PITTSBURGH, Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon, the global leader in investment management and investment services, has awarded $650,000 in grants to nine Pittsburgh-area nonprofit organizations. The grants were approved during the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania's fall meeting.

"We work with our community partners to provide assistance to those who need immediate help and invest in programs that improve the quality of life for those in the region," said Jim McDonald, BNY Mellon's director of global philanthropy. "We continue to invest in organizations that provide critical services to help strengthen our local communities." BNY Mellon employs more than 7,700 people in the Pittsburgh region.

The grant recipients are: 

• Dollar Energy Fund, Inc. – $150,000 to support Dollar Energy Fund's Hardship Program, which provides direct utility assistance grants to low-income families in southwestern Pennsylvania;
• Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh – $75,000 to enable Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh to provide needed repairs to at least 25 homes and supply the materials for 35 additional volunteer projects;
• South Hills Interfaith Ministries – $50,000 to support South Hills Interfaith Ministries' two food pantries and contribute to its new fundraising campaign to fight hunger;
• Auberle – $75,000 to enable 35 youth in foster care to participate in Auberle's Education and Vocational Training Program;
• Familylinks – $50,000 to enable 35 youth in foster care to participate in Familylinks' Journey to Independence education and workforce development program;
• Family Services of Western Pennsylvania – $75,000 to enable 40 youth in foster care to participate in Family Services' Reaching Out to Create Success education and workforce development program;
• Holy Family Institute – $50,000 to enable 30 youth in foster care to participate in Holy Family Institute's Youth Workforce Development Program;
• Three Rivers Youth – $50,000 that will enable Three Rivers Youth to expand its Skills for Life program, which supports 100 youth transitioning out of foster care; and
• Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania – $75,000 to support Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania's "Age Up, Not Out" program and also enhancements to its Service Delivery Model Outcomes and Measurement System.

Auberle, Familylinks, Family Services of Western Pennsylvania and Holy Family Institute are community partners in BNY Mellon's Pathways program, a global workforce development initiative to assist vulnerable youth making the transition into adulthood.  The program is part of Powering Potential, the company's philanthropic focus on making local communities better places to live and work by targeting organizations that concentrate on workforce development or the provision of basic needs.  For more information about the Pathways program, visit www.bnymellon.com/pathways.  To learn more about BNY Mellon's Powering Potential initiative and commitment to corporate social responsibility, visit www.bnymellon.com/csr.

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of September 30, 2013, BNY Mellon had $27.4 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.5 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com, or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon.

SOURCE BNY Mellon