Alcoa Foundation Announces Three Strategic Partnerships: ''Partners for Pittsburgh's Future''

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alcoa (NYSE: AA) announced today that Alcoa Foundation is partnering with three major Pittsburgh organizations—the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and The Children’s Institute—as part of its ongoing strategic investment to build positive community resources in the Pittsburgh region. Over the last five years, Alcoa Foundation has invested approximately $11 million in Pittsburgh/Allegheny County, bringing its total investment in Pennsylvania to more than $15 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations.

“A key focus for us is building business and community partnerships and we’re proud to be affiliated with such fine organizations. We anticipate that our partnership will grow over time as we collectively work to strengthen communities in our city and region and benefit our fellow citizens.”

“We’re pleased to ‘partner for Pittsburgh’s future’ with these three stellar organizations,” said Julie Caponi, Alcoa vice president of audit and location manager for the Alcoa Corporate Center. “Alcoa has been a leading corporate citizen in the Pittsburgh area for over 100 years, and a major source of community investments through Alcoa Foundation. It’s especially timely to announce these key partnerships in the year of Pittsburgh’s 250^th anniversary.”

The partner organizations and their funded projects are as follows:

• The August Wilson Center for African American Culture will receive $600,000 to fund exhibits in the new state-of-the-art facility being built in downtown Pittsburgh. Alcoa Foundation is the title sponsor of Past as Present, a permanent exhibition that will use interactive multi-dimensional techniques to engage visitors in understanding and appreciating the art, culture, and history of African Americans from Western Pennsylvania. The grant also funds the Center’s first touring exhibition—Rhapsody in Black and White: The Photographs of Charles “Teenie” Harris—which pays homage to the celebrated African American photographer whose photographs captured life in Pittsburgh’s African American community over five decades of the 20^th century.
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will use a $400,000 grant to improve children's areas in several facilities as part of its Libraries for LIFE Capital Campaign, the first campaign in the Library’s history designated to revitalize neighborhood libraries. Monies will also support construction and renovation activities for two new branches, one on Pittsburgh’s North Side and one in the Hill District, representing the first newly constructed libraries in the organization’s 113-year history. Since 2001, six neighborhood locations and the first floor of the Main Library in Oakland have been renovated, providing handicapped accessibility, climate control systems, and state-of-the art technology. The Alcoa Foundation grant will help to strengthen the trend of increased visitor and circulation numbers.
• The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh will receive $200,000 to explore a novel means of investigating the influence of environmental factors in autism, as part of its Campaign for an Amazing Future. To that end, this grant will be used to evaluate the feasibility of developing an experimental room with reduced toxins and exposures—an Environmental Pediatric Room. The Alcoa Foundation funding will assist The Children’s Institute as it strives to continue to meet the changing needs of the community and its children.

“Each of these organizations is a perfect fit with the mission of Alcoa Foundation, which is to improve the quality of life in Alcoa communities,” said Velma Monteiro-Tribble, chief operating officer and assistant treasurer of Alcoa Foundation. “A key focus for us is building business and community partnerships and we’re proud to be affiliated with such fine organizations. We anticipate that our partnership will grow over time as we collectively work to strengthen communities in our city and region and benefit our fellow citizens.”

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The company has 97,000 employees in 34 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.

About Alcoa Foundation

Alcoa Foundation is a separately constituted nonprofit U.S. corporate foundation with assets of approximately $504 million. Its mission is to actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide. Throughout its history, the Foundation has been a source of positive community change and enhancement, with over $465 million invested since 1952. To learn more about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com under Community.

About August Wilson Center for African American Culture

The August Wilson Center for African American Culture preserves, presents and interprets the art, culture and history of African Americans in western Pennsylvania and people of African descent throughout the world. The Center realizes its mission through visual and performing arts presentations as well as historical, education and public programs. A $35.9 million Capital Campaign is underway to build a new multidisciplinary cultural center in Pittsburgh’s downtown, scheduled to open in spring 2009. The Center’s two-story, green building will house exhibition galleries, a 479-seat theater for performances in all disciplines, an education center, a café and gift shop, and multipurpose spaces for community programs and events. More information is available at www.AugustWilsonCenter.org.

About Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Established as a public trust in 1895, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh serves the citizens of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County with a distinguished history of leadership among the country’s great public libraries. Through its 19 neighborhood locations, including Main Library and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the region’s most visited asset. Each year the Library provides more than 8,000 free programs, classes and other learning and training opportunities that are tailored to meet the dynamic and diverse needs of people living in Western Pennsylvania. Visit www.carnegielibrary.org for more information.

About The Children’s Institute

The Children’s Institute is an independent, licensed nonprofit organization that provides a comprehensive approach to pediatric rehabilitation: The Hospital, The Day School and Project STAR. The Hospital includes an 82-bed inpatient unit and numerous outpatient rehabilitation services for children and young adults. The Day School is an Approved Private School for children ages 2 to 21 with neurological impairments, including autism. Project STAR promotes the right of all children, especially those with physical, emotional and intellectual disabilities, to grow in a safe, nurturing, lasting family. For more information, go to www.amazingkids.org.