Author: Scott Wolovich

250 Tables launches across Southwestern PA to build bridges for America’s 250th anniversary

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

The neighbor-led civic micro-grants program will fund shared meals that foster belonging and strengthen the building blocks of democratic infrastructure

Pittsburgh, PA — Today, as the United States prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, New Sun Rising announced the launch of 250 Tables with a goal of strengthening the social fabric of Southwestern Pennsylvania through the simple act of sharing a meal. The regional civic micro-grants program will fund bridge-building dinners that foster greater connection, belonging, and participation.

Several outreach partners have already announced their intent to join 250 Tables, including Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Jewish Community Center (JCC), and PUMP, with Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh anticipated to follow. As established, highly trusted institutions, these partners play a key role in supporting table hosts to gather people from different experiences to break bread in known public venues, such as libraries, fire halls, and community spaces. 

“So many things are separating us from our neighbors, especially those with different life experiences”, said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director of New Sun Rising. “250 Tables is an investment in our social fabric, harnessing the relationships and civic solutions that will carry us into the next 250 years.”

Each table will have 6-10 guests with about half of them being people the host doesn’t already know or who come from different backgrounds. Hosts are identified by outreach partners and receive ‘green-light’ micro-grants to provide the meal and a modest honorarium for their time. Pilot ‘Test Tables’ will kick off in August and September. The full launch in October will run through April 2027 with a goal of hosting 250 dinners across the region. 

Leading outreach partners, communications, and program evaluation, New Sun Rising is the organizational home for 250 Tables and will provide micro-grants directly to the residents who host tables. A tiered Conversation Menu will help tables opt into more complex topics at their own pace. After dinner, the hosts will share primary discussion themes to produce a regional ‘Community Voice’ topic map. Table guests will also receive information on community resources to strengthen their own civic engagement.

“​As our nation recognizes 250 years, creative initiatives such as 250 Tables wonderfully reinforce the highest ideals of democracy through the value of every person and every voice.  The Heinz Endowments is honored to join with area peers in philanthropy to support bringing the harmony of these varied voices together across the Pittsburgh region,” said Chris DeCardy, President of The Heinz Endowments.

Support for 250 Tables is led by a coalition of regional funders including The Benter Foundation, Buhl Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Hillman Foundation, and an Anonymous Donor, with over $340,000 pledged to date. Initial program design and ongoing support are provided by Civic R&D Lab, a new community consulting group led by the founders of The Sprout Fund. It is inspired by similar successful programs from other communities and nationally, including The Longest Table (30+ cities across the country), On the Table (Chicago), The People’s Supper, and Inclusivv (formerly Atlanta Civic Dinners). 

For more information on how to host or attend a dinner, visit www.newsunrising.org/250-tables

About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising envisions a future where all communities are vibrant places of culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR supports community leaders with the skills, funding, connections, and data to overcome the challenges of our time.

Revitalizing vacant buildings spurs community-driven growth

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Image: Conceptual design for the Beltzhoover Institute for Arts and Sciences, 600 Beltzhoover Ave created by DECO Resources courtesy of Hilltop Rising

Developing community facilities isn’t just about bricks and mortar — it’s about honoring the past while creating spaces that reflect the people they will serve into the future.

New Sun Rising (NSR) learned this important lesson while developing our very first project, the Millvale Community Library (MCL). During this process, we came to understand how buildings are more than physical spaces, but shared infrastructure for nonprofits and small businesses that increases access to resources, strengthens relationships, and provides wealth building through local ownership. 

As catalytic projects, community facilities can also inspire people to think about what’s possible for the future. This is certainly the case with the MCL, which sparked the Ecodistricts planning movement that has helped prioritize sustainable, equitable revitalization in the Triboro Ecodistrict and RiverWise networks. Their tagline says it best: More than a library, an agent for positive change.

While the benefits are clear, one may wonder why commercial real estate development is the last of 18 best practice strategies in NSR’s Vibrant Communities Framework. First, we engage stakeholders to develop their vision and plans through Ignite phase strategies. Second, we Launch nonprofits and social enterprises that align with local priorities. After this groundwork has been laid, real estate development naturally emerges during the third phase, Grow. This intentional approach results in facilities that authentically reflect the identity and unique needs of the neighborhood, grounded in local ownership and activation. 

“The support we get from NSR gives us the ability to acquire a vast array of resources from multiple sources, from building acquisition to rehabilitation to programming,” said Jmar Bey, president of Hilltop Rising. “It puts a person or organization who normally wouldn’t be able to receive funds from a financial institution into a position to be able to do these things. [NSR] has put us at the table with larger development partners that may have overlooked us. Access to these new relationships is power that helps us to achieve our dreams.”

