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Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania

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Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania (GWPA) is a professional membership association that works with grantmakers to maximize the impact of their donations. 1 GWPA counts left-of-center organizations among its members including the Pittsburgh Foundation, Jewish Women’s Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and Richard King Mellon Foundation. 2 Collectively these groups have supported organizations advocating for environmental regulations, 3 expanded abortion access, 4 and left-wing political advocacy. 5

GWPA is a member of the United Philanthropy Form, a nationwide group of nonprofits. Left-leaning institutional donors, such as the Ford Foundation, New Venture Fund, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, provide major financial support to the Forum. 6

In 2019, GWPA received a nearly $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 7

United Philanthropy Forum

Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania is a member of the United Philanthropy Forum, a national group of nonprofits and foundations. 8 Other left-of-center members of the Forum include the Council on Foundations, Funders for Reproductive Equity, and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. The Forum opposed a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census,9 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,10 and efforts to limit abortions. 11 The Forum receives funding from large left-wing organizations including Borealis Philanthropy, Ford Foundation, New Venture Fund, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 12

Members

Colcom Foundation

The Colcom Foundation is an environmentalist and staunchly immigration-restrictionist grantmaker and member of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania. 13 Colcom has hundreds of millions in assets and provides millions in grants annually. 14 Environmentalist groups that Colcom has donated to include Earthworks, Environmental Integrity Project, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and American Rivers. 15

Colcom supports limiting immigration to protect the environment,16 and makes grants to single-issue immigration-restrictionist groups such as Californians for Population Stabilization, Federation for American Immigration Reform, Center for Immigration Studies, Immigration Reform Law Institute, Numbers USA and Research Foundation, and Progressives for Immigration Reform received over $21 million in FY 2017 from Colcom. 17

Pittsburgh Foundation

One of GWPA’s members is the Pittsburgh Foundation one of the nation’s largest community foundations. 18 19 The Pittsburgh Foundation has opposed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 20 and shared an article saying that President Donald Trump was “inspiring fascism.” 21 Left-of-center groups the Pittsburgh Foundation has provided funding to are ACLU Foundation of Southern California, California Community Foundation, Honor the Earth, and Policy Link. 22

Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh (JWF) is a member of GWPA. 23 JWF has given to pro-abortion groups including Planned Parenthood,24 New Voices Pittsburgh,25 and Women’s Law Project. 26 27

Heinz Endowments

GWPA counts the Heinz Endowments as a member. 28 Michele Figlar is a GWPA board member and is the vice president of learning for the Heinz Endowments. 29 The Heinz Endowments annually gives tens of millions of dollars to organizations mostly in southwestern Pennsylvania. 30 The Heinz Endowment has award grants to environmentalist groups such as Sierra Club Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Grantmakers Association, Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, and Institute For Energy Economics And Financial Analysis. 31 The endowment has also given to left-of-center political advocacy organizations Virginia Organizing, Alliance For Justice, and League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Education Fund. 32

Opportunity Fund

The Opportunity Fund is a member of GWPA. 33 Jake Goodman is the executive director of the Opportunity Fund and sits on the GWPA board of directors. 34 The Opportunity Fund is a Pittsburgh-based grantmaker that supports left-wing causes. 35 The Opportunity Fund donated $10,000 to the Abolitionist Law Center (ALC) to support its program advocating to end life-without parole sentences. 36 ALC is a far-left group that supports completely defunding police departments,37 legalizing prostitution,38 and ending cash bail. 39 Other groups the Opportunity Fund has given to include Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, Amnesty International USA, and New Israel Fund. 40

