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  • Accessible Funding
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The Blog of NSR

Program: Fiscally Sponsored

Tabitha’s Daughters

the project

“If you empower women, you can change the world.”  Tabitha’s Daughters believes this assertion.

Where women gather to transform an issue or challenge, you will find our stories of strength, resilience, and determination.  We want to change Pittsburgh!  In order to change our city – a city where women, and especially African-American women are living with health, educational, housing, and economic disparities that are ” the worst in the nation,” (based on the Gender Equity Commission Report of 2019), women must be a part of the solutions for change. In a city which claims to be the “most livable city in America,” women must force change in political, social, educational, and economic systems that impede our progress and keep us from participating in the growing prosperity of Pittsburgh.

Our project is a social justice initiative where women of all ages and ethnicities are invited to be a part of the transformational change that needs to happen in Pittsburgh.  Using the Gender Equity Commission Report as the framework, we will gather to analyze and honestly discuss this report, choose an indicator to attack, and build an initiative that will improve, via one of the 5 indicators, the living standard of women in our city.  This project will involve 3-4 mini symposiums where experts will assist us in being a part of what must change in our city.

the steps

Training the Trainers – Interactions that will employ techniques and strategies to train those who will lead the discussion group and build the strategies for affecting the negative indicators affecting women.

1st Mini – Symposium – Collaborating with experts on the Gender Equity Commisison Report that can lead the women who gather to understand and unpack the report.

2nd Mini- Symposium – Group “table talks” on what the report means to the women mentioned in the report (African-American, Latina, Asian, & Euro-American women)

3rd Mini- Symposium – Choosing one of the 6 indicators (health mortality, infant mortality, educational, housing, economic) to build a strategy of improvement and impact around.  Building out an initiative that partners with collaborators to continue to work the program and promote change.

why we’re doing it

Tabitha’s Daughters believes the “future is female.”  Women, who occupy more space on the globe than men, must be moved to leadership positions that allow us to be a part of our own solution.  Our project, through the information provided in the Gender Equity Commission report, allows women to take ahold of our own future.  This report gives us the problems and challenges; now, Tabitha’s Daughters wants to build out solutions to create equity within our city for women who live, work, worship, and support their families.

Our project will ultimately be a solution to the statistics housed in the Gender Equity Commission report through concerted action.  Whether educational, health, housing, or economic disparities, we will work one of these indicators to viable solutions and affect change in the city.  We believe that small groups can make a difference and this project is constructed to make that difference.

 

source: https://ioby.org/project/tabithas-daughters-framing-future

 

Donate Here

Unshakeable Motherhood

Her Dreams is a powerful cinematic project and community campaign examining the deep-rooted maternal health disparities affecting Black women in Pittsburgh and across the United States. What began as a short film has evolved into a broader long-form cinematic film designed to spark dialogue, influence policy, and mobilize community-based solutions around maternal and infant health.

Through intimate storytelling, Her Dreams explores the intersection of culturally competent care, socioeconomic realities, and systemic barriers that shape the most vulnerable moments of pregnancy and childbirth. The film reveals how unequal access to care and implicit bias within healthcare systems continue to affect Black mothers and their babies—while also highlighting the resilience, advocacy, and community leadership that emerge in response.

At the center of the Her Dreams campaign is the long-form film, which expands on the stories introduced in the short film. The project follows a series of interconnected narratives that illuminate the lived experiences surrounding Black motherhood: a birth doula and her partner navigating the emotional and financial realities of sustaining their calling; a NICU mother fighting fiercely for her baby’s life; an expectant mother preparing to cross the threshold into parenthood; the birth worker holding space in systems that often overlook Black women; and a policymaker grappling with the responsibility of creating change within institutions that have historically failed Black families.

Together, these stories reveal the emotional, spiritual, and economic weight carried by Black women throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. Rather than simply documenting hardship, Her Dreams centers the voices, courage, and determination of the women and birth workers who refuse to give up on Black mothers and babies.

