The Pittsburgh Foundation was taking donations for local nonprofit organizations Thursday down to the last second — literally.
More than $5.8 million was donated to about 700 nonprofits as part of the Day of Giving, down roughly 18 percent from last year.
The annual event, now in its fifth year, tries to highlight the region’s charitable initiatives.
Pittsburgh Symphony took the top spot on this year’s recipient totals leader board with $193,147 donated in a 24-hour period. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank came in second with $176,837 and Central Catholic High School brought in $124,765 for third place.
Christopher Whitlatch, spokesman for the Pittsburgh Foundation, said the fund drive was just as popular as in past years.
“I think it was incredibly successful,” he said. “The nonprofits really worked hard out there. They reached new donors, they reached relapsed donors and that’s exactly what the program is designed to do.”
After all donations were accounted for, the Pittsburgh Foundation and its partners distribute a pro-rated portion of the match pool worth $750,000. The group accepted minimum donations of $25 and matched donations as high as $1,000 instead of last year’s $10,000 match.
The Day of Giving has grown tremendously since its 2009 debut, when it brought in $1.2 million. The numbers increased steadily year-over-year until 2012 when the Pittsburgh Foundation raised $7.1 million.
But all of that matching money the nonprofits have come to expect could disappear.
Whitlatch said next year’s Day of Giving could be the last for the Pittsburgh region.
“We’ve definitely committed to doing another one in 2014,” he said. “Beyond that, we’re going to study the program and see if it will continue beyond that.”
