Responsive planning, evidence-based learning advance long-term strategic goals

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Alyse Horn

Photo: Storyburgh

Grounded in the belief that communities are dynamic, living systems, New Sun Rising has dedicated the last 20 years to support community leaders with skills, funding, connections, and data to overcome the challenges of our time. 

But what does that mean, and how do we guide our approach to accomplish these outcomes? 

In 2023, NSR started to develop our Adaptive Strategic Planning Tool. It gives us a quarterly process to review what’s happening now while staying flexible about the best way to reach our long-term goals.

Guided by Michelle Walker, principal at Walker Philanthropic Consulting, we started with a shared vision for the future and asked ourselves, “Twenty years from now, if New Sun Rising were to be totally successful in delivering on our mission, what would that look like?”

Walker said this order of operations is opposite from most strategic planning processes, which tends to start with current data and a variety of tools on how to improve those data points, “but when you can articulate the future, you can more readily chart a past that leads to the preferred outcome.”

In short, we envisioned a future where all communities are vibrant places of culture, sustainability, and opportunity.  By serving as a bridge between institutional investment and locally-led development, NSR is helping the transition away from an extractive economy that harms people and the environment, to one where local prosperity and well-being strengthen the quality of life for current and future generations. 

“I saw the team really rolling up their sleeves and saying, ‘Well, if this is the future we’re describing, what are the priorities, goals, and objectives that will actually get us to that future? What needs to be tracked and measured?’” Walker said. 

Throughout our adaptive strategic plan, we’ve set goals and measures of success, understanding that these metrics may change if we find that they are not supporting our intended outcomes. NSR’s commitment to measurement, evaluation, and learning ensures that activities are evidence-based, informed by those actively doing the work, and contribute to advancing knowledge and innovation for the social sector. 

Daniel Rossi-Keen, director at Riverwise and board chair during the initial planning process, said unlike a traditional strategic plan, NSR’s establishes a high-level framework that guides and evaluates our organization’s work while still allowing substantial flexibility for growth, adaptation, and responsiveness to the needs of both NSR and the many organizations we support. 

A challenge for NSR, Rossi-Keen said, was that due to NSR’s innovative nature to pursue new projects, partnerships, and processes, we needed to ensure that our planning efforts did not become “unrealistically ambitious or too rigid,” making them misaligned with the organizations’ day-to-day operations.

“Recognizing this, we wanted to be sure that the strategic planning process we undertook was in line with the organization’s culture and future needs,” Rossi-Keen said. “We didn’t want to create a timebound and static plan that would have limited utility for the future. Therefore, we chose an adaptive strategic planning process that balanced both clarity and flexibility.”

The NSR Adaptive Strategic Plan is a living document, and like every initiative, we strive to center social, environmental, and economic well-being at its heart. To read it in full, view the document below. 

Reflecting on Two Transformative Years at Energy Efficiency Empowerment (E3)

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Alyse Horn

E3 partners, including City of Bridges, Hilltop Alliance, Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization and Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh gather for a photo to Excellence in Sustainability achievements during Energy Efficiency- A win for Affordable Housing on Sept. 25, 2025 at River’s Casino. Partners not pictured include Hazelwood Initiative, East Hill Consensus Group, Mincin Insulation, New Sun Rising, and Rising Tide Partners.

By Lucyna (Lucy) de Barbaro, Ph.D. 
Director and Founder of Energy Efficiency Empowerment

In 2022-23, I never envisioned being able to bring almost $1 million in funding to realize the ideas that had been percolating in my mind. I recognized the pressing need for improved energy efficiency in affordable housing rehabilitation—a mission that needed a champion. It’s truly amazing to reflect on how far we’ve come in actualizing part of that quest. As I look back on this journey, I’m filled with gratitude and pride for what we have accomplished together. This retrospective aims to celebrate our achievements, acknowledge the challenges we faced, and share the lessons learned along the way.

Pittsburgh has hundreds of homes in need of rehabilitation. Many are structurally sound but perform poorly from an energy standpoint due to air leakage, insulation gaps, aging systems, and inconsistent construction practices. These homes can become efficient, but without targeted interventions during rehab, the opportunity often slips past. The long-term consequences fall on future residents—who face unnecessarily high utility bills—and on the region, which misses chances to reduce carbon emissions.

