RiverWise receives $160,000 for Beaver County initiative

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Scott Wolovich

BEAVER — RiverWise, a newly formed nonprofit project of the Beaver County Partnership for Community and Economic Growth, recently received a $160,000 grant from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation to fund a year-long pilot program aimed at using Beaver County’s rivers and their surrounding communities as wisely as possible.

“RiverWise is as creative a partnership as we’ve seen in many years in Beaver County,” said Jack Manning, Executive Director for the Beaver County Partnership for Community and Economic Growth. “It’s a carefully planned effort to align the structure of the organization with the needs of our region. The focus on our rivers is important and long overdue, and the Beaver County Partnership is pleased to be supporting this work and its efforts at developing a regional identity with our rivers at the center.”

Daniel Rossi-Keen, Executive Director of RiverWise, agrees with Manning. “The rivers of Beaver County represent one of our greatest and most enduring resources as a region,” he said. “Both symbolically and in actuality, our rivers span long-standing divides, draw us together and call for us to think regionally about our identity and our future. Historically, we have underappreciated the value of our rivers, and RiverWise seeks to begin reversing that trend.”

At the heart of RiverWise’s work is an ongoing effort to organize stakeholders to dream, learn and collaborate through action on behalf of Beaver County’s rivers and the communities through which they flow. As a way of guiding this process, RiverWise is leaning heavily on a new tool called “ecodistrict thinking.” For several months now, ecodistricts have been forming in Beaver Falls, Monaca and Aliquippa. This process will grow and deepen as the year progresses. Ecodistrict thinking involves careful assessment and planning about a community’s water, energy, transportation, air and food systems. It seeks to develop healthy systems that promote equity and participation for all members of a community.

Assisting RiverWise is New Sun Rising, a Millvale-based community economic development non-profit. According to Brian Wolovich, director of Triboro Ecodistrict and New Sun Rising’s consulting partner for RiverWise, “Ecodistricts represent a wholistic way of organizing that sees a community as an interconnected and multifaceted set of systems. Rather than only focusing on the physical infrastructure of a community, ecodistrict thinking seeks a broader approach to community development. Citizens of Millvale, Sharpsburg and Etna have used this method of organizing with considerable success in the Triboro Ecodistrict, and we are excited to see residents of Beaver County begin to engage with this kind of thinking.”

Scott Wolovich, Executive Director of New Sun Rising, thinks RiverWise is poised to lead some very exciting work with the people of Beaver County in the coming months and years. “We know that communities are complex ecosystems, and we have witnessed how a backbone organization like RiverWise can help stakeholders create a unified vision, make creative connections, and get to action. RiverWise is quickly becoming a leader in innovative thinking about developing clusters of Vibrant Communities in Southwestern PA. As the future of Beaver County becomes a bigger part of our regional story, New Sun Rising is excited to be partnering with them in this important work.”

In addition to forming ecodistrict communities in Beaver Falls, Monaca and Aliquippa, RiverWise is also working closely with Cathy McCollom, principal at McCollom Development Strategies, to promote projects and seek funding to build physical infrastructure along the
region’s rivers.

Funding for RiverWise was made possible through a creative partnership with the Beaver County Regional Council of Governments, who acts as a fiscal sponsor for RiverWise’s projects and whose recent strategic plan called for municipal activity aimed at achieving landscape-level change through thoughtful governance and community engagement. RiverWise and COG are working closely to align their efforts. Their collaboration will be on full display this summer during COG’s annual Local Government Conference focused on “Facing the Rivers.”

“Paying careful attention to our rivers raises all kind of issues of concern to municipal leaders,” COG President and RiverWise co-founder Rebecca Matsco said. “For the first time in quite a while, the work of RiverWise has initiated a truly regional conversation about what it means to steward our natural resources as municipal officials. The COG is honored to help lead these important conversations with the citizens of Beaver County.”

A calendar of public events for RiverWise will be published via social media later this month.

###

Contact:
Daniel Rossi-Keen, RiverWise
386-748-3635
danielkeen@hotmail.com

Jack Manning, Beaver County Partnership for Community and Economic Growth
724-775-3944
jmanning@bcchamber.com

More About the Partnership: The Beaver County Partnership for Community and Economic
Development is a public/private partnership designed to leverage the multi-billion-dollar
investment by Shell Chemical in the county. Created by a collaboration of Beaver County
business and community leaders, the Partnership aims to attract business investment and
community development with the goal of having a positive impact on every aspect of life and
work in the region. More information is available at http://thebcpartnership.org/.

Awards ceremony honors organizations with $30,000 for excellence in building Vibrant Communities

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Scott Wolovich

The roots of New Sun Rising’s history are embedded in the belief that advocating for culture, sustainability, and opportunity will cultivate Vibrant Communities.

