The Pittsburgh Foundation has announced a new strategic plan in response to data indicating less progress than expected in eliminating longstanding inequities in the community.

According to the foundation, its new vision is to realize a vibrant, equitable, and just Pittsburgh region that supports everyone—regardless of race, identity, or circumstance—to thrive and fulfill their potential. Over the next five years, the foundation will invest $50 million of its unrestricted grantmaking pool to advance racial equity and racial justice through three strategic focus areas: to promote philanthropy, support community, and catalyze partnerships.

The plan’s overarching call to action is to build a society in which race is no longer a determinant of who thrives and who gets held back. To that end, the foundation’s unrestricted grantmaking will be focused on basic needs, equity and social justice, environmental action, economic mobility, and arts and culture.

“The plan that will guide us through the next five years comes out of an unprecedented effort to bring together diverse people and ideas: our nonprofit leaders who accomplish so much with so little; our donors and business leaders who invest for a better future; our community leaders and elected officials who advocate for change; and our generous foundation community,” said Pittsburgh Foundation president Lisa Schroeder. “We all know that an inequitable Pittsburgh is a Pittsburgh unable to thrive. [The new plan requires] all hands on deck to move beyond helping people merely stay in place. We are reaching out across communities to understand what residents need to thrive over the long term.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Luka TDB)