The film campaign is not only a storytelling project—it is a platform for advocacy and action. Community screenings, panel discussions, and educational workshops accompany the film to foster dialogue between families, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community leaders. These conversations aim to expand awareness, strengthen culturally responsive care models, and support grassroots maternal health initiatives.

Supporting this work is Unshakeable Motherhood, a community-centered initiative dedicated to strengthening support systems for mothers during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Unshakeable Motherhood focuses on education, advocacy, and community-based resources that empower mothers to navigate healthcare systems while prioritizing rest, healing, and family stability. Through partnerships with doulas, community organizations, and public health programs, the initiative works to bridge gaps in care by connecting mothers to culturally affirming support, nutrition resources, and postpartum recovery services.

Together, the Her Dreams film campaign and the Unshakeable Motherhood initiative create a powerful ecosystem of storytelling and service—one that amplifies the voices of Black mothers, highlights the role of community birth workers, and calls for a more just and compassionate maternal healthcare system.

At its heart, Her Dreams is both a love letter and a call to action—honoring the women who continue to advocate for Black mothers and babies while demanding a future where every mother is seen, heard, and supported.

 

Her Dreams 2026 Teaser & Cast Sneak Peek
https://galleries.vidflow.co/vojj6b3u

Donate Here

 

Visible Hands

Visible Hands creates a cohort of community mental health workers who are certified to perform ICT, a unique form of community therapy that requires only short-term training, can accommodate groups from 15-200 people, and can be performed successfully in an online format.

 

 

Seasons Project- DEMASKUS Theater Collective

Note on Commercial Theater by Langston Hughes

You’ve taken my blues and gone

You sing ’em on Broadway

And you sing ’em in Hollywood Bowl,

And you mix them up with symphonies

And you fix ’em

So they don’t sound like me.

Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.

 

You also took spirituals and gone.

You put me in Macbeth and Carmen Jones

And all kinds of Swing Mikados

And in everything but what’s about me

But someday somebody’ll

Stand up and talk about me,

And write about me

Black and beautiful

And sing about me,

And put on plays about me!

I reckon it’ll be

Me myself!

Yes, it’ll be me.

 

DEMASKUS is a national service-oriented collective of artists and administrators seeking to make known the messages of the marginalized. We achieve this through the production and presentation of quality, compassionate, and inclusive artistic events. Everything around us is changing, but our purpose has not. Now more than ever, we must share profound truths from formally marginalized voices that refuse to go unheard and may even offer solutions and solace in a world in dire need of uncompromising reminders of what makes us most humane.

Most Christians will immediately associate DEMASKUS with Damascus–the Syrian capital that is home to the road where Saul of Tarsus had his transformative encounter with God. God struck Saul blind and confronted him about his past. High-born and scholarly, Saul was prone to violence toward early adopters of Christianity. The Collective’s name embodies the idea of revealing the truths that lie beneath the mask(s) of our own blind behavior and beliefs. Art, at its best, helps us to rethink and reimagine that which we think we know. Consciously removing a metaphorical mask certainly requires self-examination. (Based on an exchange with DTC member the Rev. Dr. Leah Lewis, J.D., alluding to Acts 9:1-8). Another source of inspiration for our work is the historic and notable poem, We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Whatever the masks you wear, we invite you to lay them down and join us on a journey filled with crossroads, but free from the expectations and oppressive standards of others. Our art is about us, made by us at times and is always for us.  There is freedom here. Welcome home.

 

Images: You Wouldn’t Expect Production Photos © Martha Rial
Images: WINE IN THE WILDERNESS- Production Photos © Sager McDill

 

Donate Here

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

OUR MISSION

The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books (GPFB) showcases Pittsburgh’s historic, vital role on the national and international literary stage.   Readers, writers, booksellers, publishers, critics, educators, and neighbors will connect with, learn from, and support each other. With free, diverse programming featuring nationally recognized authors (many living in Western Pennsylvania), and across age, genre, and background, the Festival will celebrate the joys of literacy.

WHY PITTSBURGH?

Pittsburgh is a city filled with both national best-selling authors and budding writers, as well as established literary organizations; university presses; publishers of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction; independent and used bookstores; an active literary and arts community; and readers of all ages.

