In celebration of its 75th anniversary, the Grundfos Foundation, owner of manufacturer Grundfos, announced plans to expand its budget for donations to $29 million from $18 million. Main donation areas remain water research and access, but extra funds will help the foundation address the fight against Covid-19 this year.
“In 2020, Grundfos turns 75,” says Executive Director Kim Nøhr Skibsted. “This is a good occasion for expanding the donation activities significantly, and we plan to commit $29 million to donations this year. The funds will primarily support our existing donation areas where we support mission-driven research and learning, sustainable solutions, humanitarian aid through access to drinking water and inclusion of the socially vulnerable through public-private collaboration. There’s plenty of worthy causes to support, and our donations should help bring about new, groundbreaking solutions.”
The foundation says the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted priorities.
“There’s a lot we can do with our knowledge, technologies and donations for people who are often overlooked,” the executive director says. “Water is a source of life and a prerequisite for improving quality of life and economic development. WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is also a core tool to shield humans against the corona pandemic, and we are following the situation closely to see how we can be of assistance. Within research, we will support changed priorities that can help mitigate the consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak now and in future. We will remain true to our partnerships, but we will adapt to the new reality in Denmark, and globally.”
The foundation’s most recent major project was in Tanzania. In 2019, the it celebrated completion of the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp water distribution system, which eased access to drinking water for over 200,000 people in western Tanzania. That project was in partnership with Water Mission, a U.S.-based non-governmental organization. The foundation supports similar projects in collaboration with UNICEF, Plan International and Oxfam.
The Grundfos Foundation (Poul Due Jensen Foundation) was created in 1975 by Grundfos’ founder, Poul Due Jensen. The foundation is majority owner in water pump technology manufacturer Grundfos, a global leader in water pump technology, and the foundations’s main purpose is to ensure and support healthy economic growth and development of the Grundfos Group. The foundation also donates toward the continued development of sustainable solutions for clean water and humanitarian aid efforts around the world. For more information, visit pdjf.dk/en.
Grundfos is a manufacturer of pump solutions and water technology, including pumps, standard and submersible motors, and electronics for monitoring and controlling pumps. Since its inception in 1945, the; company has grown from one factory in Denmark to a global corporation comprising more than 80 companies and over 18,800 employees. For more information, visit www.grundfos.us.