Two examples of NSR’s approach are the Launch Millvale and Launch Hilltop programs that kicked off in 2015. As nonprofits and social enterprises were incubated, some identified the need for commercial space to support their growth. In Millvale, projects focused on addressing the lack of access to fresh food and a desire for clean, efficient energy that reduces utility costs. In Beltzhoover and Allentown, a desire for more career exposure and pathways to sustainable, thriving wage jobs were identified. 

Since 2019, in partnership with Millvale and Hilltop organizations including the Millvale CDC, 412 Food Rescue, South Hilltop Men’s Group, Work Hard PGH, Cave Elephant, and support from government officials at all levels, NSR has successfully applied for and received almost $2 million from the United States Housing and Urban Development, Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh, Urban Redevelopment Authority, and Green Mountain Energy for these community co-development projects. 

By bringing the past into the present and giving old buildings new life, NSR re-centers structures as collaborative infrastructure, anchoring resilient community systems and creating a platform for economic opportunity. Our real estate model is based on co-development, with NSR complimenting the existing local capacity by serving in a wide range of roles including pre-development, acquisition, general contractor, fund manager, investor, or strategic partner. We take an adaptive approach to ensure that design, ownership, and use remain community-centered.

“I am very grateful and fortunate in the relationship Studio AM as an organization, and personally myself as an artist and community builder, have with New Sun Rising,” said Baron Batch, founder of Studio AM. “This being my first experience with property development, there was a lot of experience I did not have, such as managing the various moving parts around contracts, contractors, and scheduling. NSR not only filled these gaps but provided valuable educational guidance which aided in my maturity as a project manager.”

“Their expertise in financial grant disbursement allowed the various phases of development to flow smoothly. NSRs deep care to listening, understanding, and providing feedback has been a beautiful balance of providing support while also honoring my duties and responsibilities as a project lead.”

Currently, NSR is co-developing four key real estate projects that showcase this commitment: 

  • Millvale Food + Energy Hub
    Located in a former social hall, this sustainably designed 10,000 sq ft space now houses the Lemon Tree coffee lounge, 412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project and grocery bagging programs, Royally Fit’s nutrition programs, and offices for mission-aligned nonprofits including FracTracker Alliance, The Food Trust, and New Sun Rising. A solar garden patio expansion with stormwater management system is currently under construction, continuing the site’s evolution as a sustainable community anchor.

 

  • Beltzhoover Institute of Arts and Sciences
    Once abandoned, this building is being transformed into a vibrant 10,000 sq ft hub for STEM education, green workforce training, and food production. A partnership between NSR, South Hilltop Men’s Group, and Hilltop Rising, it’s a symbol of reclaiming space for learning, opportunity, and innovation.

 

 

 

  • Urban Homestead Project
    This 11,500 sq ft former woodworking studio is becoming a center for cultural production, artist residencies, skill building, and community events In partnership with Cave Elephant and Studio AM. Sustainability is central to the design, with reclaimed materials, modular construction, and solar power creating a low-impact, high-value asset that can evolve with the Allentown neighborhood.

 

 

  • 216 Mixed Use Hub
    In the heart of Millvale’s business district, a 6,400 sq ft vacant building is being reimagined as a zero-energy certified hub for local nonprofits, small businesses, and community events. It’s owned and developed by the Millvale Community Development Corporation, embodying NSR’s commitment to environmentally and financially sustainable, community-led development.

 

 

Through these projects, NSR and our co-development partners are proving that underutilized, vacant buildings can become vital assets that reflect the priorities and values of their communities. Since 2009, we’ve supported nine community-led projects by investing $3.5 million that’s created or maintained 257 temporary and 122 permanent jobs, while revitalizing over 109,000 sq ft of previously vacant and underutilized space. Our commercial development projects also incorporate green building features like solar power, energy efficiency, stormwater management, and material reuse. The 216 North Ave project will be the first ILFI Net Zero Certified building in our network.

“NSR provided critical technical support that helped the Millvale Community Library get off the ground much more quickly than it otherwise would have been possible,” said Brian Wolovich, President of Millvale Community Development Corporation (MCDC). “By joining in meetings and work days, NSR gained a deep understanding of organizational needs and provided fiscal sponsorship and support with business and strategic planning that allowed us to get to work right away.”

“As the MCDC continues to develop our future home at 216 North Ave, we have been so lucky for NSR to come alongside and support the project with securing and administering funding that we did not qualify for including federal funding, and private funding. It has made our project more meaningful for solar workforce development students to tour the project site during construction and see first hand what it takes for a community-based organization to pull off a certified green building project.”

At its core, our real estate work is about creating places that reflect and elevate the communities they belong to. Through strategic partnerships, sustainable design, and grassroots engagement, New Sun Rising is helping communities not just survive, but thrive. Interested to partner or fund a real estate co-development project? Learn more.

Environmental Justice workshops geared towards building community resilience

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

The Ignite Workshops in May along Pittsburgh’s Three River Valleys seek to support environmental justice projects throughout the region

 

Southwestern, PA — Residents, nonprofits, municipal leaders, and more are invited to attend three opportunities throughout the month of May to receive support for developing their environmental justice-focused community projects.

