PITTSBURGH, May 20 2008 — The BNY Mellon Charitable Foundation recently announced grants totaling more than $1 million to Pittsburgh-area nonprofit organizations. The slate of charitable investments, ranging from economic development and affordable housing initiatives to arts, culture, education and literacy programs, was approved during the Foundation's spring 2008 meeting. The BNY Mellon Charitable Foundation is the major vehicle through which BNY Mellon channels contributions to nonprofit organizations in western Pennsylvania.

"We remain committed to western Pennsylvania and the organizations that so dramatically continue to impact our quality of life," said James P. McDonald, president, BNY Mellon Charitable Foundation. "Our philanthropy is focused on the pillars of a strong community — education and literacy, affordable housing and economic development, health and wellness, and arts and culture."

  The current grant recipients are:

   -- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh -- $100,000 for construction of its new
      Hill District branch library;

   -- Community Design Center of Pittsburgh -- $50,000 for equipment and
      infrastructure improvement;

   -- Duquesne University's John F. Donahue Graduate School of Business
      Career Literacy for African American Youth (CLAAY) -- $50,000 for
      programmatic support;

   -- East End Cooperative Ministry -- $30,000 toward the Ministry's housing
      programs;

   -- Extra Mile Education Foundation -- $35,000 for tuition assistance;

   -- Family House -- $100,000 challenge grant in support of the Family
      Assistance Program;

   -- Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council -- $100,000 for development of a small
      arts fund to support audience development initiatives;

   -- Habitat for Humanity -- $90,000 to cover closing costs for nine homes
      in the Chessland neighborhood, representing Habitat's first full-scale
      neighborhood project in the Pittsburgh region;

   -- Hill House Association -- $300,000 for the Hill House Capital
      Campaign;


   -- Life's Work of Western PA --$50,000 for program support, including its
      eight-week customer service training program and placement services
      for persons with disabilities;

   -- Light of Life Rescue Mission -- $50,000 to underwrite the Mission's
      services to homeless women and children;

   -- New Century Careers -- $75,000 to fund a strategic review of its
      workforce training services;

   -- Pittsburgh Public Theater -- $75,000 to support its education and
      outreach programs, ranging from classes and workshops to its
      Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest;

   -- StartingGate -- $30,000 for a technology development grant and loan
      fund available to entrepreneurs and small business start-ups located
      in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence Counties;

   -- Student Conservation Associates, Inc. -- $50,000 to launch the Green
      Jobs Initiative which will provide both service-learning experiences
      for youths as well as a community-wide analysis of the workforce
      training and development requirements for green industries; and

   -- YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh -- $150,000 to support the Y's capital
      campaign, specifically its Hill District Center Avenue Y renovations.

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets. The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has more than $23 trillion in assets under custody and administration, more than $1.1 trillion in assets under management and services $12 trillion in outstanding debt. Additional information is available at bnymellon.com.