A new strategic plan setting out an ambitious blueprint for The Pittsburgh Foundation’s role in the broad regional community has been approved by its Board of Directors and endorsed with enthusiastic support by its many constituents, including donors and nonprofit organizations.

The plan strengthens the Foundation’s focus on community and the positive impact it strives to achieve through its grantmaking, the engagement of its donors in critical regional issues and its activities around convening and leadership, in collaboration with funding and civic partners. Central to the new plan is a major revision of the Foundation’s policy governing its unrestricted grantmaking to create three funding categories designed to capture all of the community’s charitable programming needs.

Additionally, the Foundation is developing key initiatives as part of its mission to offer ‘go-to’ resources for philanthropy in the region. “As this region’s leading community foundation we occupy a unique, privileged and responsible position and we must be judged on the impact we are able to have in making a positive and sustainable difference to the wellbeing of our community,” said Grant Oliphant, the Foundation’s President and CEO. “I believe that we have in place a plan that will help us to continue to do that, to the benefit of everyone. My deepest hope is that the Foundation can play a pivotal role in serving as a source of transformative qualities helping our community to push past its lingering resistance to change and to move forward into a new era of possibility.”

The Foundation’s new strategic plan was finalized following a 15-month process which included special forums with nonprofit organizations, funding partners, community and civic leaders and the Foundation’s donors. “The feedback we received was enthusiastic and constructive, and we are grateful for the time, engagement and valuable insights provided by our many constituents,” said Greg Curtis, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

The overarching objectives of the new plan are: to function as a community leader in building and supporting sustainable communities, to position the Foundation as the community’s portal for philanthropic activity and to continue to serve as an effective and respected steward of the Foundation’s assets. The Foundation’s new grantmaking policy, replacing its five Target Areas of Impact, introduced nearly seven years ago, seek to integrate the key issues of environment, economics, and social equity into its three new funding guideline categories: Self Sufficient Individuals and Families, Healthy Communities and A Vibrant Democracy.

The first includes education, affordable housing, public transportation, healthy children and adults and job development. Healthy Communities covers ecological issues, the creation of safe communities, cultural and racial diversity, creative arts and the encouragement of excellence in civic design. A Vibrant Democracy includes civic engagement and the research and dissemination of information around critical community issues, designed to inform and shape public policy. In pursuit of its goals, the Foundation is offering ‘go-to’ resources for philanthropy in our region and initiatives are already underway to develop more interactive, collaborative and transparent relationships with our donors, our partners and the community at large.

Among them is PittsburghGives, a new on-line database offering comprehensive profiles of the region’s nonprofit organizations. PittsburghGives will launch in October 2009 with a celebrated day of philanthropy, providing an invaluable research tool as well as on-line giving capabilities. It also enables donors to give directly from their funds to their chosen charities. The Foundation has also introduced a charitable gift card and full details about this and PittsburghGives are in this edition of Community Forum.

Additionally, the Foundation is refining its leadership role, exemplified by its convening activities around Pittsburgh’s local government efficiency debate, its work with The Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program and its bold response to the economic crisis with the creation of an emergency fund, Neighbor Aid.

“We can only aspire to the beautiful, wonderful, magnificent dreams we hold on to for Pittsburgh’s continued revival by meeting head-on those challenges that confront us,” said Grant Oliphant. “We have framed our strategic plan with the aim of playing a tangible role in contributing to sustainable change in our community where people are not disposable, where everyone is valued and where opportunities are developed and shared by all.”

For further information, contact:
John Ellis
Vice President for Communications
412-394-2647 
Ellisj@pghfdn.org