ShOW UP FOR OUR
studentS & schoolS

In schools where chronic absenteeism is highest, the
A to Z Fund provides direct supports for:

People participating in outdoor pottery firing, using tongs to handle clay pieces. Several others watch while one holds an umbrella. © Demetria Woods

  • Basic Needs

  • Enrichment Opportunities

  • Resource Coordination

Two people screen printing on a table in a classroom, with artwork and tools around them. Other individuals are present, and there are papers and schedules on the walls.
Two children interacting with a woman at a booth, featuring a colorful prize wheel, covered with a blue tablecloth, inside a gymnasium.
A group of people, including a child, looking up at the sky with solar eclipse glasses.
Two people posing in front of a school building with boxes of snacks including Oreos, Capri Sun, and Cheez-It on a cart.
Three people in a room packing brown backpacks from large cardboard boxes. The backpacks are being filled with various items, including hygiene products and possibly school supplies. Shelving with trophies is visible in the background.

Make an impact today

A to Z Fund Sponsor Levels


Community Champions: $25,000 - $40,000.
There are five communities in Pittsburgh where chronic absenteeism is highest: the Hill District, the Hilltop, the Northside, Homewood and West Pittsburgh. Own or run a business in one of these communities? Become an A to Z Community Champion today!

School Sponsor: $5,000 - $20,000.
At schools where it’s difficult for families to contribute, students often miss out on the banquets, family events, field trips, and national competitions that keep them motivated and recognize their hard work. A to Z School Sponsors support these things and more for deserving students.

Student Sponsor: $1,000 - $4,000
In the 2023-24 school year, nearly 6,000 students were chronically absent.
Become an A to Z Student Sponsor to make sure every community is able to support the health,
well-being, and success of all our kids.

Good Neighbor: $1 - $999
We all know education is key to driving the success of our kids and the desirability of our neighborhoods. As an A to Z Good Neighbor you’re creating a brighter future for our region and the prosperity of our communities.

Students living in poverty are
4 times more likely to be chronically absent.

A to Z Funds have provided coats to kids that need them in the winter, assistance to families that are displaced from fires and domestic violence, and even tools for a barber shop for middle schoolers—helping to remove the barriers that can keep kids from coming to school.

Only 9 Schools in PPS have PTAs.

While parents are active in every school, the ability to fundraise for field trips, student activities, and other enrichment opportunities are not available everywhere—creating a huge difference in the educational experience of children across the city. A to Z Funds help bridge those gaps, providing community funding for those extras that families can’t always afford.

Pittsburgh is resource rich!

We have some of the best programming for youth and families in the country in our non-profits and local governments. Yet schools with high rates of chronic absence, can’t always leverage these supports because they don’t have the capacity. A to Z Funds allow us to help schools build out plans that put these community resources to work for what the staff, students, and families need most.