PITTSBURGH, Pa., October 3, 2011 – The matching fund for The Pittsburgh Foundation’s third annual community-wide Day of Giving tomorrow (October 4) has risen to $750,000 – an increase of over 30 percent compared with last year’s event.

 

In addition to funds provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation, the match pool is supported by the Foundation’s Jack G. Buncher Charitable Fund together with local funding partners, including The Buhl Foundation, The Heinz Endowments and the Leonard C. Grasso Charitable Foundation.

 

A separate matching pool of $100,000 will be available for donors contributing to nonprofit organizations in Westmoreland, the same as in 2010. More than 600 local charities in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties with profiles on the PittsburghGives and WestmorelandGives sites will be eligible to receive contributions from midnight to midnight tomorrow that will qualify for equal pro-rated shares of matching funds.

 

“Matching funds serve as a key incentive and encouragement for donors, in the knowledge that they can make their contributions go further and maximize the impact of their generosity,” said Grant Oliphant, The Pittsburgh Foundation’s President and CEO. “We are delighted that funding partners have again joined to support the event, and I am hopeful that we will surpass the total raised for 2010.”

 

Pittsburgh’s Day of Giving last year generated public donations of over $2.8 million which together with total matching funds of $500,000 raised over $3.3 million for area nonprofits. Each donation received a match of 20 cents on the dollar, or 20 percent.

 

Westmoreland’s Day of Giving in December generated nearly $200,000 in contributions which shared a match pool of $100,000. The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County merged with The Pittsburgh Foundation in 2010.

 

The PittsburghGives platform serves as a unique vehicle for nonprofits to showcase their work in the community, detailing information about their charitable programs, missions, management and finances. PittsburghGives can be accessed at www.pittsburghgives.org. WestmorelandGives can be accessed at www.westmorelandgives.org.