Strengthening Culture allows a community to build awareness for shared values that in turn creates trust and identity. Promoting Sustainability and designing for environmental impacts strengthens the health of our people, planet, and economy. And creating Opportunity closes the opportunity gap through knowledge, connections, and resources for equitable growth.

There are three organizations that have individually exemplified these pillars of the Vibrant Communities Framework, and on Friday, March 1 they will be celebrated for their achievements at the Ace Hotel Pittsburgh for New Sun Rising’s first ever Vibrancy Awards.

Global Wordsmiths, PearlArts Studios, and Millvale Community Library will each receive $10,000 for their excellence in creating vibrancy throughout the region.

Mary Jayne McCullough, executive director of Global Wordsmiths, said she isn’t used to getting recognition for the type of work her organization does and winning the award for embodying Opportunity was “really validating.”

McCullough is a trained translator and interpreter, and for years she worked with social service providers to help immigrants and refugees navigate daily life like trips to the doctor or a parent teacher conference. The need for interpretation was so great that McCullough also spent much of her free time accompanying people to these appointments, which led her to ask why hospitals and organizations were not already providing this service.

The biggest reason was cost, and thus Global Wordsmiths was created by McCullough to provide nonprofits with free language translation and interpretation, as well as language access consulting and training. Every dollar of profit earned by Global Wordsmiths goes back into the organizations and is used to finance its innovative Social Impact Initiatives.

“[New Sun Rising is] really focused on getting results and on creating opportunity, which is what we’re trying to do, so there is a lot of syngergy in our missions,” McCullough said. “It’s great to work with people who also want to create positive change.”

The award for Culture goes to PearlArts Studios, an organization that defines itself as a dance company and a nonprofit. STAYCEE PEARL and Soy Sos, co-executive directors of PearlArts, started the company in 2010 and since the beginning they have worked to collaborate with cultural organizations and individual artists.

From 2010 to 2013, the STAYCEE PEARL dance project was the resident dance company at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, the first long-term KST resident. It was there that PEARL and Soy Sos set the tone for high-quality and diverse representation of dance for the community theater. Being able to use the time, space and resources provided by the KST allowed PearlArts to solidify their mission, aesthetic, and reputation, and when the residency ended the company premiered as an investigation of race, gender, and personal identity in relation to conversations around Post-Blackness in fine and performing arts.

PEARL said the company started working with New Sun Rising almost five years ago, and during the early years the guidance they received was “amazing.” She also said that the company is currently part of NSRs Grow Residency program, which “feels like we’re moving into another phase of our existence and expanding in different directions that we didn’t expect to.”

As for the Millvale Community Library, the award for Sustainability is also well deserved. Its doors officially opened in 2013, and since that time the library has been designated as a Sustainable Small Business through its actions and leadership that promotes environmental stewardship as well as financial stability.

Originally fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising, MCL started as a children’s library in 2008. The community that came together to build the library initiated the larger community conversation about what sustainability and resiliency meant to the people of Millvale, and the library now leads a movement towards education and equity in those realms. Not only has that resulted in the award winning Millvale EcoDistrict Pivot 1.0 and 2.0 Plans, but also tangible projects that improve the quality of life for citizens such as a rain garden to retain storm water, a tool lending library, paid teen solar fellowships, free access to high-speed internet, and a solar installation which saves money while reducing their carbon footprint.

Brian Wolovich, founder and current board member of the MCL, said that at the beginning, having the support of New Sun Rising was critical to their success.

“We were able to focus on immediate tasks like acquiring and renovating our building, strengthening relationships, and providing youth and GED test preparation programming to our community, while NSR provided financial management, operations, and strategic support.”

In partnership with NSR, the MCL has inspired a sustainable future for residents and leaders in Millvale, and their upstream neighbors in Etna and Sharpsburg, and downstream into Beaver County.

For more information on the Vibrancy Awards and to purchase tickets, click here. A “pay what you can” has been included so that cost is not a barrier. The Vibrancy Awards are made possible by the generous support of the Henry L. Hillman Opportunity Fund, and sponsored by Buchanon Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Neighborhood Allies, BNY Mellon, Crawford Ellenbogen, Robert Morris University Massey Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, First National Bank, Walker Philanthropic Consulting, and Innovation Works.

A Community’s Recovery Brings Nonprofit to Life

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Scott Wolovich

After Hurricane Ivan hit the area in 2004, communities in the Pittsburgh region experienced disastrous losses from flooding. Among those hit the hardest was Millvale.

During the storm Girty’s Run, the watershed that flows through the borough, swelled and flooded hundreds of businesses and homes. And twice within that month, brothers Scott and Brian Wolovich cleaned out the house that was once their great aunt’s. Brian had bought the home after she passed away, and Girty’s Run flows through the backyard.

“Both times it really devastated the community,” Scott said.

