Join & Give - Pittsburgh Glass Center
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Join & Give
Join & Give
Igniting Innovation in Glass Art
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s continued success relies on teamwork. Like glass, our work is shaped by many hands—donors, artists, students, patrons, and neighbors—who come together to keep the fire burning.
Your investment fuels a vibrant, inclusive glass art community that inspires, educates, and connects. Whether you’re making a donation, becoming a member, or sponsoring an event, you’re helping us build something extraordinary together.
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Make Your
Gift Now
Your gift directly sustains:
Free admission seven days a week so everyone can experience contemporary glass art without barriers.
One-of-a-kind experiences for visitors of all ages and abilities through hands-on classes, events, and tours.
A world-class glass art facility that nurtures both emerging and established artists.
Community programming including artist talks, demonstrations, scholarships, and residencies.
While we’ve expanded our facilities and exceeded revenue goals, rising costs mean we need your support more than ever to keep access equitable and our programs thriving.
EIN: 25-1814656
Make a Donation
Join the Club!
Smart Giving Tools
Institutional
Support
Annual Fundraiser
Make a Donation
Your contribution supports our operating fund—the heart of everything we do.
Make your gift online
Mail a check made payable to Pittsburgh Glass Center:
Pittsburgh Glass Center
ATTN: Development
5472 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Matching Gifts—
Double your gift’s impact!
Your company may have a matching gift program that can double your level of support. Each company’s guidelines for participation are different, so please contact your Human Resources Department for more information.
If your employer utilizes United Way Workplace Campaigns, the following Agency Codes can be used to designate gifts to Pittsburgh Glass Center!
PGC’s United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania Agency Code is: 14650204
PGC’s United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Agency Code is: 21226717
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Join the Club!
When you join the
2100 Club
, you become part of a collective that sustains PGC year-round through meaningful, recurring support. Your generosity helps keep our studios open, our artists teaching, and our community learning together
Recurring giving is flexible and meaningful—
join today
and help shape what’s possible.
Join the 2100 Club
Membership at PGC is evolving! While we are not inviting new memberships nor renewals at this time, we are happy to honor membership benefits for all active members through their expiration date. If you have questions about your PGC membership, please contact
Olivia Narciso
, Donor Relations Manager, at 412-365-2145 x213 for assistance.
Smart Giving Tools
Smart giving strategies offer you a chance to invest in a cause you care about—while also taking advantage of valuable tax benefits. Whether you want to see the impact of your gift today or leave a legacy for the future, these tools make it easy to align your charitable goals with Pittsburgh Glass Center’s bold vision for inclusive, innovative glass art education.
We encourage you to consult with your attorney or financial advisor to determine which giving strategy best fits your situation. Olivia Narciso, Donor Relations Manager, is available to work with you or your professional advisor to explore smart ways of giving. Contact her at 412-365-2145 x213 or
onarciso@
pittsburghglasscenter.org
Donor-Advised Funds
A donor-advised fund offers a flexible way to manage your philanthropy. Whether through The Pittsburgh Foundation or providers like Vanguard, Schwab, or Fidelity, you can recommend grants to PGC over time while receiving an immediate tax deduction.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
If you’re age 70 ½ or older, you can make a tax-free distribution from your IRA directly to PGC. This Qualified Charitable Distribution not only supports our mission but also helps you meet your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) without increasing your taxable income.
Gifts of Appreciated Stocks or Mutual Funds
Your gift of appreciated securities—publicly traded
stocks
, bonds, and mutual fund shares—to Pittsburgh Glass Center are among the most cost-effective assets to use when making a gift.
How to Give
Stock
to Pittsburgh Glass Center:
Instruct your broker to electronically transfer shares to Pittsburgh Glass Center’s Vanguard account, described below.
Account Name: Pittsburgh Glass Center, Inc.
Account Number: 49469913
DTC Number: 0062
Call or write us to notify us of the donation and date of transfer.
For more information, please contact Rachel Niederberger, Development Director, at
rachel@
pittsburghglasscenter.org
or 412-365-2145 x212.
Bequests in Your Will
Including a gift to Pittsburgh Glass Center in your will is a meaningful way to sustain your mission beyond your lifetime—without affecting your current financial situation. You can simply instruct your attorney to prepare a codicil or amendment to your will, ensuring that future generations can discover the wonder of glass art.
