Want to give back but not sure where to begin? Because Pittsburgh has such a robust nonprofit community, it can be difficult to know where to put your time and limited resources – especially if you are new to the philanthropic world. But fear not! The Pittsburgh Foundation’s annual initiative, New Philanthropic Leaders, works to develop the next generation of Pittsburgh’s giving community. Each year, the Foundation welcomes 15-25 early to mid-career professionals, ages 25-40, to pool their resources and dedicate time to improve the region through communal giving. Bobby Lincoln, project management manager and energy specialist at Duquesne Light, joined the cohort after discovering it on the Foundation’s social media channels.
New Philanthropic Leaders Develops the Nonprofit Community of Pittsburgh
“Throughout my career, I cared about this and that, donating to various causes, but I wanted a way to put more structure into how I was giving back and combine my resources with others to make a bigger impact,” he said.
This year’s class of 16 young professionals landed on affordable housing as their charitable focus because Lincoln and his peers believe that it is the ultimate stabilizing force in people’s lives. “Having affordable housing influences everything in a person’s life – from health to education to personal joy. It has only become more obvious since the Covid-19 pandemic that this region does not have sufficient, affordable or quality housing,” said Lincoln.
The Pittsburgh Foundation provided research support to help the group explore regional nonprofits working in the affordable housing space. NPL members donate between $250 to $1,000 to the NPL Fund and then receive professional guidance and financial support from the foundation during this one-year philanthropic learning experience.
Building Up Smaller Nonprofits
Lincoln and his peers worked with The Pittsburgh Foundation to learn who the organizations were, who they served and more information so that during regular sessions together, they could narrow down their options. “For me, I was really interested in focusing on smaller organizations where we could make a bigger impact. I care a lot about geographic diversity and who we could serve that reached many different types of people.”
The group landed on HEARTH Pittsburgh in the North Hills, Naomi’s Place, Inc. in East Liberty, and Sisters PGH in Swissvale.
“The breadth of work being done in this region is stunning,” he said. “When we decided on emergency and affordable housing that primarily supported women of color, instantly The Pittsburgh Foundation came up with so many organizations to choose from. It is always inspiring to see how many people are doing this work and how driven, capable and remarkable people are who lead in these spaces,” he added.
Story by Natalie Bencivenga / With Support from The Pittsburgh Foundation / Photography by Laura Petrilla
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