The Wolovich’s have deep family roots in Millvale. It’s where their father’s family settled when they emigrated from Poland, and where their father grew up. After he left the area for work and started his own family, Millvale became home base for the holidays. The fact that their parents were only children created more opportunities for the family to connect with the community.

“We had no first cousins, no aunts or uncles,” Scott said. “Growing up we were always close to our extended family, but our friends and the community became our family too.”

In the early nineties, Scott and his brother began traveling to New Orleans almost every year for Jazz Fest. Over that decade, the brothers’ relationship with the Louisiana city only deepened their appreciation for culture and vibrant communities. So when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans the year after Ivan struck Pittsburgh, Scott and Brian launched New Sun Rising as an immediate response to raise money for flood victims in both cities.

For its first event as a 501(c)(3), New Sun Rising hosted the Cultural Gumbo at Shadow Lounge to benefit the Tipitina’s Foundation in New Orleans and North Hills Community Outreach in Pittsburgh, which supported a lot of the flood relief in Millvale.

Shortly after, New Sun Rising became the fiscal sponsor for a community project that defined the nonprofit: the Millvale Community Library.

“In a really interesting way, the library was catalytic even for other projects we are currently working on almost 15 years later,” Scott said. “The fact that it was literally built by the community, and through that collective experience grew the interest in sustainable development. Millvale’s Ecodistrict planning process was born out of the library, we are on our way to becoming one of the first EcoDistricts Certified communities in the world, and has led to the creation of the multi-municipal TriBoro Ecodistrict.”

Another foundational project for the nonprofit was The Horizon Experience. Under the guidance of mentors, kids from 8 to 10 years old that lived in the city and suburbs would come together and attend events over the summer. The heart of the project was to strengthen interpersonal relationships and unlock individual human potential, and that core mission can still be seen in the 150 projects that New Sun Rising supports each year.

But for almost 10 years, when volunteers fueled the organization and the budget was $1,200, they were limited to serve only six projects a year through fiscal sponsorship.

“We created a structure to help grassroots leaders take action by reducing barriers, such as allowing people to receive grant funds and use NSR for the legal and financial side of things, but it got to the point where we were turning away three out of four projects who applied because we just didn’t have enough bandwidth,” Scott said.

Admittedly, during the nonprofits early years there was not an overall strategy besides mentoring and giving projects access to their 501(c)(3) umbrella. That caused the staff and board of directors step back and reflect on a vision for the larger ecosystem that they wanted to create. This led to the development of New Sun Rising’s Vibrant Communities Framework centered around strengthening culture, sustainability, and opportunity.

Cultural and shared values allow communities to develop to their “full authentic potential while respecting their history,” Scott said. And sustainability, both in development and environmentally, had always been a priority for the nonprofit as well as increasing access to equitable and regenerative economic opportunity.

“So these three things emerged as the foundation of our Vibrant Communities Framework, and when that happened a lot of things started falling into place,” Scott said.

In 2014, New Sun Rising received a $15,000 Small & Simple grant from Neighborhood Allies that stimulated larger investments, including $550,000 from The Henry L. Hillman Foundation and $35,000 from The Pittsburgh Foundation the following year.

“The idea of what New Sun Rising came from, the way the organization was launched… its purpose was to fill a gap they saw in the system and inherently they are a value for the community,” said Talia Piazza DePasquale, senior program manager for communications and marketing at Neighborhood Allies.

In 2017, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Neighborhood Allies invested in New Sun Rising’s purchase of the old Moose Lodge on East Sherman Street in Millvale. The building is now headquarters for NSR and an emerging Food + Energy Hub, located just a few blocks away from their first project: the Milvale Community Library.

Although the nonprofit was born in Millvale, over the years of its existence New Sun Rising’s reach has crossed rivers helping to build vibrancy in over 43 Allegheny County neighborhoods, including the South Hilltop, Wilkinsburg, Northside, and McKees Rocks, to name a few. They have also been tapped to support sustainable development efforts in Beaver and Indiana County.

To increase the effectiveness of capacity building and funding programs, New Sun Rising organizes services based upon the participant’s development stage to help them ignite, launch, and grow their work. Implementation strategies focus on creating nonprofit and business plans, stimulating financial and human resources, increasing access through connectivity, and strengthening a sense of identity.

Josh Lucas, founder of Work Hard Pittsburgh in Allentown, has worked with New Sun Rising since 2014 and said he believes they are able to “successfully walk the line” of what it means to have support from traditional foundations but still operate outside the box.

“[Scott] is pragmatic; he is an outcome driven executive director,” Lucas said. “He doesn’t get seduced by the politics or network he needs to maintain and successfully fund raise. He speaks the truth plainly and people see value in that.”