To help close this persistent gap, I created Energy Efficiency Empowerment (E3), a small nonprofit fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising, with a mission to improve homes by sharply reducing the energy needed for heating and cooling—cutting carbon emissions while supporting disadvantaged communities. With the Phase 1 and Phase 2 awards of the Buildings Upgrade Prize from the Department of Energy in 2023 and 2025, we were able to grow, adding two staff members with project management and energy-auditing expertise, and begin the program in earnest.

E3’s nonprofit developer partners, who joined us as members of the E3 Buildings Upgrade Team, are the heavy lifters of home rehabilitation. They fundraise from various sources, select properties, collaborate with communities where the work takes place, and manage the entire rehabilitation process— from procuring architectural and engineering services to managing inspections and interacting with contractors. They also play a crucial role in matching low- to moderate-income families with newly rehabbed homes. This monumental work alleviates some of the pressures surrounding the availability of affordable housing in our region, and E3 considers itself fortunate to partner with these dedicated organizations and individuals.

In the projects where we collaborated, every home was measured and received customized recommendations for enhanced enclosure improvements, equipment decisions, and air-sealing priorities. Beyond reducing energy use, we aim to enhance resilience and comfort, maximize long-term affordability, and protect residents’ health. Our interventions occur at the most cost-effective stage of the rehabilitation process, often filling gaps left by insufficient funding. Whether it’s waterproofing a basement or providing wall and attic insulation, we strive not to leave any stone unturned.

For each home, we model full heating and cooling loads to ensure the selected HVAC equipment is properly matched to the building, which is crucial for both comfort and efficiency. Our approach involves studying the suitability of new technologies, like cold-climate heat pumps, and utilizing the best tools and practices when selecting equipment.

Notably, E3 has developed a custom approach for predicting utility costs when using heat pumps. Both E3 and our partners are equally motivated to keep utility costs low for families while embracing new technology, leading us to scope dual-fuel systems: heat pumps covering approximately 50% of the heating load and the entirety of the cooling load at much better efficiency than traditional equipment.

However, many small details matter— even the shape and size of duct work and its placement within the building can significantly impact efficiency. We thrive on solving these challenges and finding contractors willing to engage in such tinkering to advance our shared goals. We also use the Home Energy Score to create a common performance metric, ensuring that the improvements achieve their intended results. Performance tracking has become a consistent expectation across our partnerships.

In our first two years, E3 has:

• Completed 15 energy-efficiency enhancements in vacant homes undergoing rehabilitation.
• Installed 14 heat pump water heaters in occupied homes across partner communities.
• Conducted 21 energy audits for households seeking lower bills and improved comfort.
• Fixed 2 attics through air sealing and improved insulation—a type of work we are just beginning to scale up.

Across the completed vacant home rehabs, the measured outcomes are compelling:

• E3 provided an average of $15,000 in additional efficiency enhancements to each project.
• These enhancements delivered an additional 27% annual energy savings beyond our partners’ own measures and reductions.
• Combined partner and E3 actions generated approximately $450 in annual utility bill savings for future residents—achieved without increasing sale prices or rents.

As illustrated in our data, when we work together we have systematically lowered the predicted utility costs. These results validate our core premise: with the right methods, a little extra funding, and dedication from all involved, energy efficiency can be consistently embedded within affordable housing rehab. Included in the graph are five all-electric homes with heat pumps covering the entirety of the heating load, where E3 facilitated the installation of solar arrays averaging 3.5 kW to reduce high utility costs by about $800 annually.

With climate change progressing inevitably, we anticipate heavier rains, hotter heat waves, and worsened air quality—impacts that will weigh most heavily on Pittsburgh’s lower- to middle-income populations, particularly those living in areas burdened by industrial pollution and compromised housing. We urge all to recognize the dual duty of climate mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (better air sealing: protection from polluted outdoor air, better insulation: thermal protection, moisture protection, and so on)  as we plan how to help everyone thrive in our city.

