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The Blog of NSR

Category: Programs

Beaver County residents utilize Innovate program to formalize entrepreneurial dreams

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Alyse Horn

Above: The second cohort of the Innovate program during a showcase in November 2022. Photo by Akyera Thompson. To view more photos from the event, click here.

During Christina Leeman’s time as a social worker, she became highly aware of the lack of affordable housing in Aliquippa.

According to the Vibrancy Index, there are 9,238 residents in the community and 56 percent of residents are homeowners compared to 71 percent in Beaver County.

“I never realized the problem and how hard it was to find safe housing,” Leeman said. “It was really put on my heart to pursue this, then Covid happened. But now doors are opening and now is the time.”

In November of last year, Leeman completed the Innovate program to help formalize her business Unique Grace Properties, which aims to connect rent burdened families with safe and affordable housing so they can thrive. The three month cohort is for early stage entrepreneurs with the goal of launching leaders in the direction of their dreams. 

Greenhouse Lab hosts Innovate, and Leeman learned about the program from its Executive Director John Jordan. 

“Innovate is specifically designed for people who are either starting new businesses and nonprofits, or who desire to get more serious about a side hustle they’ve been operating,” Jordan said.

Leeman currently has one house she and her husband are fixing up to rent with the vision of acquiring four more houses over the next two years. Through her involvement with Innovate, she was able to work individually with a coach who helped her hone in her business plan, and in group sessions she could talk through her ideas with the other 12 participants to get feedback.

Melissa A. Rhines during the November showcase presenting her business, Broken in2 Beautiful. Photo by Akyera Thompson.

Ferdinando Turkovich was in the latest cohort with Leeman for his business Crossroads Craftsmens Shoppe. He said the six group sessions and one-on-one coaching sessions worked out perfectly with his schedule and provided him with the direction he needed.

“Innovate helped me synthesize my dream and make it something more tangible,” Turkovich said. “I was able to process the information in my head in such a way that allowed me to put it on paper and see it as something that is obtainable instead of something that, in the mindspace, dies on the cutting board.”

Crossroads Craftsmens Shoppe is a custom woodworking shop with the goal to provide heirloom quality wood products at affordable prices, but the ultimate goal is to create a makerspace that provides access to professional tools, advice, and “allow individuals to explore their healing through tactile activities.”

Turkovich would like to work with adolescent kids who’ve experienced trauma and provide them with coping mechanisms through woodworking. Eventually, he would like to add metal fabrication and auto-body repair to the shoppe. 

“Those are the three main areas that if you learn one of those trades you are most likely to be successful, and when I say successful, I mean it’s something that you can rely on that ultimately gives you a [profession] and a way to escape the things that are going on around you in a healthy way,” Turkovich said. 

The Innovate program also included: Michelle M. Gabriel, Good Noodle Neighborhood; Stephanie Mason, Mason’s Delectable Delights; Karyn Stuart, The Sanctuary; Jamyra Harrell, Traveling Arrows; Melissa A. Rhines, Broken in2 Beautiful; Chynna Wilcox, The Table ESL Center; Lakeshia Tucker, B3 Women’s Empowerment Community; Erik Kerr, Getting Ahead Beaver County; Maximilian Elliot, The Lemonaide Lab; Marquay Priest, Priest Cleaning Solutions; Troi Moon, Moonlight Hair Co.

When Jordan co-founded Greenhouse Lab in 2020, he wanted to create a social impact incubator to help people start new businesses and nonprofits that would “revive and renew” the Aliquippa community. They offer five different services to leaders through a platform that builds on relational, practical experiences of the grassroots leaders in the area: strategic coaching, relevant trainings, marketing support, shared workspace, and financial management. 

Innovate is one of the two main programs offered by Greenhouse Lab, the second being Cultivate, which is designed for Innovate participants to continue receiving support as they implement their plans and launch their initiatives. Jordan said the development of these programs was largely based on materials from New Sun Rising’s Launch Incubator curriculum. 

“NSR said ‘Here is our stuff, adapt it if you need to,’” Jordan said. “Scott [Wolovich] and I have met pretty regularly for him to coach me through this and make sure we are adapting stuff well. I really value his input into the process and helping me think through things differently.”

The first session of Innovate was held in the early months of 2022 with seven participants, and the second cohort nearly doubled in size with 13 participants. The third cohort will begin February 2023 with a cap of 10-12 participants.

