IN THIS ISSUE 6  FIRST, WE BIND THE WOUNDS, AND THEN … A community foundation prepares to push beyond fundraising to respond to the “why” of hate-fueled violence 10  ADVOCACY FOR ALL Foundation public policy initiatives are leading to change in our communities 12 A LEGACY OF OPPORTUNITY A scholarship designed to help first-generation college students pursue their passions 18 LABOR OF LOVE The Foundation continues the legacy of a donor who blended art and science 22 PUSHING THE FORBES FUNDS FORWARD Fred Brown takes the helm at The Forbes Funds 16  Advisor Profile: Pete Strope 21  Staff Profile: Brad Jones T YPICALLY, THE HOLIDAY MESSAGE from a community foundation’s leaders reports on the good that has come from its family of donors and grantees, and it celebrates all the ways in which life in the Pittsburgh region has been made better, especially for those who need it most. But there is no getting around it: This has been a very tough year for Pittsburgh. Our spirits have been challenged repeatedly by adversity. Eleven dead and six wounded in an attack on a synagogue in Squirrel Hill; a fractious mid-term election blotted nationally by package bombs and charges of voter suppression; an African American high school student shot in the back and killed while fleeing police despite being unarmed; a devastating grand jury report that found priests from six area Catholic dioceses had sexually abused children; the brutality of our regional opioid crisis brought home by the death of an internationally famous rapper; the struggles of Allegheny County communities hit hard by flooding; and increased worries over climate change. Our point in running this list is not to send you into a holiday depression. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. In a year strained by man-made and natural calamities, Pittsburghers confronted, overcame and uplifted. They doubled down in giving their time and treasure to those in need. Residents tuned out divisive political and cultural background noise to commit intentional acts of kindness, courage and civic duty. As binders of wounds and comforters of broken hearts, residents validated renowned historian and author David McCullough’s description of the Pittsburgh character: “… the natural friendliness, the pride taken in work, the dislike of hypocrisy and the willingness to respond quickly and quietly to a neighbor in need. Innovation, ingenuity, determination and humor are freely shared to get through adversity.” Here are a few examples of how the Pittsburgh Character shone brightly in the dark periods of this year: MARCH 24: 30,000 people participated in March for Our Lives Pittsburgh, one of many city satellite rallies against gun violence across the country that coincided with the national event in Washington. The protests were planned by student survivors of the February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in which 14 students and three teachers were killed. Cory Stinedurf, 28, of Youngwood attended the rally with 15 Westmoreland County residents ranging in age from 14 to 70. He described it as a nonpartisan national youth movement with “… so many strong future leaders speaking for the change that my generation and the generation above me failed to bring them,” he told the Tribune-Review. JULY 5: Flash flooding damaged 400 homes in the Millvale area and dozens more in Etna, Sharpsburg, O’Hara and Fox Chapel. But within hours, nonprofit relief organizations were out in force with volunteers. Staffs from North Hills Community Outreach and St. Margaret’s Foundation provided cleaning supplies, non-perishable food, toiletries END-OF-YEAR MESSAGE F O R U M T H E P I T T S B U R G H F O U N D AT I O N 2