Partnerships have been the engine of our progress, and we acknowledge and celebrate Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, City of Bridges CLT, Hilltop Alliance, Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporations, Rising Tide Partners, Hazelwood Initiative, East Hills Consensus Group, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization, New Sun Rising and Mincin Insulation.

We also want to acknowledge The Heinz Endowments for stepping in to provide critical grant support after Phase 2 funding from the Buildings Upgrade Prize was unjustly frozen in January 2025. Their support enabled E3 to maintain operations and pursue legal action. Represented by Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, and additional backing from Congressman Chris Deluzio, Lawyers for Good Government, and the Environmental Protection Network, E3 successfully secured the release of the funding, enabling us to plan more projects in 2026.

After two years of work on home performance improvements, several lessons stand out:

• Efficiency must be integrated early in scope development to avoid missed opportunities.
• Measurement builds credibility—for homeowners, funders, and developers alike.
• Affordability and sustainability can reinforce each other with the right interventions.
• Attention to detail and quality assurance are indispensable for building good rehabilitation practices and eventual scaling.

These insights now shape how we plan, evaluate, and communicate our work. Two years in, E3 has demonstrated that good building science, applied thoughtfully, makes homes more resilient, affordable, and equitable. Our results are measurable; the foundation is strong, but the work ahead—integrating performance into every affordable rehab in the region—remains very ambitious.

$750,000 grant to New Sun Rising will help nonprofits Ignite, Launch, Grow

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Alyse Horn

The funding will support regional community leaders through capacity building, accessible funding, data advocacy

Pittsburgh, PA — New Sun Rising has received a $750,000 grant from Henry L. Hillman Foundation to be distributed over three years, to provide capacity building services to regional nonprofits and communities.

Through its strategically diverse portfolio, New Sun Rising (NSR) empowers local communities to reverse cycles of disinvestment and promote inclusive regional growth. Since 2020, NSR staff and its network of close partners have demonstrated success through:

• Ignite activities that engaged 19,000 people and hosted development workshops for 225 nonprofit and small business leaders.

• Launch cohorts that strengthened organizational effectiveness of 250 organizations and well-being of 80 leaders, responsibly managed $14 million in fiscal sponsorship funding, $4.1 million in community regranting programs, and $1.5 million in revolving loans.

• Grow activities that build collaborative infrastructure, including shared staff (Shared Financial Services), networks (Triboro Ecodistrict, Grow Sto-Rox, District PGH), technology (Vibrancy Portal), spaces (38,900 sq. ft. commercial development), and joint fundraising.

“Stronger nonprofits and small businesses are critical to improving our regional well-being,” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director at New Sun Rising. “We are excited to build upon our decade-long partnership with Henry L. Hillman Foundation to drive community-driven growth rooted in collaboration and social innovation.”

Since 2005, NSR has supported 500+ nonprofits, social enterprises, and funders to invest $20+ million in projects that develop Vibrant Communities across 75 neighborhoods in the Greater Pittsburgh region.

On Friday, December 5, NSR will host their 20th Anniversary Vibrancy Awards. With remarks by County Executive Sara Innamorato, this will be a celebration of its two decades of impact and will recognize individuals, projects, and organizations that exemplify what it means to build sustainable, equitable, and resilient communities.

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.

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Revitalizing vacant buildings spurs community-driven growth

Posted on September 2, 2025 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.

Regional leaders organize to build food sovereignty in Allegheny County

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Alyse Horn

Above: Volunteers with 412 Food Rescue’s Grocery Bagging Program organize donations of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable items from local grocery warehouses to provide nutrition assistance to communities experiencing food insecurity. Photo courtesy of 412 Food Rescue. 

The corner of Danbury and Crispen Streets in Perry South is home to Ballfield Farm, a neighborhood project established in 2008 that turned a long abandoned baseball field into a thriving community garden.

It once provided fresh and locally grown produce to the Charles Street Farm Stand. The market was managed by The Pittsburgh Project from 2009 to 2012 and was an asset to the neighborhood during a time when around 12.5% of Pennsylvanians were experiencing hunger and food insecurity. The garden is still blooming, but the market was forced to close due to capacity restraints.

“If we could bring that back, where we have food from the local garden that we can sell at an affordable price and get kids from The Pittsburgh Project to help grow it, and get the food into their afterschool programming and summer camps. That’s kind of the dream,” said Jo Deming, Perry Hilltop resident and former executive director for Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC).

The PFPC has played a pivotal role in advancing the region’s food systems strategies and getting the Food Justice Fund (FJF) approved by City Council in 2023. The $3 million fund aims to build food sovereignty and prioritize investments in grassroots efforts to address food apartheid.

In December 2024, Pittsburgh City Council approved the first round of FJF awards for large-scale investments in the food system, including Grow Pittsburgh, Jasmine Nyree Homes, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, and the Just Harvest Education Fund. A total of $1.1 million was awarded. The second round, Grassroots Grants, will open for applications on Monday, March 10, 2025. This year, a total of $1.5 million is available, with grants of up to $75,000 for eligible projects.

The hope, Deming said, is that this funding will be built upon to increase equitable access to opportunities that help people grow, learn about, and eat culturally relevant foods.

“The food apartheid issue has been central to the campaign for the Food Justice Fund committee and really, the idea of food justice acknowledges the structural racism that’s led to our communities being divested in and led to the inequality and inequities in our communities that affect access to food.”

Ending Food Apartheid, Building Food Sovereignty

Feeding America reported that in 2022, 11.4% of Allegheny County residents and 12.3% of Beaver County residents were food insecure. In total, that’s over 160,000 people out of the 1.41 million people living in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. To put that in perspective, people who are food insecure would fill 2.37x the capacity of Acrisure Stadium.

This past September, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank reported that they distributed 48 million meals and 15.7 million pounds of produce from July 2023 to June 2024, an increase from 42 million and 12.5 million the previous year. 

Food security, improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture fall under Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger (SDG 2). While analyzing hunger in our region, analysis shows that Southwestern PA communities that fall within the lowest 20% of SDG 2 also rank lower for No Poverty (SDG 1), Life on Land (SDG 15), and Quality Education (SDG 4). Communities with the lowest SDG 2 index scores have 8.9x the racial and ethnic population and 16.8x higher Black populations than those scoring highest.

There are a total of 17 SDG’s, which were created globally as a call to action to raise the quality of life for all people and preserve the future of our planet.

“We deeply believe that food is a right, not a privilege,” said Greg Austin, director of distribution initiatives for 412 Food Rescue. “Pittsburgh topographically and geographically is infamously redlined, and we’re happy to do the work of trying to break those lines down and make food available where it’s not.”

According to their 2023 Impact Report, from 2018 to 2023 the 412 Food Rescue network enabled more than 228,000 people living in high-poverty areas to be within a 15-minute walk of food support. Since their launch in 2015, they’ve redirected 170 million pounds of food that would have otherwise gone to a landfill. Two of 412 Food Rescue’s programs that collect, cook, and redistribute this food, the Good Food Project and Grocery Bagging Program, operate from the Millvale Food + Energy Hub.

When a basic need like food isn’t easily attainable it can become an urgent matter, and if people don’t prioritize that need, their health suffers, Austin said. 

“Different disadvantages can pile up very quickly, and our goal is to free up a community’s strength by allowing them to focus on something other than meeting their basic needs.” 

In the Hilltop, 412 Food Rescue participates in a monthly food distribution program called Fresh Fridays. This initiative by Hilltop Alliance and other organizations provides fresh and dried goods to 350 families from the 15203, 15210, and 15211 zip codes.

Raynise Kelly, who lives and grew up in the area, said the closest grocery stores today are one to two miles away in Carrick, Mt. Washington or the South Side, but she remembers at least three local mom-and-pop stores from her childhood that no longer exist. 

According to data released in December 2024 by the Institute of Local Self-Reliance, the collapse of independent grocery stores can be linked to the government’s decision in 1981 to stop enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act – a critical antitrust law meant to ban price discrimination by suppliers. 

“None of that is in our area now. People literally have to catch two buses to get to Shop & Save or Giant Eagle,” Kelly said. “The people are here, but the food isn’t.”

She and her sister TaRay Kelly opened Soil Sisters Plant Nursery in Allentown in 2020 with the mission “to ensure access to fresh food in communities facing food apartheid.” They focus on providing the resources, knowledge, and accessibility to fresh produce and seedlings to farmers, school gardens, local gardeners, homesteaders, and various organizations. 

Their shop is located at 123 Beltzhoover Ave., but they’re working to expand their footprint in the community. They’ve partnered with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Pittsburgh Land Bank to secure four properties, totaling nearly 17,000 square feet, on Beltzhoover Avenue to build an urban farm that will provide gardening education opportunities to residents and a fresh produce market that will accept EBT/SNAP benefits.

Data pulled from New Sun Rising’s Vibrancy Index indicates that 11.9% of residents, approximately 168,000 people, in Allegheny and Beaver Counties receive SNAP benefits. In both counties, 29.7% of residents, approximately 420,000 people, are considered obese. The Food Trust, a Millvale Food + Energy Hub Tenant, is helping to make fresh produce and other healthy food accessible and affordable in Western Pennsylvania through their SNAP incentive “Food Bucks” program.

“If we have healthier food options, we can start to see that food is medicine,” Kelly said. 

She wants to meet the community where they’re at and provide programs that are accessible and “all-encompassing” for residents of any age, but during the warmer months they want to “really focus on the youth” and strengthen their relationship with food. Last summer, she and her sister led an agricultural based summer camp at the Beltzhoover Community Center and shared their plans for the urban farm with the kids.

“We really need them to be at [the farm] to know that it happened, from dreaming it up to making it a real thing, so they know that this is possible,” Kelly said. 

For Deming, she hopes the FJF is an investment in projects and programs like the Soil Sisters “who have been doing the work to make sure our neighbors can eat and understand what nutritious food is, and have opportunities to have businesses where they sell affordable nutritious food that their neighbors can buy.” 

The second round of FJF Grassroots Grants will be available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits with a budget of $500,000 or less, or to individuals and unincorporated groups represented by a fiscal sponsor, and range from $2,000 to $75,000. These grants are not available to for-profit entities, and the city has partnered with New Sun Rising to manage the distribution of the $1.5 million in funding. The City of Pittsburgh will open applications on March 10, 2025 and the deadline to apply is April 14, 2025. Information about upcoming community meetings will be published soon. To sign up for email alerts when applications open, visit: bit.ly/PGHFJF

Edits: This blog was updated on February 28, 2025 to include key application dates for the City of Pittsburgh’s FJF Grassroots Grants. 

Zainab Jamal chosen as NSR Sustainability VISTA through Oct. 2024

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Alyse Horn

New Sun Rising is happy to announce that Zainab Jamal will serve as the Sustainability VISTA for the organization through October 2024. 

In this role, Zainab has a focus on community engagement and capacity building to advance projects within the Millvale Ecodistrict Collaborative’s plan including equitable food systems, clean energy, watershed management, air quality, mobility, business districts, and housing. 

“I hear about the previous VISTAs with NSR having a visible presence in the community that goes beyond their years, and I would like to have an impact in that way,” Zainab said. “I’m ready to absorb all the knowledge that I can and make this an experience that I can refer back to as my career progresses.” 

Zainab has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida with her eye on a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Previous to her position with NSR, she gained experience in community outreach with the Broader Impacts Group through AmeriCorps to help coordinate the SpectrUM Discovery Area in the Missoula Public Library and EmPower Place at the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center. 

She also engaged with children and teens through hands-on STEAM education within Montana schools on Blackfeet and Flathead Reservations, summer camps, after school clubs, and museum activities. 

“One of the things I’m looking forward to the most about this position is the connections I’ll develop with the community, as they have diverse lived experiences and I can learn so much from them,” Zainab said. 

Want to contact Zainab? Email zainab@newsunrising.org. 

New Sun Rising serves as a subsite for the Americorps VISTA program managed by PCRG (Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group)

Kayla Misera hired as Community Experience Catalyst for Millvale Food + Energy Hub

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Alyse Horn

New Sun Rising is happy to announce that Kayla Misera has been hired as the Community Experience Catalyst for the Millvale Food + Energy Hub.