Jordan said the program is able to work at the capacity of how many coaches are available for the number of participants, which is volunteer based. When the second cohort concluded in November 2022, the program held a showcase for participants to present their full-formed ideas. 

“A lot of the coaches left saying, ‘If we could just bottle up that showcase and give that to people [to hold on to].’ It was a really cool night to experience what these folks represent in our community and what they’re bringing to our city and the cities around us,” Jordan said.

If you’d like to volunteer as a coach for the Innovate program, email john.jordan@greenhouselab.org.

If you’d like to learn more and support Unique Grace Properties, email celeeman75@gmail.com. For Crossroads Craftsmens Shoppe, email turkannacreations@gmail.com.

Posted in Featured, Programs

Sto-Rox Non-profit Community Launches “Grow Sto-Rox”

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Alyse Horn

MCKEES ROCKS – Five organizations from the Sto-Rox area recently joined forces to create a strategic collaborative called Grow Sto-Rox, including: Communities In Schools (CISPAC), Focus On Renewal (FOR), McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation (MRCDC), Sto-Rox School District (SRSD), and Zellous Hope Project (ZHP).

The group is spearheaded by New Sun Rising (NSR), who serves as the fiscal sponsor for the collaborative. After the initial establishment of a community Youth Partnership in 2014, these cross-sector organizations committed to creating equitable economic futures for Sto-Rox residents through community programs which are strengths-based and trauma-informed. 

Dorrian Glenn, program manager of Grow Sto-Rox.

To help Grow Sto-Rox achieve its mission, hiring a dynamic and a detail-oriented individual to manage the initiative was pivotal. After acknowledging the importance of a community-driven approach to achieving their goals, Grow Sto-Rox made the decision to hire local resident Dorrian Glenn as the new Program Manager, a position staffed at NSR. 

Glenn graduated from Sto-Rox high school in 1997. He went on to become an All-American Running Back for the Slippery Rock University football team, graduating with a BA in Communications. He later attended Point Park University where he graduated with an MBA. Glenn has extensive experience working for community organizations and is looking to spearhead the introduction of Grow Sto-Rox to the area and beyond.

Glenn will serve as the backbone and be responsible for driving Grow Sto-Rox’s work forward. In particular, he will support day-to-day communications, administration, community engagement, fundraising, and data functions.

In addition to hiring the Program Manager, Grow Sto-Rox has launched its first program called the Affinity Circles Wellness Program with the support of April Jackson. Affinity Circles seeks to rebuild the Sto-Rox community by reshaping the mindset of the Sto-Rox residents. If residents thrive, the community thrives. When residents have more control and are thriving in a vibrant community, they are more able to focus on the possibilities of success. 

The Grow Sto-Rox Program Manager position, and development of an Affinity Circles community wellness program, were made possible through grant funding from the Suckling Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation and Heinz Endowments.

Media Contact: Dorrian Glenn, (412) 886-7081, dorrian@newsunrising.org

About Grow Sto-Rox: The Grow Sto-Rox collaborative exists to improve the quality of life of Sto-Rox residents through programs which are trauma informed, strengths based, and create equitable economic impact.

About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising supports nonprofits, social enterprises, and collaborations to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to realize the future they envision. We strengthen them through capacity building, accessible funding, data, and creative advocacy.

Posted in ProgramsTagged grow Sto-Rox

Nonprofit leaders build capacity, connectivity, and wellbeing through resilience program

Three women attending an event by Dress for Success Pittsburgh, whose CEO Tanya Vokes was part of New Sun Rising's Nonprofit Resilience Program.
Posted on September 12, 2022 by Alyse Horn

Above: During an Essential Worker Celebration in May 2022, Dress for Success Pittsburgh provided their mobile services to employees within the Butler Health System.

When Tanya Vokes was invited to participate in New Sun Rising’s Nonprofit Resilience Program, the first thing she thought was “I don’t have time for this.”

Vokes, the CEO of Dress for Success Pittsburgh, said a lot of nonprofit leaders, like herself, are pulled in so many different directions and taking on a three month program was a big commitment, but she convinced herself to do it.

“Once I did get involved, I was really happy with the results of the program,” Vokes said. “Right away it was a super supportive environment. Jamie is amazing, and the other nonprofit leaders who were in the cohort were really authentic and brought their true selves to the sessions.”

