Welcome to Our 2025 Annual Report

As an introduction to our annual report, Jack McGinley and Lisa Schroeder reflect on 2025 and look ahead to the future.

Jack McGinley, Board Chair: 2025, what a year of change for The Pittsburgh Foundation but, more importantly, a year of change for those who serve our community and for those working hard to create hope and fulfill their dreams in Pittsburgh, but this report recaps the Foundation’s response to this change across the past 12 months, but we both know this moment in time is simply just that: one moment in a continuum. The work never stops for those hoping to make an impact.

Lisa Schroeder, CEO: I couldn’t agree more. Funding cuts and policy changes are straining the operations of nonprofits and service providers around the region. The burden they feel cannot be understated. As a community foundation, we're committed to working with them and with civic leaders and fund holders to ease that pressure.

Jack: That commitment to partnership you're describing is so unique. It describes our purpose as a community foundation: to steward generosity of generations past, present and future and - notably - connect it to the community.

Lisa: And in 2025, we’ve been called to reinforce that purpose. Happily, the funding cuts and volatility have acted as catalysts to our partners, in particular our donor community. They stepped up to help families in transition and put food on the table for those whose assistance was withdrawn. We’ve made special efforts to ensure that our grantmaking and the grantmaking of donors was responsive and rooted in creating a just region. In response, we granted a total of $69 million.  

Jack: I’m proud of the fact we stayed nimble and could galvanize a response to these crises, while also adapting to the world as it changes around us. We are, in fact, designed to adapt to community needs, yet our core mission remains constant. The issues in our region demand boldness and imagination, and our role is to provide the trusted platform from which our community can launch ambitious solutions.

Lisa: I will add that increasingly we are finding those solutions go beyond just dollars. We are entering a new era of community philanthropy—one that values shared leadership and brings more voices to the table. This year, we fully embraced our role as a convener, creating spaces where donors, nonprofit leaders, and civic partners could connect, learn from one another, and build powerful coalitions for change.

Jack: Seeing that convening power come to fruition has been inspiring. The generosity of Pittsburghers continues to light the path forward, especially when we create opportunities for connection. It reaffirms our belief that we stand on strong ground, built by a community, for a community that has always been willing to invest in its own future.  

Lisa: What resonates to me is that many people want to take action. It creates hope, and it really brings to life a sentiment you and I share: hope is not just a feeling, it’s an action. You’ve really demonstrated this during your tenure as board chair of The Pittsburgh Foundation. As you begin your last year, the example you’ve set as a citizen leader will have impacted more than just those working with our Foundation, it resonates across our community.

Jack: Thank you, Lisa. The spirit of shared action will help us navigate a significant transition. Of course, I’m talking about your retirement. Your leadership has been transformative. While we wish you well, we also want you to know we are profoundly grateful. You have set a path for the future of this Foundation to seamlessly continue what you've helped build.

Lisa: It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this community, but the work is bigger than any one person, and I know the belief that we will shape the future together will continue to guide this institution.

Jack & Lisa: The Foundation has jumped into action to help our community as it continues to grapple with the fallout from funding cuts and policy changes. We’re planning a leadership transition that will continue our efforts to meet the moment in our region and embrace with our partners the opportunities to move Pittsburgh to a region where everyone can thrive.