Idea Round-Up activates Etna’s EcoDistrict vision

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Scott Wolovich

By: Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Over a year of monthly meetings for the Etna EcoDistrict Community Education Series led to five groups of borough residents and cohorts receiving $2,000 each to fund their projects during the EcoDistrict Idea Round-Up on January 9.Teams were guided by seasoned mentors and each had a dedicated focus on air, mobility, water, energy, or food, and all were required to incorporate equity. Those involved in project planning had been engaged with Etna’s EcoDistrict process in some way since January 2018 when the community education series began.

Etna EcoDistrict Fellow Alexis Boytim said that building equity, the common thread among all the projects, “was represented by a focus on community education and engagement, which is essential to empowering people.”

For example, the air quality team chose to create an educational event that will accompany the future tree planting in Clarence Fugh Memorial Park. In 2017, trees had to be removed because of disease and recently the borough received a $50,000 grant from the Allegheny County Health Department Clean Air Fund to replace the trees. The event will debut signage with information about the trees and the import role they play in preventing pollution.

Jessica Jankowski, Etna’s economic development coordinator, chose to work with the air quality team during the Idea Round-Up because she believes that “especially in our region, air quality is a bigger beast” with Allegheny County ranked among the poorest air in the nation.

Brian Wolovich, Triboro Ecodistrict Director for New Sun Rising, said this was the first time Etna residents received funding to implement their ideas and it’s meant to act as a “small win” while the EcoDistrict planning continues.

“Some residents understand that projects can take two years of planning before [results] occurs, and others need to see something quicker to know a process is worth while,” Wolovich said.

Boytim said 2019 will be “dedicated to following more of the EcoDistrict Protocol” and more community meetings to ensure Etna residents continue to be engaged in developing the best EcoDistrict plan for their community.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6 at Fugh Hall, 27 Crescent St. During the evening, six education booklets will be distributed that focus on air, energy, equity, food, mobility, and water.

Grow residency program provides support for established entrepreneurs

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

By Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Being an entrepreneur comes with the understanding that stepping stones are required to take an idea from business plan to earning a profit, and support throughout that process can be crucial to the survival of a business.

This is something that Leigh Solomon Pugliano recognizes. As the founder and director of her own business Barrels to Beethoven, she made her first project as the Director of Opportunity for New Sun Rising to create Grow, a residency program for established business owners and the third tier of support for entrepreneurs that builds on the nonprofits Ignite and Launch programs.

The first iteration of Grow was from May through November and included six established female business owners. The bulk of the program consisted of weekly individualized consulting sessions with Pugliano accompanied by three group meetings over the course of six months. Each business also received a $2,000 award for their participation.

Through her experience engaging with the startup and entrepreneurship community, Pugliano saw “what was missing not just for me, but for the entrepreneurs that don’t meet the [criteria] for [support from] established program[s].”

Grow resident Casey Droege, owner of Small Mall and founder of Casey Droege Cultural Productions, said Pugliano’s leadership was “invaluable” for her businesses and the group sessions gave her the “rare opportunity to have a group of women going through similar obstacles get together and share information.”

“I’ve been through a lot of entrepreneurial development programs and artist development programs, and with [Pugliano] and New Sun Rising, there is a level of follow through that doesn’t happen in other places,” Droege said.

Droege has utilized New Sun Rising for over three years to build her businesses “because it’s the only [organization] that has kept by my side,” and said the creation and execution of the Grow program is “changing the way that Pittsburgh” supports entrepreneurs.

Gabrielle Haywood, a Grow resident and founder of Virginia Dere Swimwear, was also a participant in the Launch Wilkinsburg program. Haywood said through the accountability and camaraderie she experienced in the programs, she has benefited exponentially from her partnership with New Sun Rising. In the Grow program specifically, the support from Pugliano was “absolutely amazing.”

“I don’t think I would have gotten as far without her input and meeting consistently,” Haywood said.

Haywood was also able to get funding through a Grow Loan from New Sun Rising’s Vibrancy Funds, which allowed her to take her business to the next level in terms of manufacturing. In addition to providing low barrier loans between $5,000 and $35,000, over 30 organizations have received Vibrancy Funds support through a number of grant, award, and loan programs throughout the year.

Pugliano said she is planning to begin the next Grow program in the spring. For more information, email leigh@newsunrising.org. In addition to Casey Droege Cultural Productions and Virginia Dere Swimwear, participants in the 2018 Grow Residency included Black Tech Nation, Pearl Arts Studios, Prototype, and Tupelo Honey Teas. The program was supported through a grant from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.

Mini-grant expands afterschool reading program in Northside

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

Spring Hill Elementary School on Damas Street is bustling during afternoon dismissal. Through the chaos of kids getting ready to leave for the day, Stephen Weiss navigates the building up to the second floor to find a group of children waiting for him.