The Nonprofit Resilience Program (NRP), with the fourth cohort wrapping up in March, is led by New Sun Rising (NSR) Director of Programs Jamie Johnson. (This is the third cohort sponsored by Staunton Farm Foundation.) Recognizing the health of an organization and the mental health of a nonprofit leader are intrinsically intertwined, the NRP begins with one-on-one self-care coaching and an Emotional Intelligence Assessment with development sessions created based on the results.

This opportunity for self awareness and acceptance, and to work through things in a formal way, was a particularly important piece of the program for Vokes. 

“We tend to think we’re doing an alright job, but maybe we aren’t necessarily fully thinking through those [cause and effect] pieces, so having the opportunity to do that with like minded individuals, who have the same challenges as it relates to making time for ourselves as leaders, was really valuable to me.”

Anthony Harper, co-founder and lead instructor at Beta Builders, said the second phase of the program around strengthening connectivity through peer relationships was the highlight for him. He said he’s only been in the nonprofit space for a couple years, and “it was nice to get collective insight from people who have been doing it for awhile.”

Based on the initial goals and phases identified by The Partnership Network, a partner and advisor on this program, the sharing of collective experiences based on empathy and honesty helps participants better manage adversity in the future. For Harper, this ran parallel with his experience.

“Being able to reach out to people who are having the same experiences… and they can share with me different ways they’ve coped with situations and how they were able to move forward, it’s really been a support system for me,” Harper said.

This program came at a transitional time for June Hicks, development manager at Greater Valley Community Services. She said it wasn’t what she was expecting, given the state of the current virtual training world, but the NRP breakout rooms, open feedback, and bonding was “refreshing” and she “looked forward to each session.”

“The information I received made me align my future goals for the next chapter in my life,” Hicks said.

Click here to learn more about the NRP and here to learn about the third Northside cohort.

Posted in ProgramsTagged Nonprofit Resilience Program, The Staunton Farm Foundation

2022 ONS Mini-Grant Awardees

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Alyse Horn

Pittsburgh, PA — This year, One Northside (ONS) was able to distribute 24 mini-grant awards for small-scale community projects. These $1,000 grants were given to Northsider’s whose projects demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community. 

The projects and project leads are:

#PghCatFolx – Northside, Susan Kerr | 5th Annual Youth Christmas Concert, Charlene R. Fields | A Marvelous Transitional Living Home, Shayla Bryant | Alpine Parklet Native Perennial Demonstration Garden, Laura Winter | By Her Own Design: A Writer’s Workshop and More!, Brett Monae Searcy | Creating A Sense of Community in Summer Hill, Jacob George | Daniel’s Den Cancer Foundation, Roxanne L Robinson | Fall Festival, Karen Lucarelli | Family Childcare Home, Yolanda Ann Davis | FEDERAL STREET FLOWER ISLANDS 3, Anna Yoder | Fierce and Fabulous Sewing Club, Ruby Helvy | Financial Literacy Workshop Series 2; Business Training Camp, Jamara White | Floral Arrangements and Wreaths, Charlene Anderson | GOALS (Getting Over Adversity to Live Successfully), Danielle Lynn King | Heir Force Community Holiday Celebration, Russell L. Bynum | Mattress Factory Presents: Northside Futures, Kemuel Benyehudah | Mindfulness Writing: Workshops to Overcome Trauma, Shalace N Moore | Northside Public Safety Council Technical Support, Joanne Pomietto | Observatory Hill Community Gardens, Leslee Schaffer | Pittsburgh VegFest, Leila Sleiman | Senior Serenade, Carla Arnold | Storyburgh: DMZ Storytelling, Pamela Monk | Tabitha’s Daughters, LLC October Weekend Retreat, Maxine Garrett | Together We Stand, Tangerine McDaniel.

This is the only round of mini-grants for 2022. It was previously stated that 15 mini-grants were available. Given the number of applicants, New Sun Rising (NSR) was able to redirect funding to the program to back an additional 10 projects.

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 One Northside: One  Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 neighborhoods of the Northside. Since early 2014, hundreds of Northside residents have engaged with local leaders and stakeholders in community-wide conversations to create a shared agenda for the revitalization of this vital component of the greater Pittsburgh region.

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September 8, 2022: This release previously stated that 25 mini-grants were awarded. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Pop Up Play Event: An Amazing Day of PLAY!, Twila Simmons-Walker was a unable to accept the mini-grant, leading to 24 mini-grants being distributed. 

