10 11 Maxwell King PresidentandCEO, ThePittsburghFoundation I N A N Y O T H E R Y E A R ’ S R E P O R T A B O U T YO U R C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D AT I O N ’ S W O R K , we would focus on how we’ve been fulfilling our primary mission —  improving the quality of life for residents in the Pittsburgh region. But we can’t report fully and honestly without first addressing the recent significant events that brought anxiety and uncertainty into our region and influenced the direction of our agenda. Most originated in Washington and beyond: international terror- ism and nuclear saber-rattling; unprecedented political divisiveness; pitched battles over affordable health care; a flawed immigration policy “corrected” by such cynical politics as assaulting young, mostly Latino immigrants — the Dreamers. Add to that list local events that jolted the national conscience. One of the most horrendous: the torch-lit march of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., in which a neo-Nazi drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a young woman. Andtheseeventswerelayeredoverourown pressingissuesprominent on our agenda: robust economic development versus gentrification in city neighborhoods; the opioid crisis; growing economic disparity; and protection of essential human services in the state budget process. The weight and volume of these issues and the dispiriting effects of divisive rhetoric challenged us last year to an unprecedented degree. But in the process of sorting through it all, we found abundant evidence that the community philanthropy model is stronger than it’s ever been. The Pittsburgh Foundation family and the public we serve are more convinced than ever of the inherent value of community in American life. That assessment matches national surveys. Though 70 percent of respondents to a national poll this summer said that civility has dropped and anxiety has ratcheted up since the presidential election, another poll found that nearly as high a percentage strongly value community and believe in investing in programs close to home. And there is plenty of evidence to show that community foundations are among the most effective models for empowering people of diverse ideologies and life experiences to come together to achieve social good. Just two days after the white supremacist uprising in Charlottesville, the area’s community foundation announced and funded a five-point plan to assist those who were harmed and developed a process for community reconciliation. In Hurricane Harvey–ravaged Houston, many staff of the region’s community foundation lost their homes, but are leading the recovery effort, including managing an $84 million*emergency relief fund. In our region, we’ve focused on expanding programs and services developed through 100 Percent Pittsburgh, our organizing principle that commits us to inviting people on the margins to join us in developing opportunities for their full participation in our revitalized economy. Youth in the juvenile justice system joined us in developing strategies to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Generous Pittsburghers joined us in our Critical Needs Alert online giving campaign to raise a record $1.3 million for basic needs. And single women with children joined us in devising strategies to provide them more economic opportunity. The findings will be shared in a new research report next year. We invite you to read through the following pages to understand the many ways our donors, grantees and civic partners — as told in their own words — are rejecting divisive elements and building a community that champions civic engagement, equity and opportunity for all. Edith L. Shapira, M.D. Chair,ThePittsburghFoundation BoardofDirectors * As of October 17, 2017 Fall2017 MAKING OUR REGION WORK FORALL