Nurturing the Brillianceof Pittsburgh’s BlackWomen,
Turning lived experience into a legacy of wellness and leadership rooted in Pittsburgh, reaching generations.
Legacy: Advocacy & Civic Leadership (2010–2020)
Community leadership, arts partnerships, organizing power, and a decade of intentional stewardship.
Vision: Ignited in Pittsburgh (2023–Present)
Nurturing the brilliance of Black women, girls, and femmes in wellness spaces, healthcare, education, leadership, and creative growth.
Legacy Shift
Compassion Became Strategy
The Pivot (2020–2022)
A Mission Refined by Courage
During Margo’s final years fighting cancer, the Foundation narrowed its lens from broad arts and restorative justice toward the lived realities of Black women, girls, and femmes particularly in healthcare equity.
This was not a departure from justice. It was the refinement of it.
A Decade of Stewardship
2010–2020: The Foundational Roots
During this foundational decade, Margo and John maintained a consistent commitment to civic and social progress. Grounded in a decade of intentional personal and corporate philanthropy, they invested between $150,000 and $500,000 in causes designed to strengthen community infrastructure and advance political engagement.
This decade of shared purpose investing over $250k specifically in Arts & Justice established the habit of stewardship that led to the formal inception of the Gordon Family Foundation in 2020.
The Ignition
Kimmy’s Leadership
& Local Roots
“Moved by love to Pittsburgh, this mission was further ignited by Kimmy’s deep roots in the Lower Hill District. Her lived experience and her professional history are the compass for our local impact.”
As a retired CNA, Kimmy spent her career on the front lines of care. This first-hand perspective on the healthcare system guides our specific focus on maternal health and medical equity for Black women and girls.
Her partnership with the foundation transforms our work from external philanthropy into something deeper: community stewardship.
Our philanthropy is a direct response to lived experience. From Margo’s fight for equitable care to Kimmy’s years in Pittsburgh, we are building a bridge between national expertise and local wisdom.
With Kimmy’s guidance, we are anchoring ourselves in the community not just as donors, but as neighbors dedicated to building endowments that will outlast us.
This commitment ensures that the resources we provide are not temporary fixes, but permanent foundations for growth and healing within the neighborhoods Kimmy calls home.
The Visionary Dialogue
Founders’
Insights
Exploring the heart and philosophy behind our commitment to the Pittsburgh community.
Because we saw the gaps in the system first-hand. From Margo's fight for equitable care to Kimmy's career on the front lines of health in Pittsburgh, our philanthropy is a direct response to our lived experience. We aren't just donors; we are community members who understand that when Black women thrive, the entire community rises.
Our Vision
From Transaction to Transformation
Our long-term goal is to move from annual grantmaking toward permanent sustainability through $100,000+ endowments for anchor partners.
We are building for generations we will never meet, rooted in the love of the women who shaped our lives.
Impact Story
The Evolution of Our Giving
While our foundational roots in philanthropy stretch back to 2010, the Gordon Family Foundation formalized its current mission in 2020. Sparked by Margo's personal cancer journey and refined by Kimmy's lived experience in Pittsburgh, we transitioned from broad advocacy to a focused, health-equity model dedicated to Black women, girls, and femmes.
Since formalizing this mission-driven focus in 2020, we have issued 102 grants and invested $90,000 in organizations primarily on the front lines of health and community wellness
102
Grants
Since 2020
$90,000
Total Investment
In Black-led organizations
5
Anchor Partners
Multi-year commitments
The Shift: Endowments Over Annual Grants
With 102-grants issued since our 2020 inception, we've learned that sustainable change requires more than just annual support. Our 5 anchor partners now receive multi-year grant commitments, a deliberate step in our transition from a transactional funder into a strategic, long-term partner.
This shift to multi-year support is the primary foundation for our ultimate goal: laying the groundwork for permanent endowments of $100,000 or greater for our anchor partners. We are ensuring that the brilliance of Pittsburgh's Black women, girls, and femmes is supported not just today, but for generations to come by building connections with our national and local grantees.
The $90,000 invested since 2020 represents a philosophy in action: providing Black-led organizations with the predictable resources and deep trust they deserve.
Grant-making Distribution by Focus Area
Arts & Culture
Health & Human Svcs
Education & Public Benefit
The Journey
The Legacy of Giving
A decade of intentional personal and corporate philanthropy, centering on arts, civic life, and restorative justice.
Impact
Over $250k invested in Arts & Justice, with total civic contributions reaching $500k.
The Inception
Sparked by Margo’s journey, the Gordon Family Foundation (GFF) is formally established as a Donor-Advised Fund.
Mission Pivot
Philanthropy is narrowed to focus primarily on the lived experience and healthcare equity of Black women, girls, and femmes.
Local Leadership
The mission is further ignited by Kimmy’s deep roots in the Lower Hill District.
Strategic Evolution
We move beyond grant-making toward a "table" of national expertise and local wisdom, transitioning to multi-year commitments.
The Strategic Bridge
National Expertise Meets Local Wisdom
Our approach is built on a unique collaboration: connecting the national reach of the Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) with the deep local expertise of our Pittsburgh partners.
We aren't just funding these groups; we are building a "table" designed to bring national resources home. By working to facilitate a permanent BWHI presence here in Pittsburgh, we are creating a powerful synergy that ensures our community has access to the highest level of advocacy, research, and care.
40+ Organizations Supported
Since our 2020 inception, we have identified and funded many unique organizations on the front lines of health and wellness writ large.
102 Grants Issued
Our commitment is defined by consistency. To date, we have issued individual grants, evolving many from annual contributions into the multi-year commitments we maintain today.
$90,000 Invested
Total capital channeled through the GFF Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) primarily to support maternal health, medical equity, and leadership development since formalizing our mission.
Anchor Partners
Our Deepest Strategic Commitments
Black Women's Health Imperative
Our foundational national partner. We are bridging national health advocacy with local leadership to build a permanent presence for BWHI in Pittsburgh.
Healthy Start Inc
A cornerstone of maternal wellness. Our multi-year commitment supports front-line equity in birth outcomes for Black mothers and babies.
New Voices Reproductive Justice Pittsburgh Inc
Amplifying health autonomy. We partner with New Voices to center the leadership and lived experience of Black women, girls, and femmes.
Gwen's Girls, Inc.
Nurturing the next generation. We invest in their mission to build resilience and leadership for Pittsburgh's Black girls.
August Wilson Cultural Center
Rooted in the Lower Hill. We support the AWAACC as a catalyst for Black creativity and a permanent home for our community's cultural legacy.
Historical Legacy Grants
Since 2020, GFF has issued 102 grants to these organizations, reflecting consistent and reliable community investment across Pittsburgh, SF/Bay Area and nationally.
13 Organizations found
Sustainability narrativeSince 2020, GFF has issued grants to over 40 unique organizations, reflecting our commitment to consistent, reliable, and transformative community investment across the country and now Pittsburgh. Our Anchor Partners represent our deepest commitments, multi-year, strategic relationships built on trust and shared vision for Black women, girls, and femmes.
Contact
Connect with
the Foundation.
Whether you are a community leader, research institution, or mission-aligned organization, we welcome thoughtful partnership conversations.