GIVING BACK: Visionaries Create a Culture of Philanthropy What are the most important issues facing Westmoreland County and who are the emerging leaders addressing those issues? Those are the questions that the Visionaries, a young donor group established by The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County (CFWC), have been tackling since it was established in 2010. The group is convening once again this summer. In this Q&A we talk with some of the original class of Visionaries about the inspiration for the group. Jordan Pallitto, Michael Quatrini, CFWC Executive Director McCrae Martino, and Maria Rossi, who is back for her second time as a Visionaries member, will be talking about what they hope to achieve and why. The Visionaries will hold a Pitch-In Party this fall to report on findings and encourage others to give.
by Kitty Julian, director of Communications, The Pittsburgh Foundation Jordan, you were one of the founders of the Visionaries program and now you’re on the board of CFWC. What is the origin story for the Visionaries giving group? JP: It starts back when I was a senior at Hempfield Area High School in 2002. A friend of mine was involved with a youth advisory committee of students from four Greensburg area high schools. The students made grants to improve the community. Through that experience, I realized that nearly all of the organizations creating quality of life in our community are funded by foundations. I had no idea of how foundations worked prior to that. It was transformative and eventually led me to join the board of CFWC in 2008. Talking with others at CFWC, including Michael Quatrini and Kirk Utzinger, we realized that creating a donor group for young professionals and recent college graduates would be powerful because it brings people together. An individual with a little bit of money can only go so far, but if a half-dozen or more come together, there is potential for real impact. McCrae, you’re leading the current round of Visionaries. Can you tell us about how the program works? MM: We recruit up to 10 early and midcareer professionals to learn with us and make an impact by contributing $1,000 each for local nonprofits. From May to November, we host learning sessions, site visits with nonprofits and explore the issues the group wants to address. The meetings are dynamic and eye-opening. Based on these sessions, the Visionaries develop a request for grant proposals, then review the submissions and select three finalists to go to the Pitch-In Party. On Nov. 17, the entire community is invited to hear the finalists explain what
they do and everyone attending contributes. The Pitch-In Party is very high energy and inspiring and fires people up to give to supplement the donations from the Visionaries and incentive funds from CFWC. Maria, you’re back for your second round of involvement with the Visionaries. What appeals to you about the program? MR: Back in 2019, I had just moved to Greensburg from my hometown of Latrobe to start practicing law. Kim Kramer, who was on the CFWC board, suggested I join the Visionaries to meet people and get to know the region. I grew up fairly sheltered from issues such as housing insecurity, and the program opened my eyes. Now
in the legal profession, through court appointments, I’ve learned a lot more about the needs in this community. I’ve always believed that, if we all live together, we should all work together to make Westmoreland County better for everyone and to make it a place where young people want to come and stay. Jordan, you’ve now dedicated two decades of your life to the community foundation. What do you see as the most significant priorities and how can the Visionaries make a difference? JP: The top three priorities for CFWC are leadership in the county, convening to improve organizational capacity and
The Visionaries in 2015. Nonprofits included Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Powdermill Nature Reserve and Westmoreland Cultural Trust.
Attorney Michael Quatrini was among the co-founders of the Visionaries. In 2018 he spoke to the New Philanthropic Leaders, a Pittsburgh Foundation young donor group modeled after the Visionaries.
20 GOALMagazine: A Publication of Go2Goal | Summer 2022
