COVID-19

Female volunteer wearing face mask and gloves loading a box of food from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank drive-through food distribution on April 6.

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank drive-through food distribution on April 6. (Photo by Joshua Franzos)

Endowments’ COVID-19 Emergency Fund Fully Distributed – Grantees directed to our grant application process

A special emergency fund created in April 2020 by The Heinz Endowments to respond to urgent community need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been fully distributed. We remain deeply concerned about the continuing impact of the pandemic, and nonprofit organizations seeking funding support for COVID-19 related programs should direct their requests first by completing a Letter of Inquiry / Share Your Idea form and then through the Endowments grant application process in the usual way. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact a member of our program staff.

In April this year, The Heinz Endowments responded quickly to address the severe health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in our regional community. The organization refocused its grantmaking priorities to concentrate on areas of greatest need, and streamlined its grant application and approval processes to ensure that urgently-needed funding reached nonprofit organizations as quickly and efficiently as possible.

A special emergency fund was created that distributed more than 70 grants to local nonprofit organizations in four months, totaling $11.4 million, including a $1 million contribution towards the creation of a community Emergency Response Fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation. Many more grants have been awarded through the Endowments’ grant application process that have helped to support nonprofits struggling to maintain vital services for those they serve.

While the Endowments emergency funding has been fully expended, we are alert to the continued devastating effect of the pandemic on our region’s individuals and families, especially during the current surge of COVID-19 infections locally and nationally.

Below are details of funding and grant recipients of the Endowments emergency fund, and measures that were introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to assist our region’s nonprofit organizations.

Funding Priorities

In responding to the COVID-19 crisis and its immediate aftermath, the Endowments has set aside a $5 million appropriation to direct quickly to areas of greatest need. In addition, we are reassessing our grants agendas for the remainder of the year to shift resources if and as appropriate. Our immediate priorities for the appropriation and related efforts are as follows:

Saving lives and protecting public health

As with communities around the world, there is a risk that this region will experience a significant number of preventable deaths due to health systems being overrun or proper testing and protections not being available. We will make funds available to help our health and human services systems meet this extraordinary public health crisis.

Meeting essential basic needs

The ranks of this community’s vulnerable populations continue to grow with the accelerating economic fallout from the pandemic. We will make funds available to strengthen the community’s supports for meeting basic needs, including food, shelter, transportation, and child care for essential workers. To support the provision of these services in concert with the United Way, we have made an immediate grant of $1 million to The Pittsburgh Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. We expect to support additional needs directly in a variety of human service-related areas.

Supporting frontline groups and communities

As with all major social and economic crises, the fallout from this pandemic disproportionately affects populations already made more vulnerable by other persistent factors. This includes people of color impacted by racism, people who have a disability, low-wage workers, single mothers, artists and teaching artists, and people who have inadequate health coverage, are older and isolated, and/or face chronic economic challenges. We will place a specific priority on addressing the exceptional needs of these groups, especially black and brown people who have been historically marginalized and historically tend not to benefit equitably from traditional relief efforts.

Shoring up core grantees and organizations

All across our portfolio of activities, grantees face critical questions of survivability in the face of this unimaginable challenge, and we recognize that our capacity to provide additional support is severely limited. In concert with other regional foundations and remaining true to The Heinz Endowments’ legacy, we will make careful and deliberate choices to enhance the viability of our key nonprofit partners.

(It is important to note that these four priorities are a framework and may evolve quickly over time.)

Endowments Principles

It is important to note that these four priorities are a framework and may evolve quickly over time. They represent our best thinking as of late March. As a general matter, we will apply the following principles to our work overall:

We will work in close collaboration with our regional funding partners and relevant government entities.
We will support the dissemination of accurate information by trusted public health and other experts to convey health directives and prevention strategies.
We will pay special attention to the needs of black and brown people and other marginalized groups. We will consciously support organizations that work to eliminate racism, build power sharing, and promote self-determination.
We will listen to grantees and grassroots leaders who have deep roots in communities to understand their needs and the needs of the communities they serve.
We will move resources quickly into the hands of those who need them, partnering where appropriate with a few targeted intermediaries but working directly as much as possible.
We will give organizations as much flexibility as possible, including allowing grantees to convert program grants to operating support whenever feasible and appropriate.
We will repurpose appropriations as necessary to allow organizations to use funds for core operations or emergency support for communities.
We will consider how our support enhances stability for low-wage workers.
We will offer a streamlined approval process for grantees identified as targets for our appropriation and related funds.

