SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE POSITION DESCRIPTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION was established in 1945 to improve lives of those living in the greater Pittsburgh region through the power of philanthropy. The Foundation’s assets, now more than $1.2 billion, represent the contributions of more than 2,000 individuals and families. The Foundation awards more than $43 million in grants each year, with an average of $2.3 million supporting Foundation-awarded scholarships. When donors create a scholarship fund at the Foundation, they may choose whether or not to participate in the selection process. In either case, scholarship committees are forwarded to the Foundation’s board of directors for approval. Scholarship Committee members must: • Conform to the Pension Protection Act of 2006 requirements, which state that a donor and his or her relatives and/or employees may not constitute a majority of the Committee or otherwise control the Committee. • Declare any conflicts of interest that arise when an applicant under consideration is someone related to you. No person may serve on a scholarship selection committee if, during that year, a relative of the person is an applicant for consideration by that Committee. Although not mandatory, we recommend committee members recuse themselves if they have a personal relationship with an applicant. A good rule of thumb is to recuse if the committee member might purchase a graduation card for the applicant. • Remain objective and nondiscriminatory throughout the selection process. • Protect the privacy of students by keeping their information confidential. 20 SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK APPENDIX