Hosted by New Sun Rising and RiverWise, community development nonprofits based in Allegheny and Beaver counties, the Ignite Environmental Justice (EJ) Workshops are part of the organizations’ newly launched Justice 40 Opportunity Navigator (J40N).

The navigator seeks to support EJ designated communities in building the collaborative capacity necessary to fund and implement projects that improve their health, climate resilience, and economic opportunity. The Ignite EJ Workshops this May are opportunities for local leaders to do just that.

The Justice 40 Navigator was created in response to the federal government’s historic commitment to invest in disadvantaged communities in environmental justice census tracts through the Justice 40 Initiative. This commitment states that 40 percent of overall benefits of almost $2 trillion in certain federal investments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), flow to disadvantaged EJ communities.

“Environmental Justice” communities are places that have experienced generational disinvestment — often alongside the consequences of polluting and extracting industries. To learn about disadvantaged environmental justice communities closest to you, visit New Sun Rising’s Vibrancy Index map and select the EJ census tract layer here.

“Our environment determines so much. It is everything around us,” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director at New Sun Rising. “Not all communities receive the investment necessary to create healthy places where people can thrive. We’re excited to partner with RiverWise and bring these shared resources to the region.” 

Participants in the Ignite EJ Workshops can expect the following:

  • Education: Gain knowledge about the concepts of environmental justice, resilience, and learn why Justice 40 opportunities are so important.
  • Mentorship: Receive guidance for developing and communicating your project plan.
  • Advocacy: Optional participation in a pitch competition to showcase your project while receiving feedback to strengthen your messaging.

Strategically located across the Greater Pittsburgh Area’s three river valleys, the workshops are May 2, 22, and 30 with the following details:

  • Allegheny Valley: Thursday, May 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub, 112 E. Sherman Street, Millvale, PA 15209.
  • Ohio Valley: Wednesday, May 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Whitted Media Content House, 507 Seventh Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010.
  • Monongahela Valley: Thursday, May 30 from 5 to 9 p.m. Location TBD.

“Environmental justice generally does not just happen for disadvantaged communities without careful, deliberate, and strategic action,” said Daniel Rossi-Keen, Executive Director of RiverWise. “These workshops are focused on accelerating the capacity and vision of community leaders who want to encourage such action and bring about more just conditions for their communities and residents.”

Interested parties are encouraged to apply for the workshop in their region by completing the Community Project Intake Form.

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About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising envisions a vibrant and equitable future where communities are sustainable and have access to the resources necessary to thrive. We collaborate with communities to build capacity, access funding, and embrace data-informed approaches towards their own vibrant future. For more information, visit https://www.newsunrising.org. 

About RiverWise: RiverWise is working to organize community voice and power so that residents of Beaver County can exercise agency over the future of their communities. RiverWise does this through community informed storytelling, technical assistance, and collaborative project design and funding. For more information, visit http://getriverwise.com.

NSR + RiverWise Announce Job Opportunities in Environmental Justice

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Do you have a deep understanding of environmental justice and a commitment to community-led change?

New Sun Rising and RiverWise invite you to apply to join a newly established team supporting the implementation of the Justice 40 Opportunity Navigator. We are now accepting applications for shared positions including an Environmental Justice Coordinator, an Environmental Justice Project Manager, and Environmental Justice Grant Manager(s). 

These three positions will work collaboratively to help communities unlock the opportunities introduced by the Justice 40 Initiative. They will also coordinate efforts to support both existing and future environmental justice projects across New Sun Rising and RiverWise’s multi-county network of partners. 

Candidates should be focused on turning possibility into actionable strategy. They will be informed by a team of Environmental Justice Genius Advisors, which consists of representatives from frontline environmental justice communities who meet regularly to guide program design, participation criteria, and provide technical assistance to project leaders. 

The application deadline for these positions is February 16, 2024. Read the Description of Strategic Hires to learn about each position and how to apply.

Nonprofits & Artists collaborate to launch Creative Advocacy Playbook

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Scattered across Southwestern PA, nonprofits, educational institutions, religious organizations, foundations, activists and more are working toward asserting greater agency over the future of their communities. Since the fall of the steel industry, community leaders have regularly lamented regional division as well as a misaligned direction for the future, making many residents of the region uncertain of how to formulate effective, sustainable change. That’s where creative advocacy comes into play.

On March 30, New Sun Rising and RiverWise announced the release of the Creative Advocacy Playbook, a dynamic in-depth resource that provides adaptive, evolving and practically applicable tools for practitioners of community-focused work. Creative advocates are committed to understanding, engaging and transforming mindsets in ways that produce greater agency and transforming mindsets in ways that produce greater agency and more vibrancy in their community.