COVID-19 Response Grants Awarded
(as of 6/9/2020)

Autism Urban Connections, $25,000 to support minority and economically disadvantaged families within the Autism community by providing life enhancing and sustaining services to assist in managing the challenges they face on a daily basis
Feed Our Students, $7,500 for the Backpack Feeding Program providing meals to students who suffer from food insecurity
Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Ministries, $25,000 to provide Pittsburgh Area Lutheran MInistries (PALM) and Holy Cross Lutheran Food and Clothing Distribution with resources for the greater Hazelwood community to access free food and clothing
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, $75.000 to support PPWP’s Care No Matter Where program in Hazelwood
Seton Hill University, $13,672 to support Fostering Increased Student Accessibility
Warm House Of Greater Pittsburgh, $20,000 to support the Warm House to deliver Peer Support services to qualifying women, with mental health challenges, in the Making Hazelwood Greater Initiative
Advisory Board on Autism and Related Disorders, $20,000 to support a COVID 19 collaborative comprised of the Epilepsy Asssociation of Western PA and the Center for Hearing and Deaf Services develop solutions to assist people with hidden disabilities access emergency household and healthcare needs
Allegheny County Medical Society Foundation, $10,000 to procure and deliver protective face masks and shields for Allegheny County emergency responders and healthcare workers
Allegheny Health Network, $250,000 to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) through the implementation of a mobile testing strategy in underserved communities, with Hazelwood as a priority utilizing the AHN COVID-19 Mobile Testing Unit
Best Buddies International, $20,000 to address the financial impact from the current pandemic that resulted in canceled fundraising events across the state, jeopardizing critical programming needs that support thousands of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Center of Life, $50,000 to support the outreach efforts of Center of Life (COL) in collaboration with the Greater Hazelwood Community Collaborative (GHCC) delivering essential needs and conducting well-checks to local residents impacted by the COVID-19 crisis
Circles Greater Pittsburgh, $25,000 to meet critical needs of low-income families in the Circles communities in a time of crisis
Community Foundation of Fayette County Pennsylvania, $30,000 to support a retooling effort by a local manufacturer to mass produce face masks by purchasing and donating them to front line personnel in Fayette and nearby counties
East End Cooperative Ministry, $25,000 to support EECM in meeting the increased demands providing families with essential needs during the pandemic crisis
Fayette County Community Action Agency, $30,000 to support the struggling regional agricultural sector and provide food assistance to vulnerable families in Fayette County
Gateway Medical Society, $30,220 to conduct culturally tailored public education to save black lives during the COVID-19 pandemic
Healthy Start, $30,000 to coordinate an effort to increase the accessibility of doula supports to women delivering in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic
Northside Industrial Development Company, $100,000 to support the operations of the organization in its efforts of stabilizing Pittsburgh’s most vulnerable disadvantaged businesses that are facing major hurdles due to the COVID19 pandemic
Pittsburgh Board of Public Education, $360,000 to provide Pittsburgh Public School students with computer devices as an initial investment in the Continuity of Education during the Covid-19 Crisis and to address the inequities in education and access to the internet
Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation, $40,000 for emergency financial assistance for immigrant entrepreneurs and immigrant families living in rental housing in the Pittsburgh region to help alleviate the economic crisis caused by COVID-19
Restaurant Opportunity Centers, $40,000 to provide emergency financial relief to furloughed restaurant workers in the Pittsburgh region through the Restaurant Opportunity Center Pennsylvania Disaster Relief Fund
Sojourner House, $10,0000 Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS will provide food and medical supplies to families impacted due to COVID-19-related needs
South Hills Interfaith Ministries, $25,000 to support SHIM as it continues to be an anchoring institution providing culturally-appropriate programs and services to immigrants living in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh
Training and Education Fund, $50,000 for essential basic needs and extended emergency child care for COVID-19 positive frontline healthcare workers
Wilkinsburg Community Ministry, $28,000 to meet expanded demands for food due to unemployment and food insecurity from the Covid19 emergency
Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest PA, $50,000 to support WGF's community work serving vulnerable communities through the Femisphere and GirlGov programs
AMD3 Foundation, $5,000 for respiratory research
Bridgeway Capital, $200,000 to provide a second grant to assist Bridgeway Capital in its effort to support small businesses impacted by COVID-19 virus pandemic
Carnegie Institute, $15,000 for the Creative Learning Anchor rapid response to support regional teaching artists
Carnegie Institute, $59,000 for continuation of the Creative Learning Network Anchor rapid response to support regional teaching artists.
Carnegie Mellon University, $289,000 to support Visualization for Equity
Casa San Jose, $250,000 to support and empower the Latinx community in Pittsburgh through community organizing, rapid response programs, youth organizing, and a new pilot program to provide intensive case management
City of Asylum Pittsburgh, $20,000 to support "The Show Must Go On(line) Pittsburgh," a web-based channel that presents archival and live content created and hosted by local arts presenters and artists
Clean Water Fund, $175,000 to improve air and water quality in western Pennsylvania
Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, $120,000, to advance clean and healthy indoor environments through air quality monitoring and engagement
Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, $390,000 to prevent asthma in the region and support the asthma summit
Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, $50,000 to support the Ohio River Valley COVID-19 Response Fund
Community Justice Project, $80,000 to support efforts to reduce lead poisoning in children
Environmental Integrity Project, $185,000 to improve air quality in western Pennsylvania
Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, $215,000 for programs that improve water quality and restore communities in western Pennsylvania
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, $185,000 to modernize the Food Bank's management systems and implement Link2Feed software
Grow Pittsburgh, $50,000 for operating support to address urgent community food needs
Hill Community Development Corporation, $230,000 for general operating support during a time of uncertainty related to the Covid 19 heath and economic crisis
Locally Grown, $400,000 to support a business accelerator and community center in Wilkinsburg, with a focus on community-serving nonprofit organizations and under-resourced entrepreneurs and residents
Northside Industrial Development Company, $50,000 to support a short-term research plan to understand how COVID-19 is impacting Black communities in the region
Operation Better Block, $70,000 to support the Homewood Green initiative
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, $50,000 for support to keep farmers on the land, improve farm sustainability, and develop a regional food system partnership
Sarah Heinz House Association, $200,000 to provide flexible operating support in Summer 2020 and to stabilize Sarah Heinz House’s finance during the Covid-19 crisis
Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, $775,000 to inform health protective policies and decision making regarding public health impacts
Trying Together, $600,000 to provide operating support in 2020 -2023 to assist in filling two senior leadership positions within the organization and to contribute to the Emergency Child Care Fund to support the child care community during the Covid-19 crisis
University of Pittsburgh, $125,000 to assess the state of affordable housing and housing market conditions in Allegheny County and develop a comprehensive data portal to help organizations proactively address the housing crisis
Adagio Health, $64,000 to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line staff, and for the organization’s transition to a telehealth model in our medical and Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) offices
Allegheny Intermediate Unit, $200,000 to support the Allegheny Intermediate Unit as it facilitates the acquisition and distribution of remote learning devices for students who lack technology during this unprecedented time of extended-school closures
Regional Housing Legal Services, $80,000 to provide comprehensive and proactive housing policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis
Allegheny Conference on Community Development, $50,000 to procure protective masks to be distributed across the Pittsburgh region in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Clean Water Fund, $54,000 to provide indoor air filters for residents vulnerable to COVID-19 infection in the Clairton area which has had historic and current unhealthy outdoor air quality
412 Food Rescue, $170,000 for food distribution and support services to people in need
Circles Greater Pittsburgh, $40,000 for the coordination and provision of essential services and basic needs of residents throughout Allegheny County during the COVID-19 crisis