Beneficiary Designations
Selecting PGC as a beneficiary of your IRA, life insurance policy, or donor-advised fund, avoids taxes and directs the full value of your gift to a cause you care about: transforming lives through the power of art.
This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. PGC strongly advises that you consult your professional advisor(s).
Institutional Support
From major corporations to local foundations, our institutional partners drive regional innovation and arts access. Your support helps PGC:
Connect Pittsburgh’s industrial glass legacy to its creative future
Promote economic development in the East End
Provide exceptional educational and artist development opportunities
Interested in becoming an institutional partner? Please contact Rachel Niederberger, Development Director, at 412-365-2145 x212 or
rachel@pittsburghglasscenter.
org
to explore sponsorship opportunities, EITC program, or corporate party options.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Year-round opportunities for partnerships are available to accomplish your business’s philanthropic and marketing goals while supporting PGC’s innovative programming. Each benefits package is customized based on your company’s specific needs.
Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program
If you are a Pennsylvania business, the EITC program could lower your state tax liability. Pittsburgh Glass Center has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to offer Educational Improvement Tax Credits to companies who make a donation in support of PGC’s qualifying education programs.
PGC is pleased to recognize the following businesses and individuals who made EITC contributions in 2025:
Huntington Bank
Williams Coulson, LLC
Michael & Lori Comber
Ninja Transfers LLC
Rush Order Tees
Corporate Parties & Entertainment
People love hosting events at Pittsburgh Glass Center because you and your guests can:
Feel the heat as artists create amazing works of art with hot glass
Explore contemporary glass art exhibitions in PGC’s Hodge Gallery
Make your own one-of-a-kind piece of glass art, or receive a custom glass gift made by PGC artists (must be ordered in advance)
Corporate Retreats & Team-Building Activities
Get outside of the office and build camaraderie among your colleagues and team members with a change of scenery and a taste of glassmaking at PGC. Exercise the right side of your brain with an exciting hot glass demonstration and hands-on glass activity, and then round out your retreat with the option to book a private conference room for lunch and a meeting.
For more information, please email
scheduling@pittsburghglasscenter.org
Annual Fundraiser
Art on Fire Celebration & Auction
Pittsburgh Glass Center annually hosts the hottest event of the year called Art on Fire, a fun celebration and Pittsburgh’s only glass art auction. Your attendance and support of this fundraiser collectively raises approximately 10% of our overall programming and operational needs. Plus, you’ll leave the event with a unique, hand-made piece of glass art by an emerging or world-renowned artist.
Hot Shop Activities
With the help of an instructor, participants will learn how to transform 2,000°F molten glass into a unique glass artwork. Sculpted items will be manipulated and shaped with various metal hand tools. Blown items will be inflated via a flexible tube attached to a blow pipe. The Hot Shop, as the name might suggest, can get warm at times, particularly during summer months. That being said, the activity will only take about 10-15 minutes per person so you won’t be warm for long. We encourage our guests to wear lighter, natural material clothing for safety and comfort. Visitors are welcome to bring water bottles and a water fountain/filling station is available. These activities will involves sitting, standing, and walking around. Suitable for ages 5 and up.
Kiln Shop Fusing Activities
Combine brilliantly colored pieces of glass granules and thin glass strands to create a one-of-a-kind luminous fused glass artwork. Once you design it, we’ll fire it, so that all pieces become one. Participants will work seated in our climate-controlled Classroom and with room temperature pieces of glass. You will begin with a glass tile that acts as your “canvas,” then arrange the colorful glass granules and thin glass strands into a design of your choosing. Once the designs are complete, suncatchers are placed in a kiln overnight to melt (fuse) together forever. Suitable for ages 5 and up.
Flame Shop Activities
With the help of an instructor, participants will learn how to use tools and a tabletop torch to melt and manipulate glass rods and transform them into truly one-of-a-kind objects. These activities take place in our climate controlled Flame Shop, which involves working with a flame, but is not nearly as warm as our Hot Shop. Participants will be sitting at a workstation, making this option slightly more accessible and less physically demanding. Suitable for ages 8 and up.
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