An annual Pittsburgh book festival will tie all these assets together in one celebration. What’s more, book fairs and festivals create and support a community of readers, attract all ages, introduce and enhance a lifelong love of literature in young readers. 

 

Donate Here

STEM Leadership Center

The STEM Leadership Center offers a space and support for youth in grades 6-16 to pursue real-world projects in science and technology.   The Center works with our Odyssey Fellows to partner with leaders around the world seeking to solve the real problems, to make meaningful projects possible, and to stoke the fires of what makes them passionate imagineers of a more beautiful world. Fellows tell the stories of today’s scientific and technological breakthroughs through published books, web resources, electronics prototypes, YouTube videos, games, virtual and augmented realities, and mobile apps.  Odyssey Fellows, with the help of our project managers, take their creations to regional and national STEM competitions, science fairs and maker faires.

We accept donations to support those fellows whose families cannot afford the monthly lab access fees.  Donors may choose which fellowships to direct their monies to: 

Current fellowships include:

  • Heroes of Math: Promoting a new Heroes of Math Medal for school to 3D print and award annually to a student of their choice.  heroesofmath.weebly.com/

  • Charging into the Future: Investigating advances in battery technology of Electric Vehicles. chargingintothefuture.weebly.com/

  • 4 Step Robotics: Prototyping a robotic kitten for use in Alzheimer’s research and treatment.  4steprobotics.weebly.com/

  • River Robots: Programming solutions to Ohio River water pollution riverrobots.weebly.com/

  • Bridge Builders of Tomorrow: Looking at new tech in bridge building and repair. bridgebuildersoftomorrow.weebly.com/

  • Into Words:  Online Workshops and meetings centered around teaching effective communication skills. intowordsclub.weebly.com/

  • Catching RFID Waves: Celebrating RFID Tech and the IoT catchingrfidwaves.weebly.com/

  • Taking Root: Building a text based choose your own adventure Python game centered around the life of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Awardee Wangari Mathai.

Fellowships continue throughout the year.  Any royalties or profits are donated to charities chosen by each fellowship. 

Contact Information
stemleadershipcenter.com

 

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid provides resources and community support to low-wage restaurant and hospitality workers who have lost financial, housing, food, and healthcare security. Built as a coalition of service industry workers in response to the economic distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, our goal is to create a mutual aid network that can address immediate needs, through this crisis and beyond, by distributing food, baby necessities, pet care items, cleaning and hygiene products, and small emergency cash grants.

In response to the closure of dine-in facilities in Allegheny County on March 15th, we partnered with the Irma Freeman Center in Garfield to set up the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid Food Distribution Center. Since then, we have delivered close to 400 care packages to the front doors of low-wage restaurant workers in the region, from our next door neighbors to folks in neighboring counties. Our Food Distribution Center acts as a hub to collect donations from community members and partner organizations, assemble care packages, serve meals, allow neighbors to pick up groceries, and send out volunteer drivers with deliveries. These resources will aid low-wage neighbors to maintain food security for themselves and their families during times of need.

Through reaching out to our greater community for support, the folks who eat at our tables and celebrate at our bars, the communities around us that benefit from the vibrant culture created in our dining rooms and on our stages, we will be able to better recover from these hard times and welcome our guests back with open arms.

Make Music Pittsburgh

Make Music Pittsburgh’s mission is to connect all Pittsburgh community members, regardless of age, musical experience, or ability, to make and enjoy music every summer solstice, while also encouraging further participation in music-making.

Every year on June 21st, Pittsburgh neighborhoods are filled with music making opportunities. Make Music Pittsburgh aims to enhance the cultural vibrancy of every neighborhood in Pittsburgh by supporting the existing musical events, music friendly venues, and citizens interested in participatory music making opportunities. They facilitate events to play music outdoors and celebrate the joy and curiosity music can bring a community.

Make Music Pittsburgh aims to build a city where all community members are enabled to make music and feel connected and supported in their musical engagement.

