Community - McWane, For Generations

At McWane, we believe in being a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor. The McWane family of companies is committed to making a difference in the communities in which we live and work.

The McWane Community

At McWane, we believe in being a good corporate neighbor and a good citizen. The McWane family of companies is committed to making a difference in the communities in which we live and work.

Our founder, James Ransom McWane, began a charitable legacy that continues to this day. McWane, Inc. and its family of companies give millions of dollars anually to various community and charitable causes. This corporatewide initiative directly benefits the communities where our facilities are located.

Each McWane facility is active in the local community, donating time and resources to the neighboring communities.

In addition to planned service days and volunteerism, McWane has established Community Advisory Panels that allow citizens in the community to come together and discuss their interests and concerns.

McWane Commitment

At McWane, each day presents new opportunities for our team members to make a difference in the lives of others. McWane team members volunteer and participate in meaningful activities that improve the many communities where our facilities are located.

Each McWane facility is active in its local community. Over the years, McWane team members have adopted schools in the local communities, helped build playgrounds and houses in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and worked to clean up local neighborhoods. Our team members have participated in fundraising walks for charitable and nonprofit organizations and have supported the Red Cross and the United Way, among many worthwhile organizations. McWane team members have volunteered their time and talents for endeavors, supporting the arts, education, resources for children and senior citizens.

When we extend a helping hand to one another it enriches the world in which we live, and McWane team members are committed to making a difference.

Community Advisory Panels

The McWane Inc. family of companies established Community Advisory Panels (CAPs) across its U.S.-based facilities, connecting community representatives and company stakeholders and fostering ongoing two-way communication on issues that affect local residetns, including environmental, social and economic impacts.

In addition to representatives from our facilities, panel members include local community leaders, public officials, educators, union members, regulators, members of the clergy, residents and business leaders.

The following companies team up with CAPs to make the communities in which we live and do business better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today.

Donation Requests

Donation requests should be submitted to the nearest facility within the McWane family of companies. As outlined below, some CAPs have donation request forms avaiable online. For all others, please contact the local facility for submission criteria.

McWane Ductile – New Jersey Donation Request Form

Partnerships

The McWane family of companies continues a heritage of charitable giving that began with its first president, J.R. McWane.

We believe that part of being a good corporate neighbor is to support things that will give value to our community. It’s a simple philosophy handed down since J.R. McWane began the company. Being a good citizen means giving back in ways that benefit our communities and our employees.

Below are some of our community partners that McWane Inc. is proud to support.

Children’s of Alabama
In the summer of 2012, Children's of Alabama opened its doors to a brand-new, state-of-the-art, hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2009, the McWane Foundation pledged $5 million to Alabama’s Children’s Hospital for the construction of this new 12-story, 720,000-square-foot environmentally friendly hospital. The hospital is the first hospital in Alabama to be LEED certified, which is designated by the U.S. Green Buildings Council and stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In addition to the gift from the McWane Foundation, Phillip and Heather McWane personally pledged an additional $5 million for a clinical program in the new hospital. The combined $10 million gift is the second largest contribution in the hospital’s history.
McWane Science Center
The McWane Science Center, a hands on science exploration center in Birmingham, hosts thousands of families, students and educators from throughout the Southeast as they learn more about the workings of the world around them. The center hosts innovative educational exhibits, IMAX movies and interactive learning labs, classes and demonstrations designed to engage people of all ages in the adventure of science. The McWane Foundation was the major contributor in the building of the center and continues to offer financial support.
United Way
McWane and our team members support the United Way and its basic purpose — to increase the capacity of people to care for one another and to improve their community.
Vulcan
In 1904, the McWane family brought an iron giant to the Iron City. One hundred years later, the McWane family of companies helped bring him back. Vulcan, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, has been repaired, recast and restored to his former glory atop Birmingham's Red Mountain, thanks in large part to donations from McWane, Inc. Called the "greatest iron job in history" by J.R. McWane, the statue is as much a source of pride for the city, once renowned as an iron-making center, as it is for the men and women of McWane, whose innovation, dedication and craftsmanship the statue continues to represent.
Fresh Water Land Trust
The Freshwater Land Trust’s mission is the acquisition and stewardship of lands that enhance water quality and preserve open space. We acquire, conserve, and connect open spaces that are critical for the protection of rivers and streams and that provide recreational opportunities for the community. We are based in Birmingham, Alabama, and we work in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, Chilton, Bibb. St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, and Walker Counties. We are a conservation group that works to ensure that everyone wins: landowners, businesses and communities alike.

The Freshwater Land Trust is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The accreditation seal recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.
Cahaba River Society
The Mission of the Cahaba River Society is to restore and protect the Cahaba River watershed and its rich diversity of life.
Cahaba River Society serves not only the population of the Cahaba watershed but also all people living and working in the Birmingham metropolitan area. The Cahaba is the main drinking water source for the Birmingham Water Works Board, which serves about one-fifth of Alabama’s people. This “peopleshed” of residents and businesses who depend on and value the Cahaba River encompasses over a million people. In addition, CRS works with many statewide partners to strengthen water resource protection policies at the state level benefiting all the people of Alabama. While the bulk of our members live in the watershed or “peopleshed,” we also have the support of many members from throughout the state and across the nation and encourage the growing support of those who value the Cahaba River and believe in our work.
Our work also serves the diverse freshwater creatures who depend on the Cahaba. The Cahaba has more species of fish per mile than any other river in North America and is considered to be nationally and globally significant for freshwater biodiversity by conservation groups such as The Nature Conservancy and The World Wildlife Fund.
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
UAB is a comprehensive urban university with a nationally recognized academic health center. UAB is the only public, four-year degree granting university in the state's largest metropolitan area. UAB is the largest research institution in the state of Alabama and the university is the largest employer in Birmingham.

McWane Science Center

The McWane Science Center, a hands-on science exploration center in Birmingham, hosts thousands of families, students and educators from throughout the Southeast as they learn more about the workings of the world around them.

The center hosts innovative educational exhibits, IMAX movies and interactive learning labs, classes and demonstrations designed to engage people of all ages in the adventure of science. Fun never ends at the McWane Science Center. The McWane Foundation was the major contributor in building the center and continues its annual philanthropic support.

McWane Scholarship for Skilled Trades

Skilled trade workers are integral to the future of manufacturing. In celebration of our centennial year of operations, the McWane Scholarship Program for Skilled Trades was established in 2021. This two-year, $1,000 scholarship is open to qualified applicants with priority given to the communities in which we operate. Applicants must be enrolled or plan to enroll in a trade-related program at an accredited two-year college, vocational or technical school, or other approved technical institute in the United States. In addition, applicants must be a high school graduate or have a GED equivalent.

At McWane, we manufacture products that people depend on every day, and we value trade and technical education to help forge a path toward lifelong careers that will enable our company to continue to create value for others for generations.

The deadline to apply for the 2023 McWane Scholarship for Skilled Trades Program has passed. Please check back in October for information on submitting an application for the 2024 program.