Posted in ProgramsTagged One Northside

Data + Creative Advocacy initiative launches to promote impact, social innovation

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Alyse Horn

Graphic by Hunter Smith

To support the data needs of under-resourced organizations and communities, New Sun Rising (NSR) launched the Power in Numbers (PiN) initiative in 2019.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, Power in Numbers 2.0 kicked off with a virtual event to introduce two new resources, the Vibrancy Portal 2.0 data platform and the Creative Advocacy Playbook. The event, led by NSR Executive Director Scott Wolovich, had participants from the United Kingdom, California, and New York, among other locations. 

The Vibrancy Portal is a tool for nonprofit, social enterprise, and municipal leaders that aims to make data more actionable through greater access, insights, and integration. The new updates include a redesign of the user interface, more dynamic database structure, enhanced and expanded data sets, organizational ecosystem mapping, and the addition of Beaver County to the map.

“We know that for social innovation to grow, there needs to be investment in data and communications, and the ability to more effectively engage with the world around us,” Wolovich said. “Unfortunately, most small and community-led organizations lack this critical capacity.”

“Our own research showed that 80 percent of leaders placed high value on these things, but only 17 percent of them reported receiving related funding. This lack of investment really restricts their ability to compete for resources and grow their impact.”

The Portal serves to democratize data through two primary functions: a community data Explorer and organizational data Manager.

For the free and publicly available Explore website, NSR built upon work started with Carnegie Mellon University and participants in their own fellowship program to create a geo mapping application that is organized by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Although similar tools exist, most provide information at the county level and are not sensitive enough to show differing conditions between neighborhoods.

The Manager section of the website allows leaders to collect, analyze, and communicate data around 5 key areas: Issues, Capacity, Impact, Finances, and Reports. The site is password protected allowing teams to collaborate and encourage an actionable data model.

Lydia Moran of CONNECT, said they have been working with dozens of organizations over the last two years to create a multi-municipal climate action plan. During the Power in Numbers session, Moran also shared progress from the regional DISCOVER network. With so many different organizations involved across these efforts, a database like the Vibrancy Portal could make it easier to collect data and communicate regional impact.

“It’s really hard for us to talk about regional impact if we’re all measuring different things, and we’re not speaking the same language.” Moran said. “I’m very excited about this platform.”

The idea for the Creative Advocacy Playbook, which is being co-created with RiverWise, came from wanting to shift the paradigms and mindsets that hold existing systems in place and combat divisiveness while increasing engagement and awareness. The playbook will be publicly available and begin to support the launch of campaigns later this summer. While Wolovich admits there have been artists producing creative advocacy for years, “what makes this initiative unique is that it’s focused on building creative capital as an asset starting with the nonprofit and community itself.”

As far as the Vibrancy Portal goes, it is free, public, and ready to be explored. 

“It’s a dynamic ongoing project, and we’ll continue to build it out as we’re able to attract more resources,” Wolovich said. “We do have gaps in the data that we know are important for communities that we are working with, and welcome the help to identify or even think about different ways to approach those gaps.”

Although the initiative is in its early stages, one thing that has been made clear is that institutionally collected data largely shapes the narrative around communities. Power in Numbers helps under-resourced leaders work beyond the limitations of traditional data to more fully reflect, resource, and inspire the life of their community. 

Do you know an organization, issue, or community that would benefit from greater data utilization and creative advocacy? Email info@newsunrising.org to get involved.

Posted in Events, ProgramsTagged Power in Numbers, vibrancy index, vibrancy portal, Vibrant Communities

Upcoming ONS Mini-Grant deadline June 2022

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Alyse Horn

Above: A student involved in the Believe & Achieve Learning Hub, which received mini-grant funding in 2020.

Pittsburgh, PA — The next One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline is Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by this date will receive a decision on Friday, July 29, 2022.

This will be the only round of mini-grants for this year and there are 15 award agreements available.

The mini-grant program awards Northsider’s up to $1,000 to support small-scale community projects that demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community. 

For mini-grant applicants, the preferred method for submitting your application is to use the online form. Application must be received by the grant deadline. 

In regards to community support, please have three different Northside residents or business owners email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org with their name, the project they are supporting, their Northside address and their phone number; or have them call 412-407-9007 with the same information.

In pre-approved circumstances, project leaders may submit for additional mini-grants. Only one mini-grant per project leader may be active at one time. To close your open grant, please fill out the report online form. Please contact vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org for additional information. 

