Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania

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. ⁶

Members

Colcom Foundation

The Colcom Foundation is an environmentalist and staunchly immigration-restrictionist grantmaker and member of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania. ² Colcom has hundreds of millions in assets and provides millions in grants annually. ³ Environmentalist groups that Colcom has donated to include Earthworks, Environmental Integrity Project, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and American Rivers. ³

Colcom supports limiting immigration to protect the environment,¹² 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. ³

Pittsburgh Foundation

One of GWPA’s members is the Pittsburgh Foundation one of the nation’s largest community foundations. ^{2 13} The Pittsburgh Foundation has opposed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ¹⁴ and shared an article saying that President Donald Trump was “inspiring fascism.” ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶

Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh (JWF) is a member of GWPA. ² JWF has given to pro-abortion groups including Planned Parenthood,⁴ New Voices Pittsburgh,¹⁷ and Women’s Law Project. ^{4 18}

Heinz Endowments

GWPA counts the Heinz Endowments as a member. ² Michele Figlar is a GWPA board member and is the vice president of learning for the Heinz Endowments. ¹⁹ The Heinz Endowments annually gives tens of millions of dollars to organizations mostly in southwestern Pennsylvania. ²⁰ 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. ⁵ 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. ⁵

Opportunity Fund

The Opportunity Fund is a member of GWPA. ² Jake Goodman is the executive director of the Opportunity Fund and sits on the GWPA board of directors. ²¹ The Opportunity Fund is a Pittsburgh-based grantmaker that supports left-wing causes. ²² The Opportunity Fund donated $10,000 to the Abolitionist Law Center (ALC) to support its program advocating to end life-without parole sentences. ²³ ALC is a far-left group that supports completely defunding police departments,²⁴ legalizing prostitution,²⁵ and ending cash bail. ²⁶ Other groups the Opportunity Fund has given to include Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, Amnesty International USA, and New Israel Fund. ²²