The Playbook was introduced during the Ignite Creative Advocacy workshop, where leaders received information about the concepts and strategies of creative advocacy, individual mentoring from artists and advisors on campaign plan development, and participated in a pitch competition where they shared their campaign plans with a panel of judges. Three creative advocacy campaigns were then selected to each receive a $5,000 grant and three months of technical assistance to support the implementation of their plan.

The Creative Advocacy initiative is a partnership between New Sun Rising and RiverWise to help build community capacity and power across Allegheny and Beaver counties. The development of the Playbook was supported by a diverse team of Creative Advisors, along with the research and design support of Trailblaze Creative and Collaborative Craft.

“Although community leaders are increasingly aware that their communities are missing out on opportunities, they often do not know how to make a public case for something different,” said Daniel Rossi-Keen, executive director of RiverWise. “The Creative Advocacy Playbook helps leaders develop effective strategies for communicating what they want to see come alive in their communities.”

This form of advocacy is a public and intentional form of engagement that employs artistic practice to disrupt prevailing narratives and strengthen community movement toward an identified goal. Creatives — artists, writers, artisans, performers, documentarians, and more use their skills to expose, explore, and elevate a specific issue, all while inviting others to think critically, ask questions, and find their own way to be active participants in that movement.

“Creatives help you dig a little bit deeper into seeing things in their natural state, answering questions with people that are going through the issues, seeing their surroundings and their environment, being able to see their actual emotion as opposed to it being scripted, or acted out or reimagined in some way,” said Jay Manning, otherwise known as JM the Poet, who serves as a creative advocacy advisor.

When undertaken intentionally and deployed wisely, creative advocacy can help communities become better informed, inspired, connected, mobilized, and resourced to realize their shared vision for the future. RiverWise used creative advocacy during a 30-day social media campaign in September 2022 to raise awareness of a bridge and trail project, which includes transforming Black’s Run Bridge, an historic bridge that crosses Route 51 between Monaca and West Aliquippa.

Most recently, RiverWise and New Sun Rising together produced “Boom & Bust,” a documentary following a handful of community leaders from Beaver and Allegheny counties who, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, took a trip to Louisiana’s chemical corridor to learn from locals about the impact of petrochemicals. The film poses questions about the future health and vibrancy of Beaver County in the wake of Shell opening its ethane cracker plant in Potter Township. Beyond Rust, an artists’ response to industrial development in Beaver County, will take place on April 21st from 7-9PM and kick off an ongoing campaign.

Creative advocacy is meant to engage a wider group of people in dialogue and provide opportunities for them to contribute to the future that they envision. Using creative and innovative techniques can equip residents to be active participants in moving their region forward. New Sun Rising helped communities advocate for a just use of vacant property through the Ground Truthing project led by Grounded Strategies. The alternative future expressed in the campaign video was envisioned by Homewood residents, and produced by artists Marlon Gist and Christopher Padgett, owner of Human City Creative.

“If we are to overcome the economic, social, and environmental issues of our time, we must find new ways to inspire more people to take action,” said Scott Wolovich, executive director of New Sun Rising. “Our hope is that people will use the resources in this playbook to bring community leaders and creatives together and mobilize people towards shared goals.”

The Creative Advocacy Playbook combines theory and practice to help community organizations de-risk their commitment to and investment in advocacy efforts. It explains the who, what, when, where, why, and how of building a campaign. The playbook includes 17 worksheets that can be adapted, used individually, or together as part of a sophisticated campaign to guide readers through the creative advocacy process.

Read + Download the Playbook

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New Sun Rising supports the people building vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. They provide capacity building, accessible funding, data, and creative advocacy to help nonprofits, social enterprises, and collaboratives lead and benefit from the future they envision.

RiverWise is a nonprofit organization working to organize community power and voice so that residents of Beaver County can create the kinds of communities in which they wish to live,

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Ashley Johnson hired as Office Administrator at New Sun Rising

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

New Sun Rising is happy to announce that Ashley Johnson has been hired as Office Administrator for the organization.

As Office Administrator, Ashley is involved in the areas of operations, finance, administration, and capacity building, and is able to implement new methods and processes to help facilitate the back-end office practices more efficiently. 

Ashley said the best part of her job is “connecting with amazing program leaders who are dedicated to bringing about much needed local change.”

“I look forward to providing exceptional, timely support to the programs and leaders connected to NSR. I am excited to hone my organization, coordination and leadership skill sets in the nonprofit sector,” Ashley said. “My hope is to be directly connected to the growth and elevation of the purpose and mission of NSR.

Executive Director Scott Wolovich said Ashley’s cross sector experience brings new perspectives and skillsets which are critical to the adaptive approach that a core value at NSR. 

“Having worked in administrative roles with small creative entrepreneurs, an academic institution, and a large multinational corporation allows Ashley to bring fresh insights as we strive to deliver operational and relationship management excellence,” Wolovich said.

