Being a lifelong fan of Gibson, I thought I knew the company pretty well. In fact, there were some pieces of the organization I hardly knew at all.

For me, Gibson is the Les Paul, my all-time favorite guitar. Many of my guitar idols play a Les Paul, including Slash and Zakk Wylde, both of whom have signature models from the company.

I even had the opportunity to meet Les Paul himself on a couple of occasions and sit down and speak with him for a while one time at his birthday party. Let me tell you, there is nothing like sitting down with Les and chatting about guitars!

What I didn’t know about Gibson is how much the company is involved in charitable organizations. I noticed today a post about the Gibson Foundation, a part of the company founded in 2002 by CEO Henry Juszkiewicz.

“The Gibson Foundation was created as a way for Gibson to help make the world a better place for children,” according to the Gibson Web site. “Not only does the Gibson Foundation support existing efforts around the world, it also actively develops its own programs where it sees it can make a meaningful difference. Health, education, the environment, music and the arts all play a role in the Gibson Foundation’s extensive reach worldwide.”

The Gibson Foundation supports over 100 non-profit organizations around the world, with its primary focus on disadvantaged children.

Nice.