The kids are involved in the Comic Book Shop, an afterschool reading program for kindergarten to 5^th graders that is lead by the Northside nonprofit His Place Community Center where Weiss is employed and is the project lead for the program.

The idea came about last year when Weiss and his wife Melanie Sandoval, who also works at His Place, noticed some second grade boys who were struggling with their reading skills during the the existing afterschool program.

“It seemed to stem from disengagement from what they were reading [in class],” Weiss said.

Recalling when he was that age, Weiss remembered he was a big fan of comic books like Sonic the Hedgehog and decided to incorporate that into his nonprofits afterschool reading program in Spring Hill. To fund the first year of the Comic Book Shop, Sandoval said they applied for a One Northside Mini-Grant through New Sun Rising to “provide high-interest, developmentally appropriate graphic novels and comic books” for the kids.

“Having graphic novels [in the program] makes it engaging for a lot of students, which is the most important aspect of learning,” Weiss said.

Sandoval recalled one student in the program being very distracted during the afterschool program, and it was difficult to get him to read. After working with him one-on-one and reading graphic novels together, Sandoval said he is now reading books above his grade level.

“When you look down and see something growing up through the concrete, something breaking through a system that isn’t working… in education you don’t always feel hopeful, but when you see kids engaged in their reading and enthusiastic about it, especially those who are struggling, you think ‘Okay, there is some hope here,’” Weiss said.

Over 30 projects have also received the $1,000 mini-grant; many that have been awarded funding focus on education, employment, place, and health and safety.

The final application 2018 deadline for the One Northside Mini-Grants is Thursday, Nov. 29. Printed applications are accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209.

You may also submit your application here or send as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Contact New Sun Rising staff with inquiries or other questions by phone (412) 407-9007 or email info@newsunrising.org.

New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grant Program is made possible through support by The Buhl Foundation.

Author and Photo Credit: Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Placemakers find funding through One Northside mini-grant program

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

Photo: North Side Partnership Project celebrates its third Family Legacy Dinner

Much of the building that was McNaugher School in Perry Hilltop remains the same since its closure in 2012, but slowly it has started to breathe new life under the ownership of the North Side Partnership Project.

The nonprofit plans to use the space to implement STEAM labs (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for students and families, and to lease space to individuals focused on community and social services.

It has also been available for community events, and in early November the North Side Partnership Project hosted its third Family Legacy Dinner with support from New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grant program. The grants have awarded $1,000 to over 30 projects that concentrate on education, employment, place, and health and safety.

Project Lead Eleanor Williams said the dinners have been funded by One Northside since they began, and were created to credit community members who respect family and want to elevate their neighborhood.

“You might have to dig deep to find it, but there is always something good going on within our families,” Williams said.

With past dinners, one family was chosen and awards were given out to each family member in categories like academics or performing arts, but this year the dinner was done a bit differently. Williams said the decision was made to bring together the Johnson, Gibson, and Humphrey families to celebrate the birth of the newest family member, Kyier Lee.

Williams said she sees a lot of negativity in the world, but believes if children and families are exposed to positive places and gatherings, their outlook on life will become more positive.

A similar idea backs Save Garvin Field, a project also funded by ONS, and is lead by Bonny Kwolek. The project will commence in the spring and clean up the the Observatory Hill park while also igniting the conversation of how to revitalize the space.

Because the space is physically unkempt and at the end of a dead end street, Kwolek said it is used as a meeting place for illegal activity “and we are trying to curb that.” The field was once owned by the Perry Athletic Association, but it is no longer in use.

Some ideas have been kicked around, like starting another baseball league or turning the land into a community garden like Ballfield Farm in Perry Hilltop, but will not be officially discussed until the spring.

Kate Kelley, one of four Street Team Ambassador’s for the program, said the mini-grants are a great opportunity for individuals and organizations to get funding for their projects.

Kelley received funding in the past from One Northside and became a Street Team Ambassador because she wanted to be more involved in letting other Northsider’s know about the mini-grant opportunity.

“It’s accessible for everybody and New Sun Rising is willing to help [you] flesh out the logistics for the grant application and support [you] through the implementation of your project,” Kelley said.

“You don’t need to be a professional. You can just be your own self with a great idea,” Kelley said.

The final application deadline of the year for a One Northside Mini-Grant is Thursday, Nov. 29. Printed applications are accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209.

New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grant Program is made possible through support by The Buhl Foundation.

Author + Photo Credit: Alyse Horn Pyatt

One Northside Mini-Grants fund community-driven projects

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

Photo: Syreeta Gordon, Unshakeable Motherhood Project

On Wednesday nights, the community gym in Northview Heights Estates is filled with kids. Boys and girls of all ages use the space, but during the middle of the week, about 20 elementary and middle school girls gather for dance rehearsal.

