The Pittsburgh Promise Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

The pittsburgh promise was launched in 2007 with a $100 million commitment by the university of pittsburgh medical center (upmc). Upmc's commitment included an initial $10 million contribution and the remaining $90 million was a challenge grant intended to spur a community-wide campaign to raise an additional $150 million from other private sources, including foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our mission: the pittsburgh promise promotes high educational aspirations among urban youth, funds scholarships for post-secondary access, and fuels a prepared and diverse regional workforce. See continuation on schedule oour vision: we envision a future where all our urban youth are equipped to reach post-secondary success, our public schools serve all children excellently, our city is flourishing in all its neighborhoods, and our workforce is widely diverse and highly skilled to advance a region that is good and just for all. Our guiding principles: -equity and inclusion: we are committed to educational, econominc, racial, social, and cultural equity and inclusion. -excellence: we conduct our work with urgency, steward our resources prudently, and apply the highest standards of professionalism. -integrity: we demonstrate accountability to our students, families, and community partners by performing our work with transparency, discipline, and compassion. -impact: we regularly evaluate our impact and use data and research to guide our decision-making. -commitment: we are driven by a passion for our vision and mission and a belief that our work strengthens the region, inspires systemic change, and transforms lives. The pittsburgh promise conducts outreach in all pittsburgh public high schools and its charters in an effort to cultivate relationships and promote achievement. In addition, they deploy promise coaches in four high schools to promote promise usage and post-secondary planning: perry, carrick, uprep/milliones and westinghouse high schools. In conjunction with the coaching initiative, the promise holds college and career exposure events for students in these schools. As of june 2025, the pittsburgh promise's results include the following: -more than 12,500 students received $183.9 million in promise scholarships; -they attended 153 post-secondary institutions across Pennsylvania; -more than 4,520 students graduated with a post-secondary degree or certification -promise alumni are working and contributing to more than 700 organizations in our region.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 87.5%; rating input score 88
• Fundraising efficiency: $3.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -63.1%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.61; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.7%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -5.9% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -9% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings