Gentex makes a difference through new initiatives

The company has announced a new charitable foundation and scholarship program.
Gentex makes a difference through new initiatives
The Gentex Foundation will boost the company’s efforts to give back to the community. <strong> Photo via Facebook.com </strong>

A local manufacturer seeks to impact the community by way of its new philanthropic organization and a new scholarship program.

Gentex, the Zeeland-based manufacturer and supplier of automotive vision systems, recently established a new charitable giving nonprofit called the Gentex Foundation in addition to a new scholarship for female high school seniors pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).

Through the Gentex Foundation, grants will be provided to U.S. organizations to support charitable causes. Such causes include economic development, children’s services, public health, housing assistance and diversity initiatives.

The foundation will be managed by a board of directors that will review grant applications. According to the company, a focus will remain on nonprofit organizations operating in areas where Gentex employees live and work.

“For nearly five decades, as one of the area’s leading employers, we’ve sought to make a positive impact on West Michigan,” said Steve Downing, president and CEO of Gentex. “As we continue to grow, serve new markets, and engage in new communities, the Gentex Foundation will allow us to enhance our charitable giving program to better support the needs of the communities in which we operate.”

While the foundation is new, Gentex’s practice of charitable giving is not. Since its founding in 1974, Gentex and its employees have contributed to various local organizations and financially supported programs dedicated to entrepreneurship, such as Start Garden.

The company also operates a community give-back program run by its employees. Through Community Share, Gentex team members can donate a portion of their paycheck to the shared fund, and at the end of each year, the Community Share Board allocates the donations to local organizations based on need and number of people served.

Community Share also gives employees the opportunity to volunteer or organize fundraisers for select nonprofits. These financial and voluntary efforts have supported numerous organizations, including Kids’ Food Basket, Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity, Hand2Hand, Camp Sunshine and the Boys and Girls Club of Holland/Grand Rapids.

“Employees are passionate about giving back to the West Michigan community,” the company said. “We applaud their giving spirit and appreciate their drive to run this charitable program.”

The new Gentex Foundation will provide matching funds for the Community Share program, according to the company.

Along with the foundation came the announcement of Gentex’s new Amanda Clark Scholarship program created in honor of Clark, a former employee who died in 2021. Clark had a manufacturing engineering degree from Kettering University in Flint and worked at Gentex for eight years, using her technical skills in various roles.

The scholarship was created to recognize female high school seniors in West Michigan who are pursuing a STEM degree at a four-year college or university. Recipients are eligible to receive a $5,000 scholarship that can be renewed for up to three years.

One recipient will be awarded each year, and the scholarship will be paid directly to the recipient’s college if eligibility requirements are met.

Applications for the first round of the Amanda Clark Scholarship are due Jan. 20, 2023. To apply, applicants must fill out an online application and provide their high school transcript, two letters of recommendation and a short personal essay explaining their interest in STEM and a description of their future goals post-college.

According to 2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, women account for 27% of STEM occupations in the U.S. While the number has increased compared to just 8% of STEM workers in 1970, women remain underrepresented in the sector.

At Gentex, the Women @ Gentex group seeks to be a catalyst for women to achieve their personal and professional goals. The group is open to women and allies within the company, and the group’s initiatives to date have included a panel discussion on unconventional career paths, professional development workshops, volunteer opportunities and networking and social events.

“We want to ensure that Gentex’s culture is supportive and welcoming to all, which is essential to becoming a world-class organization,” Downing said in 2018.

With these new initiatives, 2022 continues to be a monumental year for Gentex. In July, the company announced a $300 million expansion in the city of Zeeland and Zeeland Charter Township, which will create 500 new jobs for the West Michigan region.

The project will provide the company with increased capacity for glass processing, the manufacture of auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, displays and electronics for automotive and aerospace applications and the development of new technologies for the fire protection industry.

This story can be found in the Oct. 31 issue of the Grand Rapids Business Journal. To get more stories like this delivered to your mailbox, subscribe here.