PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh's private sector has given nearly $500,000 in donations to help make the city shine during the Group of 20 summit in September.

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development said that is just short of the city's goal to collect more than $500,000. Some of the largest donors include Bayer, Alcoa and BNY Mellon.

Pittsburgh is trying to change the perception that the city is still a smoky steel town and show the world it has recovered from the economic devastation caused when the mills shut down 30 years ago.

"It's also an opportunity for us to reach out to companies that may be thinking about establishing operations in North America. Maybe they weren't thinking about Pittsburgh,” said Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of Allegheny Conference. “After hearing our story in September, we think we are going to have a pipeline of companies and employees that we'll be able to recruit to the city."

Some of the ideas already in place for the G-20 are creating an enhanced welcome center at the airport, online and downtown media centers, and having community ambassadors who wear pins that say, "Ask me, I'm a Pittsburgher”.

The White House said Pittsburgh was chosen as the venue as a symbol of economic recovery. In September, 19 heads of state and European Union representatives will come to Pittsburgh to discuss the global economic crisis.