Crossroads Foundation: A Model of Collaborative Excellence
The Crossroads Foundation is dedicated to helping college-bound students from economically and socially stressed communities to attend and graduate from urban Catholic high schools in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Crossroads enables students to achieve their fullest potential by providing individual support, educational enrichment, and tuition assistance.
Crossroads was established nearly 20 years ago as a family foundation. After a decade of service, the founders realized that the surest way to maintain the Foundation's viability was to establish connections with the larger community. Over the past 10 years, Crossroads has grown into an organization that thrives on collaborating with Pittsburgh's philanthropic community, business, corporate, and individual supporters.
One of Crossroads' strongest collaborative activities is its partnership with businesses and corporations that pay Pennsylvania state taxes. A state initiative allows businesses and corporations to apply their tax credits to educational scholarship and programs of their choice. Many companies choose to apply their tax credits to Crossroads because of its record of success. Crossroads sends tri-annual newsletters to donors to report how their funds provide a quality education to our students.
Crossroads endeavors to provide students with educational resources that otherwise would be unavailable to them. Through collaboration with community groups, corporations, and individuals, Crossroads offers computer technology, preventative health care, and pre-college access programs. Crossroads also promotes parent/guardian involvement as key to student attendance and success in school.
As a result of Crossroads' many positive outcomes, the number of students who want to attend Catholic high schools in Pittsburgh urban communities has increased. In response, Crossroads has begun a Development Campaign to ensure its scholarship services for years to come. The goal is to raise $6.5 million to build a $6 million endowment fund. This venture calls upon the magnificent partnerships of Crossroads' board, the philanthropic community, corporations, and individual donors. This collaborative partnership continues to make a positive difference in the lives of students.
Veronica Morgan-Lee, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Crossroads Foundation
