positive impact on the lives of our associates and customers by creating inclusive and equitable communities, innovating with a social purpose, and being responsible stewards of resources.
- Share:
Safe Water for All:
Safe Water for All leverages the strength, expertise, passion, and talent of our associates to help underserved populations around the world across four focus areas: water stewardship, products, impact projects, and advocacy.
Community Partnerships:
Teams of associates engage with community stakeholders to better understand local issues, help identify specific needs and take a customized approach developing solutions. Our grants fall into three main focus areas: Safe Water for All, education, and health and well-being services.
Arts Industry:
Since 1974 we have collaborated with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center on the Arts/Industry residency program to offer artists time and space to create new work using the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co. More than 500 artists have participated since its establishment, and in 2021 Kohler hosted eight artists in residence.
Associates in Action:
We’re grateful for our associates' support of communities around the world. Here are some of the initiatives they’ve undertaken in 2021: approximately 58,000 people served through United Way donations raised by US associates, 25 community activities undertaken by Kohler EMEA associates, and 55 community projects led by Kohler Asia Pacific and China.
Corporate Giving:
Our corporate giving programs support and partner with organizations primarily focused on improving education and enhancing health and well-being in our communities. In 2021 we distributed $6.9 million in corporate donations, including $2.3 million in products and in-kind giving.
Safe Water for All
Safe Water for All (SWFA) is Kohler’s flagship initiative to help provide access to safe water and sanitation to underserved communities around the world. Kohler partners with humanitarian organizations to develop and fund customized solutions that meet the unique needs of each community. We repair and improve existing infrastructure and build water-filtration kiosks and bathrooms to provide entire villages with access to safe water and sanitation. in 2021, Kohler partnerships included:
- Kohler China: Executed an integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene project in Wuding, China, that included community education, drinking water system installation, and a community sanitary toilet project.
- Global Water Center: Supported the launch of the Mobile Discovery Center to provide a free interactive exhibit featuring an immersive 360-degree theater, augmented reality, and hands-on activities, including a water-testing station and water-treatment system.
- DigDeep: Launched the Water Is Life microgrant program, which brings innovation and training grants to local entrepreneurs to establish or expand businesses that sustain water and wastewater systems in the Navajo Nation.
- India: Installed 230 toilets in the Jhagadia village of Randheri, India, and constructed a centralized kiosk featuring a reverse osmosis system with ultraviolet protection to produce 500 liters of safe water per hour.
- Water First: supported their internship program for Indigenous young adults to become water systems operators in the First Nations communities in Canada.
In 2021 Kohler positively impacted the lives of 305,698 people around the world through Safe Water for All, and have impacted more than 1.8 million lives since 2014.