References

  1. “About Us.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/about
  2. “Our Members.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/our-members
  3. “Colcom Foundation 990-PF 2017.” May 20, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311479839/06_2019_prefixes_31-35%2F311479839_201806_990PF_2019061016398433
  4. “2018 Funded Projects.” Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh. Accessed August 12, 2020. http://jwfpgh.org/grants_funded_2018.html
  5. “Grants Awarded.” The Heinze Endowment. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.heinz.org/grants/grants-awarded
  6. “About Us.” United Philanthropy Forum. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.unitedphilforum.org/about-us
  7. “Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania.” Gates Foundation. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2019/10/INV-001072
  8. “Our Members.” United Philanthropy Forum. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.unitedphilforum.org/members
  9. Hennessy, Matt. “Philanthropy Turns to the Supreme Court to Ensure a Fair and Accurate Census Count.” United Philanthropy Forum. 4/4/19. https://www.unitedphilforum.org/news/philanthropy-turns-supreme-court-ensure-fair-and-accurate-census-count
  10. Biemesderfer, David. “Vote No on Tax Bill.” United Philanthropy Forum. December 16, 2017. https://www.unitedphilforum.org/news/vote-no-tax-bill
  11. “Mission Impossible: Retooling for a Changing Environment.” United Philanthropy Forum. April 26, 2017.  https://www.unitedphilforum.org/events/mission-impossible-retooling-changing-environment
  12. “About Us.” United Philanthropy Forum. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.unitedphilforum.org/about-us
  13. “Our Members.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/our-members
  14. “Colcom Foundation 990-PF 2017.” May 20, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311479839/06_2019_prefixes_31-35%2F311479839_201806_990PF_2019061016398433
  15. “Colcom Foundation 990-PF 2017.” May 20, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311479839/06_2019_prefixes_31-35%2F311479839_201806_990PF_2019061016398433
  16. “Funding Interests.” Colcom Foundation. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://colcomfdn.org/grants/funding-interests/
  17. “Colcom Foundation 990-PF 2017.” May 20, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311479839/06_2019_prefixes_31-35%2F311479839_201806_990PF_2019061016398433
  18. “Our Members.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/our-members
  19. “About.” The Pittsburgh Foundation. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://pittsburghfoundation.org/about
  20. King, Maxwell, et al. “$60 million of region’s yearly charitable giving threatened.” Pittsburg Foundation. December 13, 2017. https://pittsburghfoundation.org/tax-bill-statement
  21. The Pittsburgh Foundation. Twitter Post. August 22, 2017. 9:05 AM. https://twitter.com/PittsburghFdn/status/899980798950076416
  22. “Pittsburgh Foundation 990-PF 2018” Accessed August 13, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/250965466/02_2020_prefixes_23-26%2F250965466_201812_990_2020021317146445
  23. “Our Members.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/our-members
  24. “2018 Funded Projects.” Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh. Accessed August 12, 2020. http://jwfpgh.org/grants_funded_2018.html
  25. “2013 Funded Projects.” Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh. Accessed August 12, 2020. http://jwfpgh.org/grants_funded_2013.html
  26. “2018 Funded Projects.” Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh. Accessed August 12, 2020. http://jwfpgh.org/grants_funded_2018.html
  27. NewVoices Pittsburgh. Twitter Post. January 16, 2019. 1:41 PM. https://twitter.com/NewVoicesPgh/status/1085608107491901440
  28. “Our Members.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/our-members
  29. “Board of Directors.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/board-directors#michelle-figlar
  30. “Strategic Areas.” The Heinz Endowment. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.heinz.org/strategic-areas
  31. “Grants Awarded.” The Heinze Endowment. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.heinz.org/grants/grants-awarded
  32. “Grants Awarded.” The Heinze Endowment. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.heinz.org/grants/grants-awarded
  33. “Our Members.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/our-members
  34. “Board of Directors.” GWPA. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://gwpa.org/board-directors#jake-goodman
  35. “Grants,” Opportunity Fund. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.theopportunityfund.org/#grants
  36. “Abolitionist Law Center for CADBI-West.” Opportunity Fund. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.theopportunityfund.org/portfolio/cadbi-west/
  37. Abolitionist Law Center. Twitter Post. June 9, 2020. 5:13 PM. https://twitter.com/AbolitionistLC/status/1270464011293818892
  38. Abolitionist Law Center. Twitter Post. May 21, 2019. 8:10 AM. https://twitter.com/AbolitionistLC/status/1130808159478714368
  39. Abolitionist Law Center. Twitter Post. March 26, 2020. 10:24 AM.  https://twitter.com/AbolitionistLC/status/1243182126155079681
  40. “Grants,” Opportunity Fund. Accessed August 12, 2020. https://www.theopportunityfund.org/#grants
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