Record donations in record time to combat housing crises
The Pittsburgh Foundation raises $1 million in four hours
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 8, 2015 – The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Critical Needs Alert campaign raised more than $1 million for area housing agencies today — a record in both dollars raised and duration — with contributions from the public surpassing $500,000 in just four hours.
The campaign, the third in the Foundation’s history, opened at 8 a.m. by way of the Foundation’s PittsburghGives.org donation portal. By noon, the public had made more than 1,200 individual donations. Those gifts were matched dollar-for-dollar from the Foundation’s $500,000 match pool, resulting in more than $1 million to be distributed among 40 nonprofits that offer emergency shelter, temporary housing and employment assistance to homeless children, youth, adults and families.
“At a time when human services providers have been hit hard by the state budget delay, the people of Pittsburgh have shown that supporting vulnerable populations is a top priority,” Maxwell King, the Foundation’s president and CEO said in announcing the campaign results today. “This record public rally around the issue of homelessness is truly inspiring, and it demonstrates the neighbor-to-neighbor philanthropy that defines our community.”
Participating nonprofits included Light of Life Rescue Mission, Bethlehem Haven, East End Cooperative Ministries and others. The campaign’s record-setting match pool was a combination of the Foundation’s funds and contributions from its donor community. Among the donor funds and foundations that contributed are the Linda Christen Family Charitable Fund, the Ellen B. Amshel Fund, Anonymous (5) and the Rita M. McGinley Foundation.
“As soon as we told our donors about the plan to repeat a Critical Needs Alert campaign to assist those facing chronic housing insecurity, contributions came pouring in,” said Yvonne Maher, the Foundation’s senior vice president for Development and Donor Services. “This year’s match pool was yet another testament to our donors’ generosity and their commitment to the Pittsburgh region.”
Last year’s Critical Needs Alert raised $900,000 (including $450,000 in match funds) during the first 12 hours of the campaign. All contributions went to 36 nonprofits that provide shelter and other services to the homeless, those on the brink of homelessness, or those facing sudden or temporary housing crises. In 2013, the Foundation’s first Critical Needs Alert raised $617,804 (including $250,000 in match funds) for 15 food banks in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, which were then facing an unprecedented rise in demand.
“The Critical Needs Alert campaigns have been successful because the people of Pittsburgh are strongly committed to helping people in need,” said King. “Though the economy is improving overall, we see too many individuals and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads. My heartfelt thanks go to all who supported this year’s appeal, and to those who provided the matching funds that let us double the community’s generosity.”
The campaign will remain open until 8 a.m. Friday, though donations will no longer be matched.