We commit to creating a vibrant, equitable and just Pittsburgh region that supports everyone – regardless of race, identity or circumstance – to thrive and fulfill their potential.
With the special designation since 1945 as a community philanthropy, The Pittsburgh Foundation occupies a unique place in our region. Unlike any other public or private entity, we have the ability to simultaneously take donations, make grants, engage our elected officials, influence public and private spending and use our voice in coordinated and strategic ways to improve the quality of life for all citizens of the Pittsburgh region. In designing this strategic plan, we recognize that effective community philanthropy today involves more than grantmaking. We have the opportunity and the obligation to be the place where donors, nonprofits and leaders from businesses, government and foundations can coalesce around important issues and work together to achieve life-improving social change.
We feel a moral imperative to adopt a central commitment to achieving racial justice. Our region cannot afford to continue to leave so many behind if our aspiration is for sustainable growth.
At this crucial moment, we at the Foundation are poised with the help of all our community partners to take advantage of a valuable set of resources. We will use these resources to realize the vision of a region in which each person has ample opportunity to not just survive, but to thrive in a happy, healthy and prosperous life.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Our three mutually reinforcing strategic priorities are to Promote Philanthropy, Support Community and Catalyze Partnerships. Our commitment to Racial Justice includes enacting fundamental systemic changes by eliminating policies, laws, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that reinforce differential outcomes by race. This is critically important in our region, where there are significant racial disparities in access to resources and opportunities.
The call to action of our new strategic plan is to harness the diversity of our resources to achieve a more equitable, just and prosperous region in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We answer that call, in part, by committing to a practice of listening to our community in order to learn where help is needed.
--Lisa Schroeder, President and CEO, The Pittsburgh Foundation
STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING
The Pittsburgh Foundation is committed to making Pittsburgh a more equitable and safe place to live. That is why we are adjusting our strategic grantmaking to better serve the community. We are now putting increased emphasis on funding organizations that support the following:
- Basic needs of community members.
- Environmental action to reduce environmental harm.
- Arts and culture.
- Equity and social justice.
- Economic mobility to improve wealth distribution amongst Pittsburgh residents.