In The News

The Westmoreland County Federated Library System will use a $10,000 grant from the Pittsburgh-based Eden Hall Foundation to continue working with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's Math and Science Collaborative in developing Storytime STEM-Packs, which integrate science, math and engineering concepts into children's stories, alongside hands-on activities that reinforce those ideas.

Pittsburgh-based FashionAFRICANA — which showcases the beauty and diversity of the African diaspora through fashion and the arts — will present “The Wiz Live!” costume display at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture on Sept. 23-Nov. 30. It will kick off with an Emerald City-themed opening reception in late September.

The Pittsburgh Foundation has announced that its Center for Philanthropy, which works to foster collaboration among individual donors, the foundation, and nonprofits in the region, has been given its own meeting space within the foundation's offices. The 11,000-square-foot space includes five rooms with LCD screens, improved wireless and wired connectivity, and walls that can be used as dry-erase boards.  

The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project and The Allegheny Front both receive financial support from The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Heinz Endowments.

Gregg Behr, 43, of Ohio Township was recognized for his work with the Remake Learning Council and Remake Learning Network, both comprising leaders in business, philanthropy and education who work to improve learning through technology and other advances. “Over the past decade, Gregg Behr and The Grable Foundation have made Pittsburgh a national model for hands-on learning that combines science, art and technology,” said Maxwell King, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Across the United States, the employment rate of people with disabilities hovers around 30 percent. That's right, not the unemployment rate, but the employment rate. The unemployment rate is around 70 percent. And for youth, it's even more discouraging. Unlike their non-disabled peers, less than 1 in 5 young people with disabilities gain employment experience before high school graduation. In Pennsylvania, that began to change on May 17, when Gov. Tom Wolf signed a critically important bill into law. The legislation, tied to the #IWantToWork campaign, was sponsored by Rep.

For more than nine months, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania operated without a budget. The budget impasse left many health and human services nonprofit organizations financially vulnerable, with some forced to use extreme measures to continue operating, including drastically reducing crucial services for those in need. While Pennsylvania nonprofits employ more than 13.3% of the Commonwealth’s workforce, some nonprofits were forced to lay-off critical staff and reduce staff time during the impasse. 

“The superintendent may well be the most important post in Pittsburgh,” said Maxwell King, CEO and president of The Pittsburgh Foundation. The foundation is one of the school district's largest private funders and established The Pittsburgh Promise, which has committed to raising $250 million to help send the district's graduates to college or trade schools. “Nothing is more consequential than public education. I hope the board can effectively sort this out.”  

The Westmoreland County Federated Library System will use a $10,000 grant from the Pittsburgh-based Eden Hall Foundation to continue working with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's Math and Science Collaborative in developing “Storytime STEM-Packs,” which integrate science, math and engineering concepts into children's stories, alongside hands-on activities that reinforce those ideas.

Led by Carnegie Mellon University alumna Emily Kennedy, start-up Marinus Analytics is focused on becoming a sustainable company with a huge social impact. In 2015, Marinus Analytics was recognized by UpPrize judges as one of the top three companies in the $1 million social innovation challenge and was awarded $150,000 in investments, plus a $50,000 grant. UpPrize was a unique collaboration between BNY Mellon, the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania and The Forbes Funds.