#ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert raises record $1.3 million from public
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 10, 2020 – Nonprofits providing basic needs benefited from record public giving to the #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert online giving event on Aug. 19. Organized by The Pittsburgh Foundation, the event raised a total of $1.85 million for nonprofits in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties that provide food, housing, physical and mental health care, child care and transportation – directly to vulnerable populations. The assistance is especially critical now, as nonprofits strive to meet increased demand associated with the coronavirus pandemic and the related economic crisis, both of which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including Black and Brown people.
Between 8 a.m. and midnight on Aug. 19, 6,992 donations totaling $1.33 million from the public poured into the PittsburghGives.org donation portal to benefit 147 nonprofits.
“This year, when so many people have lost their jobs, their child care and confidence in their future economic security, it is truly remarkable to see people digging deep to help their neighbors, particularly the most vulnerable, get through this crisis,” Pittsburgh Foundation President & CEO Lisa Schroeder said in announcing the fundraising result.
Every donation from $25 to $1,000 triggered additional funding from a $520,000 incentive pool provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation and its affiliate, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, and their donors. Incentive pool dollars are divided among nonprofits after the giving concludes. From the incentive pool, $445,000 went to Allegheny County organizations and $75,000 went to Westmoreland County organizations.
“The prorated incentive pool helps motivate the public to make charitable gifts all the way up to the 11:59 p.m. deadline,” said Kelly Uranker, director of the Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy and manager of the Critical Needs fundraising program. “We see giving continue all the way up to the deadline. It’s exciting to watch the numbers increase to benefit nonprofits taking part in the event.”
The previous six Critical Needs Alerts raised a total of $6.6 million, including incentive pool funds, and each targeted a specific area of need – food insecurity in 2013 and 2018, housing insecurity in 2014 and 2015, and basic needs – child care, food, housing, mental and physical health care, and transportation – in 2017 and 2019.
The outpouring of giving to #ONEDAY comes directly on the heels of the Foundation’s Emergency Action Fund, which raised and granted a total of $9 million over a 15-week period for coronavirus-related relief. Public donations to that effort totaled $308,000.
Previous Critical Needs incentive and overall giving records were set last year, when public contributions of $865,000 plus an $800,000 incentive pool provided by the Foundation and its donors totaled $1.67 million for Allegheny and Westmoreland county nonprofits that focus on basic needs.
Critical Needs Alert giving events align with the Foundation’s mission of improving the quality of life in the Pittsburgh region by evaluating and addressing community issues, promoting responsible philanthropy and connecting donors to the critical needs of their neighbors.
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