PITTSBURGH, July 31, 2023 … Nonprofits that make up the safety net for essential human services in the region will get a significant boost Aug. 1, when the #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert online giving campaign takes place at www.PittsburghGives.org. Every donation of $25 or more triggers additional funding from a $550,000 incentive pool provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation, its affiliate, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, and their donors. Every dollar raised will provide operating support directly to the nonprofits. 

“As we move into the second decade of our #ONEDAY online giving events, it is with great admiration and humility that we provide this opportunity for people to support organizations that are making a difference in our community,” said Pittsburgh Foundation President and CEO Lisa Schroeder in announcing the giving event. “It is an honor for our foundations to assist in raising these funds and to spotlight the hard-working individuals who work tirelessly to bring a better quality of life to the people they serve. It is a responsibility we carry proudly.  

“It is also a yearly reminder of the generosity and kindness that our area’s residents exemplify daily. Building a greater Pittsburgh begins with days like today and we are excited to get it going.” 

Uplifting BIPOC-led and serving nonprofits: The #ONEDAY giving event will enable donors to support organizations led by and serving Black and Brown communities, which were hit hardest by the pandemic

How incentive funds work:  The #ONEDAY campaign will prorate payouts from the incentive pool based on the total raised by each organization. The goal is to encourage public giving over the full 16 hours of the Critical Needs Alert. While donors can give as much as they like, incentive funds will be capped at $1,000 per donor per organization to ensure that funds are distributed across as many organizations as possible. All funds raised go to the nonprofits and provide unrestricted operating support. Of the $550,000 incentive pool, $50,000 is earmarked for Westmoreland County charities. 

The five priority areas for this year’s Critical Needs Alert are: 

  • Child Care - Programs providing child care for infants and children up to age 6. (Those that provide only before- or after-school programming do not qualify.)   

  • Employment - Organizations providing employment-related services such job readiness, job placement or job retention programs; training or education explicitly related to employment; and support services such as transportation, tools or clothing to enable individuals to work.  

  • Eviction Prevention and Housing - Organizations that provide direct shelter to individuals and families in crisis. Also includes organizations that provide financial assistance, landlord-tenant mediation and other related services that assist individuals and families to stay safely in their homes.  

  • Food and Nutrition - Organizations such as food pantries, food banks and soup kitchens that provide food to those who don’t have the ability to meet daily needs. 

  • Physical and Mental Healthcare - Organizations providing clinical physical and mental health care. This includes health care supplies and staffing needs. 

The Foundation’s previous ten Critical Needs Alerts have raised a total of $12 million, including incentive funds, to support essential services such as food, housing, child care, mental and physical health care, and transportation. 

Following the Tree of Life shooting in November 2018, an additional $794,000 was raised for the #LoveIsStronger, which benefited eight organizations. 

Critical Needs Alert giving events align with the Foundation’s mission of improving quality of life and help to realize its vision of a vibrant, equitable and just Pittsburgh region that supports everyone—regardless of race, identity or circumstance—to thrive and fulfill their potential.