The Northview Heights Estate Dance Troupe has been practicing weekly since the beginning of October for their first performance in December. Project Leader Rev. Diana Marshall said after that performance, she believes more kids will be interested and want to join the program.

“This is going to grow,” Marshall said.

She wanted to bring the dance program to Northview Heights because she is familiar with the neighborhood and knew there were kids in the community who wanted to dance. She believes it’s a great outlet for them and a constructive way to get them focused on something positive and teaches discipline.

“They are able to all come together and learn how to react to each other,” Marshall said. “They learn to respect each other, and so far so good.”

Marshall received funding for the project through New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grant program. The $1,000 grants have funded dozens of projects thus far and encourage applicants to focus on four categories: education, employment, place, and health and safety.

The dance troupe falls under the health category, as does Syreeta Gordon’s project Unshakeable Motherhood. Gordon said the program has been a year in the making and will educate expecting mothers about doula’s and how they can help ease the birthing process. The program is split into four workshops, two of which will also talk about the dynamics of healthy relationships.

The “What Are Doula Services & How to Choose One” workshops will be held at the Woods Run Library, 1201 Woods Run Ave., on Wednesday, November 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Saturday, November 17 from 2-4 p.m.

The “Unshakeable Motherhood on Relationship Woes” workshops will be held at the Allegheny Library, 1230 Federal St., on Saturday, November 24 from 2-4:30 p.m. and Monday, November 26 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Gordon is a doula and was once a single mother, and she feels that her life experiences with postpartum depression and finding the right partner can help other women not feel so alone.

“[You] can feel isolated, depressed, friends go to the wayside. It drives you crazy and if you’re not connected with the right people it can be bad,” Gordon said.

She also said that working with a doula could help pregnancies go much smoother, even if a mother is not giving birth for the first time. Being well supported and writing a birth plan can make a huge difference, Gordon said, especially for women of color who have a greater risk of dying during childbirth.

“I’m passionate about this work and I know that it’s needed,” Gordon said. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”

Gordon found out about the mini-grant program through a friend who asked her to attend one of the information sessions held over the summer. To get the word out, Street Team Ambassadors were also deployed throughout the Northside to help residents develop their projects and secure additional resources.

Maria Searcy is one of four Street Team Ambassadors, and said for her it was a great opportunity to be out in the community and talk with people about how to use the mini-grant program to get their ideas funded.

Searcy said the mini-grant program can open doors for further funding from organizations like ioby, a crowdfunding platform that partners project leaders with coaches to create effective fundraising campaigns.

The final One Northside Mini-Grant deadline of 2018 is on Thursday, November 29. Printed applications are accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209.

New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grant Program is made possible through support by The Buhl Foundation.

Photo Credit + Author: Alyse Horn Pyatt

Galvanizing Energy Transition: Solar for Non-Profits (G.E.T. Solar) announces Request for Proposals

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

Tax-exempt [501(c)(3)] organizations located in western Pennsylvania in the West Penn Power
service territory or in Allegheny County are invited to submit applications to go solar through the
new G.E.T. Solar initiative. Selected organizations will receive a solar feasibility analysis from a
Penn State engineering class, assistance to select a qualified solar contractor as well as detailed
financial savings projections and links to investors to finance their projects. The process may enable
non-profit organizations to go solar with little or no upfront investment of funds through a power
purchase agreement (PPA), depending on current electricity price and solar installation
considerations.

The process for non-profit organizations to go solar with the best savings is time sensitive,
as the federal tax credit for private investors in non-profit projects begins to decline in
January 2020. G.E.T. Solar is attempting to assist non-profits to take advantage of this opportunity
and to install solar before the end of 2019.

The Pennsylvania Solar Center (PSC) is a project of the New Sun Rising (NSR), a 501(c)(3) non-
profit organization, and the Hot Earth Collaborative LLC. The mission of the Pennsylvania Solar
Center is to maximize the number of people, organizations and businesses who benefit from solar
energy in Pennsylvania. The G.E.T. Solar initiative is made possible through generous funding from
the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund (WPPSEF).

Date RFP Released Thursday, November 1, 2018

Application Due Date Monday, January 8, 2019 at 5:00 PM

Eligible Applicants Tax-exempt organizations located in the West Penn Power service territory or in Allegheny County who are interested in going solar

To obtain the complete RFP with additional details or ask Application Questions, please email Sharon Pillar at info@pasolarcenter.org

SVP Full Circle Program Partners with New Sun Rising to Accelerate Non-profit Impact

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

Social Venture Partners (SVP) Pittsburgh has partnered with New Sun Rising to manage operations of their core program, the Full Circle Nonprofit Impact Accelerator. The program provides support for the region’s most innovative nonprofits through engaged philanthropy, where SVP Partners contribute their expertise, skills, networks, and finances to help tackle our community’s greatest challenges.