Brown Mamas

What started out as a group of moms meeting in a living room has grown into a community of over 6400 Black moms in the Pittsburgh region, and over 10,000 moms nationally.

That day in early summer, a few women gathered to talk about their common struggles and joys in raising Black children. Muffy was at the tail end of fighting postpartum depression and felt she’d found her tribe. The small gathering transformed to a Facebook group where moms could vent, ask for support and find each other.  That Facebook group grew into programs that support the social and emotional needs of mothers.  The stories spilling out of these interactions built a stage where moms can liberate themselves by sharing their stories with the masses through the Brown Mama Monologues.

Today, Brown Mamas is so much more than a group of moms.  It is a testament to their original idea that making moms better moms, makes dads better dads, children become better adults and, ultimately, communities become better communities.

Donate Here

Contact Us
hello@brownmamas.com

District PGH

Our region faces urgent challenges which cannot be solved by any singular entity.

District PGH is a network of local organizations working to accelerate neighborhood and district-scale sustainable development that promotes climate resilience and equity in the greater Pittsburgh region. District PGH works with communities, professionals, and academics to research and assess, scale adoption of projects and initiatives, advocate for resources and policy, and organize convenings that forward the practice of ecodistricts in our region.
In late 2022, District PGH members New Sun Rising, Green Building Alliance, Sustainable Pittsburgh, The Forbes Funds, and evolveEA analyzed the strengths and challenges of our sustainability ecosystem to identify leverage points for systems change. Together we committed to work towards the following goals:
  1. To strengthen the ability of local communities to identify, apply for, manage, and implement sustainability grants
  2. To increase accessibility of sustainability resources and technical assistance
  3. To support the development and communication of regional sustainability narratives

 

The four primary activities that District PGH organizations utilize to accelerate sustainable and equitable development include research, scale, convening, and advocacy.  Learn more about these resources in our Sustainable Communities Guide.

RESEARCH

District PGH will perform assessments and provide research to make the case

that all development should be sustainable development.

 

SCALE

District PGH will provide technical assistance to increase planning initiatives

and for the implementation of sustainable developments.

 

CONVENE

District PGH will promote regional, cross sectorial partnerships and learning

between community members, academics, and professionals.

 

ADVOCATE

District PGH will increase awareness of successful models and advocate

for policy change and investments at the municipal, county, and state level. 

 

 

ReEngage Conference

ReEngage is a live conference that inspires and empowers veterans to embrace their post-military purpose, connect to resources within their communities, and take the next step towards their greatest potential. It also provides an opportunity for community members to connect to the veterans around them and better understand their journeys.

The inaugural conference will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District. There will be interactive breakout sessions, dynamic panel discussions, and motivational keynote speakers, including Pittsburgh Steelers legend and Vietnam war veteran, Rocky Bleier.

ReEngage is honored to partner with the following organizations for the 2020 conference: Veterans Breakfast Club, The Mission Continues, Veterans Leadership Program, Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, Operation Homefront, Adventures in Training with a Purpose, The Vet Center, Robert Morris University’s Center for Veterans and Military Families, and Duquesne University’s Office for Military and Veteran Students.

NOMA PGH

Our Project Pipeline Programming is designed to provide educational and mentoring opportunities for minority students as they matriculate through grade school, college, and the process of becoming licensed architects upon graduation.

We currently facilitate education programs for youth in Middle & High School through our annual architecture camp and design workshops. Providing students with exposure to architecture at a young age gives each child an opportunity to discover their artistic and technical passions early in their educational development. Students, parents, teachers, and counselors can then place students in classes that will build on the student’s interest in architecture and design.

As our older students enter college, we provide mentoring opportunities, portfolio reviews, and job shadowing experiences to give students a chance to walk a day in the shoes of an architect. We also encourage college students to join or even start a local NOMAS student chapter at their respective colleges and universities.

After college, we support emerging professionals through the Architectural Registration Exams by providing access to study materials, mentoring and study cohort groups. Our Licensed professionals have the opportunity to serve as mentors, grow as business owners and become key players at some of Pittsburgh’s most respected architecture firms.

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