When speaking to Ashley’s references, Wolovich said it was “obvious that she is dedicated to her craft and makes those around her better employees and people,” and is a sentiment that Ashley echoed herself.

“I care about people and I take pride in the fact that the nature of my job positively impacts the lives of others,” Ashley said.

Public Art and Communities Program Releases Call for Organizations

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Office of Public Art, Neighborhood Allies, and the Borough of Millvale launch new program connecting artists and communities

Release Date: August 13, 2020

Pittsburgh, PA – Office of Public Art and Neighborhood Allies, in collaboration with the Borough of Millvale, are seeking four partnering organizations who are addressing public health needs to participate in a program to collaboratively develop temporary works of public art with artists.

The Public Art and Communities program (PAC) will support the development of creative place-based strategies, as well as four temporary artworks in Pittsburgh communities. The projects will respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and address its intersection with other public health issues. PAC will engage artists to collaborate with communities to address their needs through public art and creative placemaking practices. The target geography for the program includes: Hilltop (including Allentown, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, and Mount Oliver); Hill District; Wilkinsburg; Homewood; Larimer; Lincoln-Lemington; and the Triboro Ecodistrict (Etna, Millvale, and Sharpsburg). At least one of the selected organizations will serve the communities of the Triboro Ecodistrict; the other three organizations will serve one or more of the communities in the target geography.

For more information and to submit an online application please visit https://pittsburghartscouncil.submittable.com/submit. An online information session will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2020 from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom. Registration for the information session can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/PAC-Info-1.  The deadline for Organizational Applications is Monday, September 21, 2020 at 11:59 PM. A separate call for artist applications will be released at a later date.

“Our most vulnerable populations are already subject to a myriad of public health risks. By mobilizing artists to collaborate with these communities, we can enhance connection, coping, and wellbeing and create new tools and methods for addressing the current challenges. We can strengthen our communities’ responses and build their resilience.” reads the call for organizations.

Qualified organizations are community-based organizations (CBOs) or other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address one or more public health needs, including, but not limited to: mental health; racism; food insecurity; housing instability; environmental injustice; and social isolation and exclusion, and are serving communities in the target geography. Organizations are not required to have an art program or experience working with artists and are not required to be located in the target geographic area, but must have a demonstrated track record of working within the neighborhood.

“Before COVID-19, the communities we work in were already experiencing high levels of concentrated poverty, racial segregation and separation from economic opportunity, and now the crisis has only helped to exacerbate these very serious situations. From the “Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race” report and many other accounts, we know that Pittsburgh is less livable for African-Americans compared to other groups based on a number of quality of life and economic indicators such as: high levels of maternal mortality, low labor force participation, disproportionately high poverty rates, low average income and others” said Chelsea Contino, Communications and Outreach Program Coordinator at Neighborhood Allies. “As an organization, we know that public art and creative placemaking projects can be a successful strategy to achieve community goals and objectives, including public health objectives, and we are eager to support collaborative efforts of organizations with artists in our communities to obtain equitable and healthy neighborhoods.”

After the organizations are selected, they will serve on a panel to choose the artist with whom they will collaborate. Organizations will work with their selected artist to assist in the development of a proposal for a work of temporary public art. Each collaboration will result in a temporary public artwork with an expected lifespan of 1 – 2 years. Each organization will receive an honorarium of $10,000 to participate in the program to support staff time for the program, including outreach and engagement efforts. Artwork budgets will be $35,000, which includes the artist fee. The Call for Artists will be released later this year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis that has overturned lives around the world. We have seen that arts and culture projects can play a powerful role in shaping our response and addressing the vast needs that have been exposed.” said Sallyann Kluz, Director of the Office of Public Art.  “The Public Art and Communities program, which builds on the Temporary Public Art and Placemaking program that we piloted with Neighborhood Allies in 2016, will provide training for artists and communities to work together, build collaboration in support of community needs, and create partnerships for the future.”

Public Art and Communities is a collaboration between the Office of Public Art, Neighborhood Allies, the Borough of Millvale, Millvale Community Library, and the Triboro Ecodistrict. The program is funded through the generous support of The Heinz Endowments, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, and the Our Town program of the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For more information and to submit an online application, please visit https://pittsburghartscouncil.submittable.com/submit.

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About the Office of Public Art

The Office of Public Art (OPA) envisions a region in which the creative practices of artists are fully engaged to collaboratively shape the public realm and catalyze community-led change. OPA builds regional capacity for this work through technical assistance, public programming, artist resources, and civically engaged public art projects.  Located at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, OPA serves the thirteen county region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Learn more at publicartpittsburgh.org.

About Neighborhood Allies

Neighborhood Allies’ mission is to support the people, organizations and partnerships committed to creating and maintaining thriving neighborhoods. They strive to support this mission by creating community partnerships, connecting distressed and transitioning communities with valued/ vetted resources, and communicating and celebrating progress and success. For more information, visit: neighborhoodallies.org.