Starting with the Fall 2018 cohort, management of the SVP Full Circle program will officially transition to New Sun Rising. The two organizations have worked together to empower nonprofit sustainability and innovation since their first workshop together in 2015.

Leigh Solomon Pugliano, SVP Full Circle Program Manager and New Sun Rising’s Director of Opportunity, says, “I am very excited to manage the Full Circle program. New Sun Rising will provide an additional layer of support to SVP and the nonprofits they support. We hope to increase the awareness and accessibility of the program, as well as connect networks of communities and organizations that may otherwise be operating in silos.”

Each Fall and Spring, a Full Circle cohort accelerates five nonprofits through an intensive 14-week program of workshops, seminars, networking, and pitch events. Participants are paired with teams of SVP Partners, who are private sector leaders serving as executive coaches and working directly with them throughout the program.

Cynthia Closkey, an SVP Partner and chair of the organization’s board, says, “SVP is working to help nonprofits in our region increase their effectiveness and capacity, so they in turn can help people in a range of ways in the community. Each SVP Partner has the chance to engage with the nonprofits they coach, and with all the nonprofits we work with. It’s a focused, intensive opportunity to make significant impact on the problems that matter most. I find it the most rewarding way possible to give back.”

The current Full Circle cohort kicked off on September 22nd during a workshop at Ascender and includes Neighborhood Legal Services Association, No Crayon Left Behind, Orenda Health, Providence Connections, and Ruth’s Way. The public is invited to learn more about the mission and impact of these organizations during a pitch event on December 12th. More details will be announced soon.

For more details on how to become an SVP Partner, upcoming opportunities to accelerate your nonprofit, or to financially support Full Circle, please email leigh@svppittsburgh.org.

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About Social Venture Partners Pittsburgh

Social Venture Partners (SVP) Pittsburgh is a community of engaged philanthropists who contribute their expertise, skills, networks and finances to grow the impact of nonprofits and tackle our community’s greatest challenges. SVP Pittsburgh’s core program is the Full Circle impact accelerator, which connects SVP Partners as executive coaches to accelerate the impact of Pittsburgh’s most innovative nonprofits. For more information, visit SVPPittsburgh.org.

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising (NSR) is an innovative 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability and opportunity. NSR provides programs and services that create equitable opportunity, solve social challenges, and strengthen the vibrancy of place. Each year, over 150 individuals, organizations, and funders work with NSR to launch their nonprofit projects, social businesses, and economic development initiatives throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region. For more information, visit NewSunRising.org.

Contact

Leigh Solomon-Pugliano, Full Circle Manager, leigh@svppittsburgh.org

Scott Wolovich, Executive Director, New Sun Rising, scott@newsunrising.org

One Northside Mini-Grant Program Accepting Applications Through November

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

October 2, 2018

Pittsburgh, PA – With support from The Buhl Foundation, New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grant Program awarded $1,000 to 20 projects over the summer that focus on empowering community engagement and social impact in Northside neighborhoods. Grants are available for 30 more projects with two upcoming application deadlines this year: October 25 and November 19.

The Mini-Grant Program supports projects that strengthen community connections and increases accessibility to resources with the potential to become larger initiatives. Those submitting applications are encouraged to focus on elevating the Quality of Education, Employment, Place, and Safety and Health for fellow Northside residents, and previous mini-grant recipients are welcome to apply.

Ginger Underwood says the reason she joined the One Northside Mini-grant Street Team Ambassadors, “is to make more people aware of what’s going on over here on the Northside, and to promote the great work that is being done to help make the quality of lives better for each person, whether you are a child, teenager, adult or senior citizen. We have great assets and people have great ideas to share. The mini-grant program is a great way to put these ideas in motion. We all depend on each other to make this a great community, and the more engagement we have from residents, the better our community will be for all who live, work, and play, here on the Northside.”

Some current projects funded through the program include: Senior Citizens Craft Education, an initiative to combat social isolation and reconnect older adults through development of floral crafting skills, and The Comic Book Shop, an afterschool reading program that incorporates graphic novels every week to master reading fluency during the 2018-2019 school year.

Applicants are able to receive support during and after the application process from Street Team Ambassadors and New Sun Rising, who are available to schedule informal meet-ups in community locations as requested. The team is comprised of four Northside residents who received training from Levels Creative Empowerment + Consulting Group and are qualified to assist with project development and secure additional resources.

Printed applications are accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209.

You may also submit your application here or send as attachments to grants@newsunrising.org. Contact New Sun Rising staff with inquiries or other questions by phone (412) 407-9007 or email info@newsunrising.org.

New Sun Rising is committed to supporting leaders of community projects to create local, sustainable and measurable impact, and the mini-grant program is the continuation of the organizations Ignite Northside program. The One Northside Mini-Grant Program was previously managed by The Sprout Fund and known as the Neighbor to Neighbor grant program.