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, $250,000 for the Food Bank's response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Neighborhood Allies, $50,000 for Beyond the Laptop: Pipeline of emergency funds and operational assistance to bring laptops, digital resources and help desk support to families and children
POISE Foundation, $250,000 to support the POISE Foundation's Critical Community Needs Fund to re-grant money to small and mid-sized Black Led Organizations (BLOs) to support their efforts to provide critical services
1Hood Media Academy, $80,000 to provide vital information to black communities throughout the Pittsburgh region about COVID-19
Afro-American Music Institute, $35,000 to provide emergency resources to Africana artists and community leaders who directly support African immigrant children and families during the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
Community Justice Project, $40,000 to support legal and policy work that is urgently needed by low-income individuals and families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis
Global Links, $190,000 to coordinate logistics, procure and distribute personal protective equipment for regional nonprofit healthcare workers during the COVID-19 virus outbreak
1Nation, $35,000 for food distribution and support services to people in need
ACTION-Housing, $70,000 for emergency support for ACTION-Housing residents and clients during the COVID-19 crisis
Bellevue Initiative for Growth and Revitalization, $25,000 for the Bellevue Farmers Market to provide meals in the North Boroughs to those facting food insecurity, including the elderly, those in acute or chronic financial distress, and people in isolation or quarantine
Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, $100,000 to assist Community Kitchen Pittsburgh in providing emergency food distribution during the COVID-19 epidemic and manage significant financial stress
Farm to Table Buy Local, $40,000 to provide food delivery in a manner to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus in affordable housing, including senior high-rise buildings and family communities
Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries, $13,000 to provide nutritious meals, fresh food and social connection to elderly/frail and other food-insecure residents of the Greater Hazelwood and Greenfield areas
For Good Pgh, $20,000 to support entrepreneurs that occupy the Hollander Project that are unable to operate as well as funding for individual families for food, diapers and other supplies
Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center, $30,000 to provide operations funds for emergency servies, mobile operations, IT support and costs associated with staff displacement
Pittsburgh Foundation, $1,000,000 for the Emergency Action Fund
SisTers PGH, $20,000 for operating support for a Mutual Aid program for the LGBTQIA communities of the Pittsburgh area amid the COVID-19 pandemic
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, $350,000 to support the 2-1-1 Helpline and Emergency Basic Needs Fund, allowing the United Way to quickly respond to the increased needs of the community as a result of COVID-19
Zellous Hope Project, $20,000 for emergency support for McKees Rocks and Stowe Township families and displaced workers in response to the COVID-19 crisis
Bridgeway Capital, $100,000 to assist Bridgeway Capital in its effort to support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 virus epidemic
Casa San Jose, $100,000 for emergency COVID-19 response for Latinx families and individuals
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, $100,000 to support the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's Emergency Fund for Artists during the COVID-19 crisis

Grant Total: $9,753,362

Grant Oliphant interview on the "Business of Giving" podcast

Endowments President Grant Oliphant on the WNYM-AM "Business of Giving" Podcast hosted by Denver Frederick talks about how the Endowments is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic - and how the nonprofit sector is ripe for reinvention. Listen to the podcast.

"STRONGER THAN THIS" PODCAST SERIES

We’ll be back later this year with the debut of Season 3 of “We Can Be,” but in the meantime, join host Grant Oliphant for “Stronger than This,” a special podcast series of candid conversations about COVID-19. With new episodes each week, you’ll hear from those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic as they share first-hand experiences, challenges, victories, and what they see for the long road ahead. Recorded remotely — with a quick turnaround time from recording to release and minimal editing — these episodes give a unique, unvarnished opportunity for deeper insight into the current crisis. Listen to "STRONGER THAN THIS."

Blog - The Point

Read blog posts from Endowments President Grant Oliphant about how COVID-19 is affecting our community

Stretching Amid Crisis, April 9, 2020