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 One Northside: One  Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 neighborhoods of the Northside. Since early 2014, hundreds of Northside residents have engaged with local leaders and stakeholders in community-wide conversations to create a shared agenda for the revitalization of this vital component of the greater Pittsburgh region.

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Posted in Programs, ProjectsTagged One Northside

Trade programs available for Triboro Ecodistrict residents

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Alyse Horn

Are you a Millvale, Etna, or Sharpsburg resident and looking to start your career in the trades or expand your education?

Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization is offer $100 per week stipends (for up to 10 weeks) to Triboro Ecodistrict residents attending the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, Bidwell Training Center, CCAC, or other qualifying trade schools.

The goal is to help local folks find a good-paying, in-demand career that they enjoy. If you are interested in this opportunity and want to talk more about it, visit tinyurl.com/SbgTIP or call (412) 407-7661.

For the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh’s full-time masonry or carpentry programs, classes run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and no drivers license or G.E.D is required. Along with the fundamentals of masonry or carpentry, students will learn job readiness skills and computer literacy, along with receiving one-on-one financial counseling, life coaching, and job placement assistance with jobs starting at $15+/hour. The Trade Institute of Pittsburgh is located near the busway in Homewood in the 7800 Susquehanna Building.

 

 

Posted in ProgramsTagged opportunity, Triboro ecodistrict

Nonprofit Resilience Program a welcomed respite for Northside leaders 

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Alyse Horn

For the organizational leaders who participated in the third cohort of New Sun Rising’s Nonprofit Resilience Program, many said the experience was unparalleled compared to other programs they’d been involved in.

Not only was it tailored to the Northside community, but this cohort was created for leaders identifying as Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

Cecelia Ware, a Northside leader and member of the Nonprofit Resilience Program’s third cohort.

“I had not been a part of something like this before,” said Rick Mason. “It was a great opportunity to just connect with other African American leaders, and for there to not be any judgement when talking through and discussing honest feelings. That was the biggest value of the program.”

Mason said he believes the instant connection and understanding amongst the seven individuals in the cohort allowed the group to “dig deep pretty quickly.” 

Similar to previous iterations, the One Northside Nonprofit Resilience Program began with an Emotional Intelligence Assessment that helped program facilitators create Development Sessions based upon the needs of the leaders in the program. 

“It allowed us to see where we needed to care more for ourselves and we felt comfortable having that discussion, like, ‘Yes, I definitely feel like I’m not caring for myself in these ways and that is affecting my professional activities and interactions,’” said Angela Williams, president of Charles Street Area Council. 

Williams said self-care was at the forefront of the program throughout the remainder of the sessions and one-on-one consultations with coaches, which each participant received outside of the classes. 

Ashlee Carter, development director at Northside Christian Health Center and member of the Nonprofit Resilience Program’s third cohort.

Ashlee Carter, development director at Northside Christian Health Center, said she was impressed by the professional diversity of the coaches who were selected to support the participants, and how they allowed individuals to learn “different techniques of how to be a better leader in [their] community.”

This Northside edition of the Nonprofit Resilience Program was made possible with funding from The Buhl Foundation, which also gave participants a stipend to use on additional executive coaching after the cohort concluded. Carter said she is grateful for the opportunity to sign on for additional services that are tailored to her and her growth as a Northside leader.

Eric Acosta, project manager at Urban Strategies Inc., said he was one of the younger participants and he felt fortunate to be part of the program because he “had never been in a space like that before.”

“I’m really happy that I was part of this program and I hope it doesn’t become a one-off thing. I think there are a lot of people who could benefit from it in the Northside, but also Pittsburgh in general,” Acosta said. 

Mason said he knows there is value in programs having a time limit, but there were some “really great conversations” that participants didn’t have a chance to finish or follow-up on, and he thinks spending more time together and continuing to forge those relationships “would have been beneficial.”

Carter felt similarly. She said she found a lot of the conversations “very thought provoking” and believed it would be valuable for the program to be scaled around “different communities in different areas.”

“This program isn’t all talk. This program provided a warm and welcoming environment where we felt comfortable, and it also provided real strategies and tools for how to overcome challenges that we were experiencing personally that would affect our professional roles,” Williams said. 

Posted in ProgramsTagged Nonprofit Resilience Program, One Northside

Leaders find support to better themselves, their organizations through Nonprofit Resilience Program

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Alyse Horn

Above: A Mentor Partnership of SWPA webinar with young professionals sharing the name of someone who they have felt mentored by. The partnership provided mentors to Nonprofit Resilience Program participants.