About the Millvale Community Library

Established in 2007 and opening in 2013 after years of resident volunteer efforts, the Millvale Community Library is more than a library – it is an agent for positive change. In 2012, the Millvale Community Library hosted and helped create the Millvale Ecodistrict community education and engagement program to build capacity and leadership. Today over 20,000 annual visitors of all ages enjoy free resources, literacy, arts, and making programs. http://www.millvalelibrary.org/

About the Borough of Millvale

Established in 1868, the Borough of Millvale is a municipality immediately adjacent to Pittsburgh and located on the Allegheny River. The Borough works closely with individuals and organizations to advance projects and ideas for the benefit of its community members, and regularly partners with neighboring communities on inter-municipal planning and development initiatives. In 2013, the Borough of Millvale launched the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan, a community revitalization strategy that includes the development of regenerative infrastructure, education, and art to create and enhance sustainable planning and development solutions. https://www.millvalepa.com/

About the Triboro Ecodistrict

The Triboro Ecodistrict promotes coordinated sustainable community development throughout the Boroughs of Millvale, Etna and Sharpsburg. With over 10,000 residents combined, the Triboro builds on a strong collaborative history to promote equitable, sustainable community development through the shared lenses of: Equity, Food, Water, Energy, Air Quality, and Mobility. The Triboro Ecodistrict is a collaborative project of New Sun Rising, Etna Economic Development Corporation, Etna Community Organization (ECO), and Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization. https://www.newsunrising.org/project/triboro-ecodistrict/

New Sun Rising to support newly launched Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

The Covid-19 Arts Working Group (CAWG), a collaboration of 15 foundations and a private donor in the Pittsburgh metro area, announces the Arts I Equity I Reimagined Fund, in response to the unprecedented and ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region’s arts and cultural sector. The fund is intended to foster collective action and identify creative solutions to operating challenges as nonprofit arts organizations navigate these uncertain times. While the fund is open to all arts and cultural organizations, in recognition of long-standing disparities in funding, it will prioritize small to medium-sized arts organizations and those that serve or are led by historically marginalized communities in southwestern Pennsylvania, whether they be urban or rural in location. 

New Sun Rising is pleased to support the design and development of the program, as well as implement the Collective Action for Reimagining grant program of the fund.

Details about the Arts I Equity I Reimagined Fund, including eligibility requirements, deadlines, FAQs, the application process and guiding principles can be found at www.artsreimagined.org or by calling (412) 219-6584‬. More information can also be found on the NSR website.

Vibrancy Under Siege in COVID-19 America

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Photo detail at Randyland

What a week.
In a matter of days, the rapid spread and quarantine response to cornonavirus disrupted our physical and mental routines like nothing we have seen since 9/11. The economic fallout has been swift, especially for employees, 1099 gig economy workers, and small business owners. As many as 1 million people filed for their first week of unemployment benefits this week. Businesses and their employees who cannot go virtual, like healthcare, construction, food, transportation, and hospitality, face a tough decision between paycheck and potential exposure. Many of them have now been deemed non-essential and forced to shut down.

What’s needed.
In the short term, resources should prioritize the critical human service and economic needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. This crisis has shed further light on the cruel nature of a system that promotes centralized wealth but keeps people in poverty, the health and well being of older adults and youth in the shadows, and our small businesses disadvantaged. Help us to better understand urgent needs in your community and advocate for the just use of recovery resources by completing this brief COVID-19 Crisis Mitigation Needs Assessment.

Some of you have grant funds, skills, and resources which can be mobilized immediately. Leaders should consider collaborating with other organizations, reallocating funds, and shifting short-term programmatic strategies to help mitigate negative impacts on those they serve. Many grant makers are supporting the flexible use of funds. Locally and Nationally, a growing number of foundations are pledging no ‘business as usual’. This unexpected move to a virtual environment has also left many nonprofits and small businesses scrambling to adapt. Help us to best support you via this Technical Needs Assessment.

New Sun Rising and our Board of Directors have always valued innovation and the associated risks, the power of integrated solutions, and continuous adaptive learning into the delivery of our capacity building and accessible funding efforts. In this spirit, NSR is announcing two new rapid response programs:

  1. Fiscal Sponsorship – Critical Projects allows for accelerated due diligence, approval, and onboarding processes for charitable initiatives that directly support human services, health and basic needs, or access to life sustaining funds. Applicants are encouraged to apply online in order to determine eligibility.
  2. Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund will provide $1,000 to $2,500 and technical support for small businesses and nonprofits who demonstrate critical economic needs as a result of unemployment or underemployment during the COVID-19 crisis. Follow NSR social media and website for program eligibility and application details as they become available. Make a contribution to this fund and help us to support the urgent needs of more people. Special thanks to the Hillman Foundation for your early support.