About One Northside Mini-Grants
To support community members in their efforts to advance the One Northside vision, One Northside Mini-Grants of up to $1,000 (taxable if not a 501(c)(3) are awarded to support small-scale community projects.

About One Northside
One Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 Northside neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Since 2016, through the support of The Buhl Foundation, New Sun Rising has helped 92 Northside residents and community members put their ideas into action through the One Northside Consensus Plan’s focus on Quality of Education, Employment, Place, Health, and Safety. For more information, visit OneNorthsidePGH.org.

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising (NSR) is an innovative 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability and opportunity. NSR provides programs and services that create equitable opportunity, solve social challenges, and strengthen the vibrancy of place. Since 2005, over 400 individuals, organizations, and funders have worked with NSR to launch their nonprofit projects, social businesses, and economic development initiatives throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region with $5 million of support. For more information, visit NewSunRising.org.

Contact:

Scott Wolovich, Executive Director, New Sun Rising, scott@newsunrising.org

Daniel Striker, Director of Culture + Operations, New Sun Rising, dan@newsunrising.org

New Sun Rising Launches First Sustainability Cohort

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Scott Wolovich

Millvale, PA, October 2nd, 2018 – New Sun Rising announces their newest Vibrant Communities Incubator cohort: Launch Sustainability, serving the greater Pittsburgh area. The program will begin with the first of 6 monthly workshops on Wednesday, October 3rd. The 6 selected participants, including businesses, nonprofits, and community initiatives, will receive support to develop their ventures through monthly learning workshops with their peers, one-on-one mentoring, and access to funding to grow the impact of their work with customers and community.

The Vibrancy Funds support people building culture, sustainability, and opportunity within their community. New Sun Rising announced Launch Sustainability as a new funding opportunity for organizations and collaborations who build Vibrant Communities through sustainability, as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The program encouraged proposals which further promoted innovation, engagement, and equity in the Pittsburgh region. New Sun Rising sustainability programs empower the community software (people + connections) and hardware (physical infrastructure) to enhance natural systems and quality of life in the region. Six projects out of twenty-four applications were selected to receive $5,000 to $8,000 grants to help early stage projects improve sustainability in their community.

Leading one of the selected projects, Donna Pearson of Millvale is working with residents and businesses, in partnership with the Allegheny Watershed Alliance as a fiscal sponsor to launch the first ever Girty’s Run Watershed Association. “We applied for the grant to help build the foundation of the organization. This grant helps us to share information, raise awareness, and build capacity for change in unifying the six communities of the watershed. We hope to build upon the many opportunities, strengths, and resources already available in these strong communities,” said Pearson.

Launch Sustainability is a Vibrant Communities program of New Sun Rising, held in partnership with the generous support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.

Communities impacted by the selected project include: The City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods, Millvale, Wilkinsburg, Aliquippa, Shaler, Ross, West View, Penn Hills, Clairton, Homestead.

Selected Projects include:

Sustainable Packaging Group Purchasing Project; seeking to eliminate the use of non-recyclable food container use in small business district settings through cooperative purchasing to drive down individual business costs.

The Wilkinsburg Gateway Project; seeking to use creative placemaking, including public art, landscape design, and solar power, as a platform to build community pride and introduce tangible community sustainability concepts.

PearlArts Studios Extensions After School Programs; seeking to implement new after school outreach programs as in collaboration with Gwen’s Girls, MUSA, and the Wilkinsburg School District, challenging participating youth both mentally and physically, as well as introducing them to broader world views through dance.

Activating a Sustainable Bicycling Infrastructure in Downtown Aliquippa; seeking to activate an equitable and adaptive bicycling culture in the heart of Aliquippa through installing new bike racks and support a free bike sharing initiative, spurring inclusive mobility and economic activity in the heart of our downtown, in partnership with Communicycle Beaver County.

The Girty’s Run Watershed Association; seeking to launch a first of its kind watershed organization within the Girty’s Run Watershed, creating greater collaboration between residents, businesses, and municipal leaders and increasing opportunities for further implementation of community led educational programming and increasing funding opportunities for stormwater infrastructure.

The Regional EcoDistrict Collaborative; seeking to connect and strengthen Ecodistrict practitioners who have been discussing collaborative opportunities to leverage respective organizational strengths to accelerate the implementation of community scale sustainable development utilizing a locally defined version of the EcoDistricts Protocol.

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising (NSR) is an innovative 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability and opportunity. NSR provides programs and services that create equitable opportunity, solve social challenges, and strengthen the vibrancy of place. Since 2005, over 400 individuals, organizations, and funders have worked with NSR to launch their nonprofit projects, social businesses, and economic development initiatives throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region with $5 million of support. For more information, visit NewSunRising.org.