Nonprofit leaders are at a high risk of burnout and mental health impacts, a serious concern which was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. 

Even before the pandemic began, the need to create a program that helped community development organizations strengthen the wellbeing of their leaders was imminent, said Jamie Johnson, Director of Programs at New Sun Rising.

Photo courtesy of Assemble, who participated in NRP and agreed to be mentioned in this blog.

Through conversations between New Sun Rising, Neighborhood Allies, The Forbes Funds, and other members of The Partnership Network (TPN), the Nonprofit Resilience Program (NRP) was established to support the leaders of community development organizations across the region. The program was made possible by the generous support of the Staunton Farm Foundation and the Jack Buncher Foundation. 

“Exhaustion, lack of access to growth and learning opportunities, and little to no support for mental health needs was not uncommon,” said Stephanie Chernay, Chief Operating Officer at Neighborhood Allies. “This trend is especially apparent among women and minority leaders of nonprofits.”

Now with its third cohort completed, the Nonprofit Resilience Program has four goals: develop healthy leaders, create trust and connectivity, build organizational capacity, and strengthen the talent pipeline. 

Jamie Johnson, Director of Programs at New Sun Rising, said each cohort has built upon the one that came before it, but the second cohort (which took place in January 2021) tackled the particular challenge of navigating the impacts from the previous year, or the new normal. 

“This cohort, just like the others, proves how important and valuable it is to support our nonprofit leaders,” Johnson said. “The development of a space where they can place their hearts and issues on the table to be accepted and not judged is at the core of this program. We hope the nonprofit community finds opportunities such as this worthy of investment.” 

Christine Kroger of Neighborhood North Museum of Play who participated in NRP and agreed to be mentioned in this blog.

In late 2019, The Partnership Network (TPN), a group of intermediary funders and capacity building organizations mobilizing the community and economic development sectors to solve complex community challenges, met to discuss how they could better support community development organizations across the region. They found that the answer was, in part, by supporting their leaders.

The program contains three three phases that focus on: Healthy Leaders (individual self-care), Stronger Connectivity (relationship building), and Building Capacity (leader + organizational development). 

“I felt the Nonprofit Resilience Program was one of the few professional development opportunities that I attended that focused on the individual and made an effort to see everyone as a person and not just a part of an organization,” said a Nonprofit Resilience Program participant.

Johnson said confidentiality of participants’ names and their organizations was intentional in creating the program so leaders would “feel comfortable enough to be transparent about where they are at.”

“It allowed participants to become vulnerable enough to share their concerns and weaknesses, and anything they may be dealing with, professionally or not, with each other,” Johnson said.

Kelly Burgos Harper, Board President of Monaca Community Development Corporation, who participated in NRP and agreed to be mentioned in this blog.

The first cohort in 2020 included 11 nonprofit leaders from both small and large organizations ranging from staff sizes of 1 to 100+. Out of the 11 participants, seven identified as Black and four as white. Seven participants also identified as heterosexual women, two as heterosexual men, one woman as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and one person as lesbian, gay, bisexual.

The second cohort included individuals who all identified as women; out of the eight participants, one identified as Asian, two as Black, four as white, and one as Caucasian and Puerto Rican. Eight participants identified as women in the second cohort, and one woman was pansexual. The third, funded by The Buhl Foundation, were all Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

“Supporting the mental health of our nonprofit leaders is a necessary step to creating a more efficient, impactful community development system,” said Chernay. “The Nonprofit Resilience Program creates a space where leaders can be honest about their challenges, build trust with their peers, and access individual and organizational capacity building assistance.” 

Due to the success of the program, The Staunton Farm Foundation has committed to funding two more Nonprofit Resilience Program cohorts.

Posted in ProgramsTagged equity, neighborhood allies, Nonprofit Resilience Program

NSR awards over $2 million to grantees through Arts | Equity | Reimagined fund

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Alyse Horn

With the fourth and final round of Collective Action for Re-imagining (CAR) grants released, New Sun Rising has awarded a total of $2,090,190 to 23 collaborations between 97 arts organizations.

Under the Arts | Equity | Reimagined (AER) fund, the Collective Action for Re-imaging program was created to employ new, novel, and innovative ways of working together to address the dramatic shifts that have been instigated by the COVID-19 crisis, and that also addressed opportunities and solutions to reposition the arts sector for a more sustainable and equitable future. 

