This is When Pittsburgh Philanthropy Is at its Best

At times of crisis like the one we are now in, the Pittsburgh philanthropic community is at its very best. Why? Because during an emergency, foundations make a critical (and fundamental) adjustment: they place charity above strategic philanthropy. 

Let me explain.

First, Pittsburgh is extraordinarily lucky when it comes to our foundation community. We have more philanthropic dollars per capita than almost anywhere else in the world – some have even said that we have perhaps more than we deserve. Others (and I count myself among them) believe that our resurgence over the past 30+ years is a direct result of the strength of and leadership from our foundation community.

Second, our foundations have succeeded in tackling many critical, “big picture” issues facing our region precisely because of their measured, strategic approach to grantmaking and engagement. It’s part of the reason we are considered a world leader in areas such as cancer research, robotics, health and human services delivery, and early childhood development. There are plenty of hard and difficult issues our region continues to face – such as persistent social injustice, institutionalized racism, and infant and maternal mortality, just to name a few. But I can tell you that many of our leading foundations are working very hard with the community to try to tackle these challenges.

But right now, in these uncertain and scary times, when we are facing a virus that none of us were prepared for, one which threatens the health and economic livelihood of families across our region, we are also witnessing philanthropy is at its best – placing immediate charity above strategic philanthropy.

Having had the opportunity to work for Elsie Hillman for 26 years, I had the opportunity to witness the difference between charity and philanthropy firsthand (Elsie was both a philanthropist and a person of charity, though she always leaned more towards the latter). Charity is the act of giving aid to those in need, and providing help with no questions asked. If a neighbor is in crisis, you simply lend a hand without question. When a fire occurs or a flood happens, you don’t first try to figure out how to prevent it; you provide the immediate help needed for those who have suffered. And when an illness strikes a community as a whole, you do what you can to help alleviate the immediate pain before turning to the underlying problem.

This is what our foundation community has done in previous times of need. Think back to Hurricane Ivan. It was the foundation community that rallied behind the community and its leaders to provide unprecedented levels of support. During the 2007-2008 financial crisis, it was the foundation community that stepped in to form NeighborAid. And fifteen years ago, when our City was in financial crisis, and its swimming pools and recreation centers were set to close, it was the foundation community that stepped in to create the Save Our Summer initiative that kept them open. 

And now, just last week, under the leadership of United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania several of our major foundations stepped up to provide necessary resources to meet our current crisis. But it didn’t stop there.

Earlier this week, under the leadership of The Pittsburgh Foundation and Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, close to 100 representatives from local foundations joined in a call with Dr. Debra Bogen, the incoming director of the Allegheny County Department of Health, and her colleague Marc Cherna, director of our Department of Human Services, to hear what the community’s needs are, and how the foundations can best meet them. You could feel an immediate sense of coming together without question. Regardless of whether it met their grantmaking guidelines or not, the foundations were eager to pitch in and meet the needs of our residents and families. Charity was usurping strategic philanthropy, plain and simple.

And even as this current public health crisis continues to deepen, one source of comfort is that our foundation community continues to work to rise to the challenge, and, in doing so, to live up to the true spirit of charity. Elsie would be proud.