Where we’re going.
Government leaders are deploying a war time approach to mobilize manufacturing and economic stimulus that will total billions of dollars. One reality of war is this significant flow of financial resources, both in the short term mitigation phase but also during the longer term recovery. While we agree that immediate concerns are top priority, we encourage citizens, businesses, nonprofits, and elected leaders to consider your role in advocacy and use your power to guide accountability towards a just and human centered crisis response. As billions or more are about to pour into our communities, we must signal to systemic gatekeepers that we are willing, able, and necessary to lead an effective and equitable recovery.

Lastly, please know that New Sun Rising and our partners are here to listen and to consider any collaborative approaches to promote and protect community vibrancy. We remain committed to taking action through triple bottom line community development (culture, sustainability, and opportunity). Our core values of inclusion, adaptation, and place-based solutions will continue to guide our work. On behalf of the NSR team, we would also like to extend our gratitude to the front line healthcare, social service, and other workers who are taking on personal risk while providing essential support.

Take care of yourself and family. Check on your friends and neighbors. Be well.

Scott Wolovich, Executive Director

SVP Pittsburgh Announces Nonprofits for Special Alumni Fall Pitch Event

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Pittsburgh, PA: Today SVP Full Circle, Pittsburgh’s impact accelerator for nonprofits, announced the five Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organizations that were selected for their Fall pitch event on December 18, 2019 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at The Alloy Studios (5530 Penn Ave).

RSVP for the SVP Full Circle Alumni Pitch

The nonprofits selected for this special alumni edition include: 

  • Allegheny Youth Development has a mission is to educate, equip and empower our inner-city youth to reach their God-given intellectual, social, physical and spiritual potential. (2015 SVP alumni)
  • Assemble envisions diverse neighborhoods of empowered people who create, connect, learn, and transform together. Assemble builds confidence through making by uniting communities of artists, technologists, makers, and learners. (2017 SVP alumni)
  • Hope Haven Farm rescues abused and neglected farm animals and educate the public on animal welfare. (2017 SVP alumni)
  • Never Fear Being Different (NFBD) NFBD’s mission is leverage the shift in modern media to amplify social impact in the digital. (2017 SVP alumni)
  • Providence Connections strengthens families and enriches lives through comprehensive education and developmental opportunities for parents and children. (2018 SVP alumni)

Leigh Solomon Pugliano, SVP Pittsburgh’s Full Circle Nonprofit Accelerator Manager shares that, “The Alumni Pitch Event is an opportunity for us to provide a platform for nonprofit leaders to share their stories, advocate for their mission, and gain the additional resources needed to do their best work.”

Attendees will learn about the impact that these innovative nonprofits are having on their communities and opportunities to support their work. The SVP Pittsburgh Board of Directors will share a brief update on the strategic direction of the organization. There will also be plenty of time to network with SVP Partners, who are private sector professionals that contribute their skills, expertise, networks and finances to enhance nonprofit impact.

About SVP Pittsburgh: Social Venture Partners (SVP) Pittsburgh is a growing 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 is committed to prioritize Inclusion, Collaboration, and Impact in all of their work.

Data systems + nonprofits: A new space for innovation

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Guest blog post from Bhavini Patel CEO/Co-founder beamdata

Data systems in the nonprofit sector are underdeveloped and fragmented, which has long-standing
implications for community-based decision making.

Typically, nonprofit practitioners collect and use data for various purposes with many organizational
leaders claiming there is too much data and too little actionable information. It is true that many
practitioners are overwhelmed by large amounts of data, which can be frustrating to analyse. As a
result, data often results in little problem-solving value or strategic insight. This perpetuates a culture
that enables short-term performance and inhibits long-term strategizing or growth. The economic
development and social good delivered by nonprofits necessitates more sophisticated analysis of
meaningful data trends.

Nonprofits represent 15 percent of the Pennsylvania workforce and generate $132 billion in annual
revenues. More specifically, Allegheny County alone is home to over 2,000 nonprofits generating
$4.5 billion in annual revenues and sustaining over 100,000 jobs. Through direct social services and
assistance to people, nonprofits are a critical pillar of building sustainable communities and
catalyzing economic revitalization. Despite the large density and socioeconomic impact of nonprofits
in Allegheny County, there is little use of data that guides decision making.

Data-driven decisions are necessary to ensure an impact driven mission reaches the people and
communities it intends to serve. More importantly, data is essential to identifying organizational
strengths that catalyze equitable development, while also pinpointing flaws. For example, long-term
measures of socioeconomic indicators can lend predictive power to issues such as gentrification.
Uneven trends of urban development can fuel uneven patterns of economic opportunity. Often the
result is low-income families are relegated to neighborhoods impacted by limited access to
affordable housing, fair-paying jobs, and quality schools. Community-level data can catalyze
innovations such as forecasting tools that predict socioeconomic trends thereby allowing
interventions to be made early-on. Local data trends can add value by helping organizations better
manage affordable housing stocks, allocate limited resources, and plan equitable development.