Twenty-six review panelists participated in recommending funding for 45%, or 23 out of 51, proposals submitted to the program. Out of the funded proposals, 52% were led by BIPOC. The Covid-19 Arts Working Group (CAWG) ultimately approved the recommendations at the end of each grant cycle.

New Sun Rising believes that the AER-CAR grantees represent the largest investment focused on collective action and equity ever made into the Pittsburgh metro area’s arts ecosystem.

The locations of the funded projects include: City of Pittsburgh (14), Allegheny County (5), Beaver County (2), Westmoreland County (1), Cambria County (1).

The nonprofits that received funding in the final round include:

  • Lead Organization: The Legacy Arts Project
    • Funded: $100,000
    • Hotline Ring is a shared, virtual fundraiser presented on July 15 that brings together the aligned missions of seven arts and culture organizations led by and/or in community with Queer, Trans, and/or People of Color to create an opportunity for giving thsat has an enourmous impact in our region.
  • Lead Organization: Block Chronicles
    • Funded: $100,000
    • Block Chronicles and Casa San Jose are collaborating to develop the PGH Latinx Artist Residency (P-LAR), a 10-month opportunity for emerging Latinx artists in Allegheny County, who will receive support in career development and sustainability.
  • Lead Organization: Bloomfield/Garfield Corporation / BOOM Concepts
    • Funded: $100,000
    • BOOM Concepts and Black Unicorn Library & Archives Project will formalize their 7 year partnership by identifying ways to uplift, overlap, and assimilate best practice of both entities in efforts to present a stronger unified program and production portfolio.
  • Lead Organization: Touchstone Center for Crafts
    • Funded: $100,000
    • The Alliance for Creative Rural Economies (ACRE Project) will be a scalable model to bring creativity-driven, COVID-19 responsive, economic development to rural areas across western Pennsylvania and beyond; meeting creatives where they are in their artistic career journeys and offering multiple levels of support and resources to achieve business stability.
  • Lead Organization: Pittsburgh School for the Choral Arts (dba Pittsburgh Girls Choir)
    • Funded: $75,000
    • The establishment of a formal and permanent affiliation between Pittsburgh Girls Choir and the Pittsburgh Camerata for the purpose of sharing administrative leadership, staff and other resources in order to enhance community connections, programming and outreach. 
  • Lead Organization: Neighborhood North Museum of Play
    • Funded: $74,325
    • Playful Learning Initiative will strengthen the community by connecting the arts and education ecosystems to benefit both artists and students. They will activate a group of Teaching Artists and install educational art to make learning through the arts accessible to all, especially in communities of color heavily impacted by COVID-19.

For more information about AER, click here.

Posted in ProgramsTagged Arts Equity Reimagined, culture, equity, opportunity, sustainability, Vibrant Communities

Second round of AER grantees receive $590,000, next application deadline March 18, 2021

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Alyse Horn

Last month, six organizations were chosen to receive funding from the Collective Action for Re-Imagining grant program. The initiative, managed by New Sun Rising (NSR), has distributed over $700,000 to eight collaboratives since September 2020.

This funding opportunity is for innovative projects in the arts sector that address structural challenges instigated or exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, and other needs that cultivate a stronger, healthier, and more equitable arts sector.

The upcoming deadlines for funding are Thursday, March 18 and Thursday, May 6.

The nonprofits that received funding last month include:

  • Lead Org: Hill Dance Academy Theater
    Project: Space and Place
    Funded Amount: $100,000
    Description:This project develops a Black-led and owned cultural arts facility located in the Hill community to provide space and place for Black dance, Africana visual creative arts, and the art of Photography and Media Production.
  • Lead Org: Silver Eye Center for Photography
    Project: SPACE
    Funded Amount: $100,000
    Description: The Small Pittsburgh Arts Coalition for Equity (SPACE), will work to make Pittsburgh’s small visual arts organizations more equitable, by creating the SPACE Fellowship, a leadership development program focused on supporting marginalized people who have not been historically welcomed into the field with mentorship, network building, and leadership training.
  • Lead Org: The Tull Family Theater
    Project: Arthouse + STEM
    Funded Amount: $100,000
    Description: This arts-led effort will connect BIPOC/underrepresented artists and arts organizations with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical fields, seeking to boost a hurting sector with fields differently impacted by COVID.
  • Lead Org: The Genesis Collective
    Project: The Genesis Collective
    Funded Amount: $100,000
    Description: The Genesis Collective (TGC) exists to create a thriving and supportive arts ecosystem in Beaver County. TGC connects regional artists to one another, to the community, and to those resources required for making art an indispensable feature of Beaver County’s identity.
  • Lead Org: Shana Simmons Dance
    Project: Virtual Dance Exchange
    Funded Amount: $100,000
    Description:The Virtual Dance Exchange Project will generate discussion about race and age diversity in dance through creating choreographic works filmed in 360 degree formats, researching the future of dance and the cross section of virtual reality, and creating more accessible programming that addresses diversity in dance specific to Pittsburgh communities.

