Pittsburgh Foundation Equity and Social Justice Grants: Voter Engagement

The Pittsburgh Foundation Equity and Social Justice Grants focus on enhancing voter engagement among historically underrepresented communities. Grants ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 support initiatives that educate, register, and mobilize voters, fostering a vibrant democracy where every voice is heard. Applications are welcomed from qualified nonprofits serving Allegheny County.

Foundation-Directed Grantmaking
The Pittsburgh Foundation is committed to helping the communities we serve become equitable and vibrant places where everyone can thrive. We align our grantmaking with resident’s dreams for themselves, their families and their communities and prioritize support in the five focus areas: Basic Needs; Equity and Social Justice; Environmental Action; Arts and Culture; and Economic Mobility.
Duration: Generally, grants will be awarded for no more than two years due to limited availability of funds.
Amounts: One-year grants generally range from $10,000 to $75,000. Two-year grants will generally not exceed $150,000. Actual grant amounts are determined based on staff review of each individual application and consideration of the funding available at the time the application is received.
We seek to support civic participation and community organizing to achieve policy changes.
While programmatic interventions can improve outcomes for individuals, equitable access to opportunity will only be possible at scale when systemic policies, practices and cultural messages that perpetuate injustice are eliminated.
Our equity and social justice grantmaking places strong emphasis on leadership by individuals who have been directly impacted by systemic injustice, as we believe that they are best positioned to propose solutions that remove barriers that impeded their ability to thrive.
Through a series of constitutional amendments and legislative actions implemented over the years, all Americans now have the right to equal, unencumbered access to the ballot. However, voter suppression efforts are not a thing of the past. Since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling to remove federal oversight of state voting rules, there has been a surge in state bills to limit voter access.
We seek to support the ability of the nonprofit sector to engage historically underrepresented populations and communities that have documented low voter turnout. Engagement will occur within and beyond election cycles to ensure every eligible voter has a voice in our democracy at all levels.
Non-partisan voter education, including efforts that teach residents about the electoral process and how government works and build knowledge about the candidates and relevant issues in any given election cycle.Non-partisan registration and turnout, including Get-Out-The-Vote events, door-knocking/ canvassing, and efforts to eliminate logistical barriers to voting. This includes ensuring that voters have accurate polling location information and transportation to the polls.Voter access: Advance reforms that preserve existing rights and support inclusive ballot practic

Eligibility

To qualify for a grant, your nonprofit organization must be:
Located within Allegheny County and/or primarily serve Allegheny County residents (unless otherwise specified in the grant criteria).Designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. (If your organization does not have 501(c)(3) status, you may apply utilizing a fiscal sponsor.)

Ineligibility

What We Do Not Fund
The Pittsburgh Foundation does not make grants to any organization not listed in Internal Revenue Code Section 170(b)(1)(A), including private non-operating foundations or any “disqualified supporting organizations” as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 4966(d) (4).Organizational start-up support.Statewide or national organizations, unless they have an established local office or chapter that meets the above eligibility criteria and priorities.Projects that expressly advocate for or endorse a specific candidate for elected office.Annual appeals or event sponsorships.Episodic and/or one-time programs and events.Capital expenses and/or campaigns.Direct funding for individuals (except individual artists).Payments on organizational debt.Costs and activities that are completed before a requested grant has received a decision from our board.University overhead costs.Single-disease support organizations.Educational scholarships. Academic research.