Richard King Mellon Foundation

NEW FUNDING FOR HELENE RECOVERY: To support the continued recovery of communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, ORR is pleased to announce new Rebuilding and Recovery Grants. The grant program will award $5,000-$10,000 grants to fund organizations and volunteer groups working to clean up and repair recreation sites impacted by the storm and help alleviate the lingering economic burden of recovery efforts felt by local communities in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.? “Outdoor recreation is a cornerstone of our nation’s quality of life, and when natural disasters like Hurricane Helene strike, it’s our communities that are left to pick up the pieces,” said Jessica (Wahl) Turner, President of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “These micro-grants are designed to support local organizations and volunteers that are leading the way in restoring and revitalizing the outdoor spaces that are vital to the local economies and health, well-being, and connection to nature.” ? ORR will continue to shine a spotlight on the impact of outdoor recreation to these communities, their economies, and their cultures, and work with federal, state, and local partners to ensure ongoing attention to their recovery. These grants are made possible through funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.? More information about eligibility can be found at the link in the comments. Amy Allison Brian Clifford

Thank you to Virginia Linn for introducing Pittsburgh Magazine’s readers to Pittsburgh’s newest park, Hays Woods. Work is underway to prepare the park for greater public utilization, and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is hosting occasional tours to introduce people to the new park land. Overlooking the Monongahela River, the 626-acre park is the second largest in the City (only slightly smaller than Frick Park) and is the largest undeveloped expanse of forest within city limits, according to the Conservancy. The Foundation awarded a grant to the Conservancy last year to help fund their activation efforts at Hays Woods. #philanthropy #conservation #parksandrecreation #nature https://lnkd.in/eSyicCYQ

Once again, the Pittsburgh community is rallying to support distant neighbors in their time of need. Thank you to all the local groups that have come together for Southern Californians impacted by the ongoing, devastating wildfires. The Brother's Brother Foundation is coordinating these important local relief efforts. Contributors include Eden Hall Foundation, Allegheny Health Network, Giant Eagle, Inc.,?MSA - The Safety Company, and Apter Industries Inc. The Foundation was pleased to lend its support as well. Thank you to WPXI-TV for covering these efforts. #philanthropy #disasterrelief #wildfires #healthandwellbeing https://lnkd.in/eZqkUrwc

Thank you to Quincey Reese and TribLIVE for highlighting the “big deal” initiative now underway in the Greensburg Salem School District, to improve students’ mental health and resiliency. The new program is focused on helping educators first, so they are better positioned to help their students. The Foundation awarded a grant to launch this promising initiative late last year. #philanthropy #education #economicmobility #mentalhealth #resiliency https://lnkd.in/gNKjwkGy

Thank you to Shalini Pathak and EdTechReview Media Pvt Ltd for covering the important work by Conduction to make music education more effective, by using Conduction’s proprietary software to better tap into the musical interests of today’s students. “We created Conduction to refocus music education on today’s student values while still finding a way to incorporate critically important national music education standards,” said Joe Maggiore, CEO and Co-Founder of Conduction. The Foundation invested in Conduction through our Social Impact Investment program, where we invest in for-profit companies with a social mission that aligns with the Foundation’s philanthropic strategy. #philanthropy #socialimpact #socialimpactinvesting #education #musiceducation #startups https://lnkd.in/gTiFJemS

What happens when we take our 120-day approach, create ONE Better Block in a Box, have SIX months, and connect with FOUR completely different communities in and around Pittsburgh? Better Block Pittsburgh! The Richard King Mellon Foundation gave us a grant to create projects in downtown Pittsburgh, New Kensington, Greater Hazelwood, and McKeesport. Each community had its own story, challenges, and community-driven vision, all starting with the same goal: transforming underutilized spaces into vibrant places of connection and possibility. The one constant in all four projects: the Better Block in a Box - our mobile toolkit packed with placemaking essentials, from Wikiblock furniture to tools and supplies. This container traveled to each neighborhood helping turn these communities' visions into reality. Across all four projects, the dedication of volunteers was key. From taping murals to building Wikiblock furniture, their hard work brought these spaces to life and fostered pride in their communities. We've learned so much from these communities - their creativity, resilience, and pride have been truly inspiring. These projects demonstrate what’s possible when people come together with bold ideas to create something better. Thank you to our partners, volunteers, and the incredible Pittsburgh communities for making these projects possible. We can’t wait to see what’s next! And make sure to sunrise to our YouTube channel for more: https://shorturl.at/TQ3LZ (Video: Post Script Productions) #BetterBlock #Placemaking #UrbanDesign #ThirdSpace #Pittsburgh #Wikiblock #BetterBlockInABox #Community City of McKeesport Penn State Greater Allegheny Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. Center of Life VALLEY POINTS FAMILY YMCA Penn State New Kensington (The Pennsylvania State University) Giant Eagle, Inc. Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Welcome – and welcome home – to Mario Rossero, the new executive director of The Andy Warhol Museum. This is a homecoming for Rossero, a Pittsburgh native who took his first job at The Warhol back in 1997. Rossero currently leads the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and previously was head of education programs at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In his new role at the Warhol, Rossero’s duties will include overseeing development of the Pop District, an ambitious plan to transform the area around the Warhol into a new center of artistic innovation, creative-economy workforce development and live entertainment. In announcing the Foundation’s $15 million gift in support of the Pop District, back in 2022, Foundation Director Sam Reiman said “The goal of this project is to make sure the next Andy Warhol doesn’t have to leave Pittsburgh to become Andy Warhol.” Or, in the case of Rossero, he can leave and come back. #philanthropy #arts #communitydevelopment #economicdevelopment https://lnkd.in/ebBGvr7j

Hazelwood Green may best be known for its transformational economic developments, such as the University of Pittsburgh BioForge and Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center. But affordable housing always has been part of the master plan for Hazelwood Green, with a special focus on housing for single parents seeking to obtain higher education. Thank you to Mark Belko and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for covering the progression of this important component of Hazelwood Green’s ongoing development. Tishman Speyer, Trek Development Group, Pittsburgh Scholar House, The Heinz Endowments, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, #philanthropy #economicdevelopment #communitydevelopment #affordablehousing #housing https://lnkd.in/e_iJJGzb

Thank you to the Council of Independent Colleges for recognizing the Foundation’s longstanding work in support of higher education. Since our founding in 1947, the Foundation has regarded higher education to be an invaluable pathway to prosperity for people in our region. And thank you to our region’s independent colleges and universities for providing that pathway. #philanthropy #highereducation.

The deadline for applications to the Foundation’s next Social-Impact Pitch Competition is this Monday, December 30. The Foundation stands ready to award combined investments of up to $1.5 million to the three winners. Such investments can make all the difference to startups focused on social good. Just ask Cara Jones, founder of Marinus Analytics, a company dedicated to using artificial intelligence to help law enforcement to thwart human trafficking. Marinus Analytics won a $400,000 investment from the Foundation in the last Pitch Competition. “Receiving this investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation … will allow us to expand our software for the benefit of child-welfare organizations and broaden our positive impact on the fight against human trafficking and online harm,” Jones said in the interview. Thank you to Unite.AI for publishing this Q&A. Pitch-competition applications can be submitted through our website, where there also is more information on both the Pitch Competition, and the Foundation’s Social-Impact Investment program. #philanthropy #socialimpactinvestments #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #crimevictims #humantrafficking #artificialintelligence #AI https://lnkd.in/esQpcSzk