  • Lead Org: Drinking Partners
    Project: FreshFest
    Funded Amount: $90,000
    Description: The project will provide a Covid-friendly environment for Black artists to thrive creatively and economically through digital media and the craft beer industry.

Made possible through the Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund, proposed projects must include partnerships or networks composed of two or more 501(c)3 arts organizations, artist-driven projects, and/or unincorporated arts collectives. This program has an upper budget limit of $100,000 for activities that can be completed within 12 months. . 

For more information on the grant funding guidelines and application process, visit https://www.newsunrising.org/arts-equity-reimagined-fund/. 

Posted in ProgramsTagged Arts Equity Reimagined, Collective Action for Re-Imagining, covid-19, New Sun Rising

Community Small Business Workshops helped participants adapt to Covid-19, meet needs of their market

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Alyse Horn

Over the summer, New Sun Rising hosted three virtual Community Small Business Workshops to help entrepreneurs access vital resources and navigate the changing Covid-19 landscape.

Catering to Wilkinsburg, Homewood, and the Hilltop, NSR partnered with local organizations in each neighborhood to create workshops that met the specific needs of those communities’ businesses. Jamie Johnson, director of programs at NSR, said a lot of the work with participants was around marketing and creating an online presence.

“Most of them had direct face-to-face contact as part of their business before Covid, and we were trying to help them find ways to still meet the needs of their customers while maintaining relevance,” Johnson said.

The two hour workshops gave participants the opportunity to connect with and receive financial support from Honeycomb Credit before being paired off with mentors, who Johnson had matched with mentees prior to the workshops. Participants were also asked to complete a Pivot Action Plan Lean Canvas before the workshop, which was given to their mentors “so they could maximize their time together and prepare for a pitch competition,” Johnson said.

Digital Bridges Executive Director Connie Capiotis was a mentor for all three workshops, and said after mentees completed the financial part of the workshop, they paired off their mentors to prepare for the live pitch competition with three judges from each community. 

Capiotis said having the Lean Canvas before the workshop was an advantage, because “it helps entrepreneurs, especially new entrepreneurs, fine tune their thought process.”

“As entrepreneurs, we like to be big, creative thinkers and a tool like the lean canvas helps to take these big ideas and flesh them out so you can set smart goals and action plans,” Capiotis said.

The workshops were an adaptation of the Ignite program that NSR has hosted in the past and it was the first time they had been held online to adhere to Covid-19 restrictions on large gatherings.

“NSR pivoting to a virtual platform to deliver the workshops was nothing short of a testament to the resources and skill sets within their staff. Covid presented a global learning curve impacting everyone,” said Ebony McQueen-Harris, relationship manager and strategist with Omicelo Cares and mentor for all three of the workshops.

Johnson said there was a “great turnout,” regarding the number of participants. There were over 30 registered, with 87% of participants being people of color and 47% were women.

According to NSR’s Vibrancy Index for Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Wilkinsburg ranks worse than 62.1 percent of the census tracts in Allegheny County; the Hilltop ranks worse than 45.5 percent, and Homewood ranks worse than 52.8 percent. Community Small Business Workshops like the ones held last summer also help the region make progress on Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), create Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and decrease Poverty (SDG 1).

Each participant received a $150 stipend plus $1,500 of additional financial awards that were given out at each workshop, and ongoing entrepreneurial support.

“Following the workshop, they were connected to [Forward Cities] Resource Navigators Vernard Alexander and Samantha Black to help them get connected to additional resources and whatever they needed as they worked on their capacity,” Johnson said. 

Programs like these are dependent on funding; if organizations are interested in sponsoring one or several Community Small Business Workshops, please reach out to info@newsunrising.org. Funding for this program was provided by the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Posted in ProgramsTagged Homewood, Ignite Workshops, New Sun Rising, vibrancy index, Wilkinsburg

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