In this role, Kayla oversees the operational and programmatic needs of the Hub. The building is a mixed-use facility, owned by Moose MODE Inc. and operated by NSR, and serves as a home base for multiple organizations with food and energy-related missions, including: 412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project, Sprezzatura, The Food Trust, and FracTracker Alliance.

“I’m a big proponent of community led programming. I have experience with facility management, but I’m looking forward to stepping into the creative realm and pulling people into the space to create the programming that they want to see,” Kayla said. “For the people and led by the people.”

Kayla’s professional experience comes from her time as the Director of School Nutrition Programs for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, but more recently as the Director of Central Pantry for The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri where she ran a food-rescue program and development opportunities.

As the director of the food pantry, Kayla said she valued the compassionate side of the community-based work she was doing and knew she wanted to continue that work in the Pittsburgh region. 

“When I saw [the Community Experience Catalyst] position, I saw an opportunity to merge a lot of the things that I love, like food, green energy, culture, and the arts,” Kayla said. “I also live in Millvale, and I think it’s really special to work in the community that you live in.”

Do you have questions for Kayla or want to schedule an event at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub? Email kayla@newsunrising.org. 

Department of Energy Awards Local Nonprofits $400,000

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Alyse Horn

Energy Efficiency Empowerment, Hazelwood Initiative chosen as Phase 1 winner

Pittsburgh, PA — The U.S. Department of Energy has announced Energy Efficiency Empowerment (E3), a fiscally sponsored project of New Sun Rising (NSR), and Hazelwood Initiative as one of 45 Phase 1 winners in the Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) to receive $400,000. Buildings UP awards more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams developing scalable and replicable initiatives for widespread energy efficiency and efficient electrification building upgrades. 

The project by E3, and the team assembled for this application, seizes the opportunity to dramatically increase the energy efficiency of vacant homes undergoing renovations for the affordable housing market, and advance community-scale electrification and climate goals within the Justice40 framework. Current partners include: Rising Tide Partners, East Hills Consensus Group, CONNECT, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization, and Mincin Insulation. 

“There is an amazing group of nonprofits in Pittsburgh that are renovating vacant homes to make them available at low-cost to families in need,” said Lucy de Barbaro, founder of E3. “This award will allow us to join these renovation efforts to provide additional energy efficiency improvements at a time when they are the least expensive to complete. Once renovated, these homes will further equity by providing reduced costs to future homeowners and advance the climate goals for our region through reduced carbon emissions.”

As proposed in the winning concept, the project will pair up with nonprofit home rehabilitation developers to provide technical assistance, performance measurement, and verification as well as additional funding to achieve 30% or higher improvements in energy efficiency. Nonprofit rehabilitation developers interested in participating in this initiative are invited to fill out this form.

The project was submitted under NSR and Hazelwood Initiative, with E3 receiving $300,000 under NSR’s fiscal sponsorship and Hazelwood Initiative receiving $100,000.  In Phase 2, teams will develop their concepts into executable pilot plans.  

About Energy Efficiency Empowerment: Energy Efficiency Empowerment’s (E3) mission is to Make Energy Efficiency Visible. Through our efforts, we hope to raise awareness, educate, and empower homeowners, contractors, and communities to embrace energy efficiency practices, ultimately contributing to a greener, more sustainable future for all.

About Hazelwood Initiative:  Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. is a community development corporation serving the Greater Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Dedicated to building a stronger Hazelwood through inclusive community development, HI is adding to its affordable housing and business district revitalization mission, a commitment to environmental justice and health.  E3 will help us integrate green and sustainable energy practices into our affordable housing programs, and help Hazelwood homeowners electrify their hot water heating and improve uninsulated attics.  

About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice.

About the Buildings Upgrade Prize: The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) provides more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to support the transformation of existing U.S. buildings into  more energy-efficient and clean energy-ready homes, commercial spaces, and communities. Buildings UP is an American-Made Challenge funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Press release from the DOE.

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