What a Year!

In November 2020, amid all the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, AICC launched the Foundation for Packaging Education. What a year it has been!

AICC created its second 501(c)3 education foundation (the other being the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation; see related article on page 68) for the purpose of ensuring a reliable source of funds for AICC and related education programming, all aimed at people already working in box plants and the industry. Studies have also shown that providing a robust training program is a strong factor in attracting and keeping talent. In these times when finding workers is difficult, AICC and the foundation offer a difference maker as a benefit of AICC membership.

The Foundation for Packaging Education incorporated, satisfied the tax authorities, and organized a board of directors (the AICC Executive Committee) in summer 2020 that brought about the one-year-ago startup. The response of the AICC member community was both overwhelming and gratifying. At the time of this writing, 40 AICC member companies and individuals, both General and Associate Members, have made pledges or contributions that total nearly $1.5 million. The generosity of the AICC membership knows no bounds.

Most of you are aware of the million- dollar match. AICC’s board of directors added $1 million more to that total when they voted to move that amount from AICC’s long-term investments to the foundation’s coffers. This was done when pledges reached the million-dollar level.

The foundation’s board of directors has set the goal to have a total of $3 million in pledges and funds on hand. Please help your Association, your industry, and yourselves by making a pledge to the Foundation for Packaging Education at www.packaginged.org.

Now that the foundation has reached its first birthday, some of the creative and entrepreneurial tendencies of AICC members are also beginning to flow into the foundation. These can be just as vital as the funds that are required to create the programming. With several creative members, a committee is now working on an annual Foundation for Packaging Education fundraising event. We hope to share more information with you on this in the very near term.

Several donors have come together, led by Michael Levin of the Paige Co., Mitch Klingher of Klingher Nadler LLP, and Freedom Corrugated, to create a scholarship within the foundation to honor the memory of Steve Narva. Narva was a corrugated industry veteran and a creative dynamo who made a difference at several companies. The Steve Narva Scholarship is the second scholarship program being administered by the foundation. AICC’s longstanding Richard Troll Memorial Scholarship has moved to the foundation as well. Donors may direct their contributions and pledges to the foundation as they see fit.

Thank you for your continuing support and generosity.