Ethan Nicholas and Rick Malik, of 100+ Men Who Care, present Josh Whiteside, executive director of the Education Partnership, with a $10,450 donation. The donation would go on to bring almost $1 million in school supplies to the region. Michael Gianechini/Submitted Photo
A more than $10,000 donation by local philanthropists has helped bring approximately $900,000 in school supplies to Western Pennsylvania.
“It was a most unique circumstance, and as always timing is everything,” said Ethan Nicholas, executive director of business and economic development at Slippery Rock University.
Nicholas is the secretary of 100+ Men Who Care, a philanthropic group based out of the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry Township.
“The group meets once per quarter,” Nicholas said. “Each member commits to donating $100 at each meeting.”
The collected money is donated to local charities, nonprofits and causes that serve the greater-Pittsburgh region, Nicholas said.
Members can endorse a local charity or cause during regular meetings, according to Nicholas, and then vote on which one to donate to.
The group, at its last meeting in December 2022, raised $10,450. Nicholas endorsed the Education Partnership as a recipient and won the majority vote.
“The Education Partnership is the only nonprofit organization in Southwest Pennsylvania providing free school supplies year-round to teachers and their students at under-resourced schools,” a news release by the organization said.
On Thursday, March 30, the group learned that its donation had helped the organization secure nearly $1 million in school supplies for the region.
“Amazon contacted the Education Partnership and offered them dozens and dozens of pallets of school supplies that were returned by customers,” Nicholas said.
The offer was “all or nothing,” he said, and without the staff to accept this massive shipment, the organization almost had to turn it down.
“However, the money from 100+ Men Who Care came in at almost the same time,” Nicholas said.
With the donation, the nonprofit was able to hire a staffing to manage the shipments, he said, already distributing over half of the supplies.
“Basically, a group of men raised $10,000 in 10 minutes, which lead to almost $1 million in school supplies,” Nicholas said. “It’s a pretty incredible story.”