A closer look at nonprofit data systems reveals a challenging reality. More often nonprofit
practitioners admit to the importance of data but do not understand how to collect good data or make
it useful for their impact-driven cause. Large amounts of data exist, but transforming data into data
with problem-solving value is complex and resource intensive. This causes frustration and leads
many practitioners to rely on assumption-based programming rather than data-driven decisions.
In order to break down barriers to higher standards of data practice, we need to assess three core
organizational-level data concepts.

Understand the purpose of data

Knowing what you want to do with data and understanding the purpose it serves is a critical data
collection requirement. However, big data is often not collected with mission or people in mind,
which presents immense challenges in understanding their problems and extracting problem-solving
value. Current models of data collection prioritize gathering large amounts of unstructured data, but
more data doesn’t necessarily mean better data. Big data can’t be explained or used without
understanding the human experiences, environments and emotions in which it arises. When we
activate data collection with an impact mission, we can make sense of human problems and develop
better strategies, services, and policies.

Adopt standard methods of data collection

Adopting standard data collection practices requires understanding what practices do and do not
work for your organizational needs. Within a nonprofits data ecosystem there can be significant
amounts of different data types scattered across spreadsheets, databases, survey tools, and internal
systems. Some nonprofits still rely on collecting data using paper surveys and interviews. Lack of
data standardization and centralization makes it difficult to understand the macro and micro level
problems that should inform the design of data analysis tools. As a result, the tools created don’t
capture answers to important questions or allow nonprofits to effectively harness the utility of data.

Collect representative and unbiased data

In order to nurture inclusive community-based decisions, it is critical to limit bias in data collection
and consider the local realities of people such as language access and ethnic diversity. Data is often
collected without regard for local communities and aggregated to describe complex human
experiences. This means certain subpopulations may not be represented. Typically there are
quantitative data describing majority populations, while data about minority groups are relegated to
qualitative sources. Recognizing disparities in data representation helps us understand indicators
associated with demographics, poverty, housing, language accessibility, and more. Prioritizing
comprehensive data collection is critical for identifying patterns between populations and specific
geographies, which can impact programming and outreach strategies.

The first step to building an ecosystem of data-driven decision making requires ensuring
practitioners have the knowledge to adopt sophisticated standards of data collection and analysis.
This means working towards an organizational culture that values data and examining why data is
important to your social impact growth. This also means including data collection and analysis in
general operating budgets thereby encouraging philanthropy to fund the development of data
systems. The gradual implementation of data practices can break down silos between organizations,
allow for new standards of impact measurement, and optimize social impact delivery.

 

Bhavini Patel
CEO/Co-founder beamdata
For more information:
@bhavinip_
@beamdata

SVP Full Circle Spring Cohort kicks off

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Social Venture Partners (SVP) Pittsburgh held its Spring 2019 Full Circle Cohort kickoff event on Thursday, April 4 at Ascender in East Liberty. This event marked the beginning of the rigorous 14-week impact accelerator program that includes consulting, workshops, seminars, networking and a pitch event to create an action-oriented learning experience that will strengthen the five participating nonprofits impact and financial stability.

Participating nonprofits include: Greater Valley Community Services, Unity Through Creativity, Associated Artists Pittsburgh, Legacy Arts Project, and Coraopolis Community Development Foundation.

Each nonprofit is paired with a team of SVP partners to provide hands-on coaching and support through advanced social capital, new ideas, knowledge capital, skills-based human capital and private sector financial capital.

Nonprofits were selected through an application process that chose innovative and impact driven organizations focused on outcomes and open to new collaborative learning skills. Nonprofits that successfully complete the program also receive a $3,000 unrestricted award.

The Full Circle curriculum consists of three stages, each of which are further broken down into three parts providing support through preparation, workshops, and implementation review. Details of the Program Design can be found here.

“SVP Pittsburgh is really excited to welcome this next cohort for the Full Circle Impact Accelerator Program. We have a unique opportunity through this program to connect nonprofit organizations with private sector philanthropists who want to use their expertise and access to capital to support their growth towards increased impact and financial sustainability. ” -Leigh Solomon Pugliano, Full Circle Manager – SVP Pittsburgh.  

If you’re interested in learning more about SVP Pittsburgh or becoming a partner, contact Full Circle Manager, Leigh Solomon Pugliano. Join us for the Full Circle Happy Hour on May 23rd and Final Pitch Event on June 26th. For the Spring 2019 Cohort Schedule, click here.

Contact:

Leigh Solomon Pugliano, Full Circle Manager, SVP Pittsburgh | Director of Opportunity, New Sun Rising

leigh@svppittsburgh.org

412.573.1870