In Southwestern Pennsylvania, 1 in 8 people – including 1 in 5 children – struggle with food insecurity. It’s a number that feels impossible in a country of such abundance, and yet it represents real people: the single mother skipping meals to feed her children, the senior choosing between prescriptions and groceries, the child who can’t focus in school because breakfast never came. At Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, we believe that food is a basic human right – and we believe in the power of community to ensure no neighbor goes hungry.
While every donation helps us stock shelves, fuel trucks, and fill plates, some gifts go even further. Planned giving – also known as legacy giving – is one of the most meaningful ways individuals can ensure that the mission of the Food Bank lives on for generations to come.
What is Planned Giving?
Planned giving allows individuals to make a lasting charitable contribution through their estate plans. This could be a bequest in a will, naming the Food Bank as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy, or establishing a charitable trust. Unlike traditional giving, planned gifts are often made at no immediate cost to the donor and can be structured to support both personal and philanthropic goals.
It’s not about the size of the gift – it’s about the intention. Whether your legacy is $1,000 or $100,000, the impact is profound.
Why It Matters
Planned gifts provide stability for nonprofits like the Food Bank, enabling us to invest in long-term solutions to hunger while continuing to meet urgent, day-to-day needs. Food insecurity is not a temporary problem – it’s a persistent issue affected by economic shifts, systemic inequities, and unpredictable emergencies. Legacy gifts allow us to plan more boldly and respond more swiftly.
When someone includes the Food Bank in their will or estate plan, they are doing more than making a donation. They are making a statement: I believe no one in my community should go hungry—not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
A Legacy of Love
One of the most powerful aspects of planned giving is that it often reflects deeply held values. Many of our legacy donors have volunteered with us for years, brought their children to pack produce or distribute meals, or experienced food insecurity themselves at some point in life. For them, leaving a gift is a way to extend their story – to ensure that future generations will receive the same care and compassion.
As one of our longtime supporters shared: “Feeding people is the most basic form of love. I can’t think of a better way to be remembered.”
We couldn’t agree more. Food is love. Share the love.
Real Impact, Right Here
A legacy gift to the Food Bank supports programs that go beyond the traditional food pantry model. It helps us:
- Operate mobile markets that bring fresh produce to underserved rural areas
- Partner with schools to ensure children have access to meals outside of school hours
- Expand SNAP outreach, helping families navigate the complex process of applying for assistance
- Invest in infrastructure and technology to improve food distribution and reduce waste
Your legacy could help put dinner on the table for a struggling family in Greene County. It could mean weekend meals for a child in Duquesne. It could bring fresh apples to a senior living alone in Johnstown.
Planning Made Simple
We understand that estate planning can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. There are simple, flexible ways to include the Food Bank in your plans without rewriting your will. A beneficiary designation on a retirement account or life insurance policy can take just a few minutes and have an enduring impact.
Through our partnership with Free Will, supporters can even create or update a legally valid will online, for free. It’s a small step that can have a lifetime of meaning.
A Gift of Hope
When you make a planned gift, you are nourishing more than bodies – you’re nourishing futures. You’re helping to build a world where no parent has to skip dinner so their kids can eat, where no child goes to school on an empty stomach, where no elder is forgotten.
You are creating a legacy of hope.
Let’s Talk
This August, in celebration of Make-a-Will Month, an anonymous legacy donor is donating $1,000 (up to $15,000) for every new legacy gift made using the Food Bank’s FreeWill tool or new notification of an existing commitment that includes the Food Bank as a primary beneficiary. By making a commitment to the Food Bank in your estate plan this month, you will provide resources for our community’s future and unlock support for present-day needs.
And perhaps that’s the most powerful part: a planned gift doesn’t just reflect your generosity. It reflects your belief in a better world.
If you’ve already included the Food Bank in your estate plans, thank you. We would be honored to welcome you to our Heirloom Society and recognize your commitment in a way that’s meaningful to you. Share your commitment with us here.
If you’re considering a planned gift, we’d love to hear from you. There’s no pressure, no obligation – just a heartfelt conversation about the impact you can have and the values you want to pass on. Scan the QR code or visit pittsburghfoodbank.org/yourlegacy to learn more and receive a free gift as a token of our appreciation.
Because food is more than nourishment. Food is comfort. Food is community. Food is love.
Food is love. Share the love.