PIQUA — The Piqua Community Foundation announced today that it is pausing its Pitch Piqua charitable grant pitch competition while the Board of Directors and donors evaluate the initiative’s impact and funding support.

Since Pitch Piqua was launched in 2021, The Foundation has distributed more than $133,000 in grants and pass-through community donations to the six finalist organizations that participated in the initiative’s two seasons.

“We launched Pitch Piqua with two years of strong support and knew we would evaluate its effectiveness after that time,” said Emily E. Shawler, president of The Piqua Community Foundation Board of Directors. “We want to allow time for our top-scoring organizations who earned the $50,000 top grant awards over the past two years the opportunity to demonstrate the impact from their respective projects as we consider how The Foundation continues with Pitch Piqua or another initiative.”

Piqua Compassion Network secured the $50,000 grant award in the 2021-2022 initiative for The Power Project, which aims to create a center for teens to access basic needs resources, fitness and education. The top grant in the 2022-2023 initiative went to Edison State Community College, which will offer virtual reality equipment for law enforcement agencies and students, as well as community partners, to train for active intruder situations.

The three finalists of the Pitch Piqua program receive professional development training in project management and storytelling, as well as support from various Piqua community leaders as they prepare to make their pitch at a community event in March at Fort Piqua Plaza Banquet Center. The initiative also encourages community involvement through voting via pass-through donations to the finalist team of the donor’s choice.

“Pitch Piqua has truly embodied the love of our community and enthusiasm for local philanthropy we hoped it would!” Shawler said. “We appreciate the overwhelming support for this initiative and welcome feedback from our community as we evaluate Pitch Piqua’s future and other opportunities to continue to connect and serve our donors, nonprofit partners and the Piqua community.”

To learn more about Pitch Piqua, visit piquacommunityfoundation.org/pitchpiqua. To share feedback with The Foundation regarding the initiative, email Executive Director Michelle Perry at [email protected].