Targeted Areas for Impact



The Pittsburgh Foundation grants to five primary Targeted Areas for Impact through its Community Fund:

Achieving Educational Excellence and Equity
Fostering Economic Development
Supporting Families, Children and Youth
Reducing Disparities in Health Outcomes
Advancing the Arts

The following guidelines apply to grants that fall within the five targeted areas for impact:

Who Can Apply?
Grants in the five targeted areas for impact are awarded to nonprofit organizations that are defined as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are located within Allegheny County, or can demonstrate that a significant majority of their population served is from Allegheny County.

The Pittsburgh Foundation does not award grants from unrestricted funds to individuals, nor does the Foundation generally award grants for operating costs, sectarian purposes, private and parochial schools, hospitals, research, annual endowments, capital costs, equipment, special events, conferences, scholarships, internships or awards.

Application Process

1. Review the our targeted areas for impact to determine whether your organization’s project is closely aligned with one of these priorities:
   • Achieving Educational Excellence and Equity
   • Fostering Economic Development
   • Supporting Families, Children and Youth
   • Reducing Disparities in Health Outcomes
   • Advancing the Arts

2. Submit a Letter of Inquiry—Prior to submitting a full proposal, applicants are encouraged to send a letter of inquiry that includes a brief statement about:
   • The organization
   • The proposed project
   • Its intended results, and
   • A general idea of project costs

   Program staff will review each letter of inquiry and contact the organization if additional information, including a complete proposal, is required.

   Letters of inquiry should be sent to:
   The Pittsburgh Foundation
   Five PPG Place, Suite 250                                                                                                                                     Pittsburgh, PA 15222-5414

3. Proposal—Once a full proposal is requested by The Pittsburgh Foundation, the organization may follow the guidelines provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation or may follow the Common Grant Application format. The proposal will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. Grant decisions will be based on the project’s relevance to the five targeted areas for impact, as well as the quality of planning, the project’s potential impact, the financial and management strengths of the organization, the amount of the request and other relevant factors. The organization will be notified of the decision made by the Board of Directors.

4. Deadlines—Letters of inquiry and proposals are reviewed on a regular basis, with no specific deadlines for submission.

Click here to open the Targeted Area for Impact Grant Guidelines and Application