PITTSBURGH, June 24, 2008 – Massey Charitable Trust, an independent charitable foundation established by the late Harris B. and Doris J. Massey, has provided a $1 million grant to The Pittsburgh Promise scholarship fund via The Pittsburgh Foundation.
In its largest donation ever to a community cause, Massey Charitable Trust has provided this unrestricted gift to help The Promise fulfill its mission and to inspire other organizations, corporations and individuals to take a stake in the future of the region by committing funds to this program.
“Our trustees are convinced that The Pittsburgh Promise is the innovative and bold initiative needed to keep, and improve, Pittsburgh as a vibrant city for decades to come,” said Bob Connolly, Executive Director of Massey Charitable Trust.
“It is important that we do this for the City, since it is the core of the region, and all of western Pennsylvania benefits by having a city that is dynamic, lively and livable, and most importantly, attractive to families with school age children. This grant demonstrates our confidence in the ability of the students of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The Promise can help to unlock their academic potential by offering them hope, incentive and the knowledge that there should be no limits to their aspirations and dreams. With this grant we want to send a signal that we have confidence that the significant potential benefits of The Promise can be achieved and that it is a program deserving of widespread regional support.” said Connolly.
In acknowledging the Massey Charitable Trust grant, The Pittsburgh Foundation Chief Executive Grant Oliphant stated, “We are delighted at the initiative taken by the Massey organization and its recognition of the potential The Promise has on the region’s economy and on each of the individuals and families that will benefit from the scholarship fund in the years ahead.”
“They immediately took action after understanding the impact of The Promise and hearing Pittsburgh Public School Superintendent Mark Roosevelt discuss the value of the program that goes well beyond the scholarships,” added Oliphant.
The legacy of Mr. and Mrs. Massey is probably best known as being the founders of Massey Buick. Their trust was established in 1968 and has been active in supporting community programs since their passing in 1984. It supports programs in the city of Pittsburgh and throughout Allegheny County in the areas of education, medical and health, arts and culture, conservation, religion and human services, including programs for at-risk children.
The Pittsburgh Promise program was established at The Pittsburgh Foundation in December 2007 with a $100 million commitment from UPMC, including an initial $10 million to support the 2008 graduates from the School District. The remaining $90 million is a challenge grant, intended to spur support and contributions from all sections of the community to raise an additional $135 million.