The Resilient Foundations Project

The Resilient Foundations Project is dedicated to empowering families and caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses through free, accessible education, and resource linking. We believe families and caregivers deserve access to education, support, and tools that empower them, not just to care for their loved ones, but to thrive themselves.

The RF Project exists to create a world where no caregiver feels alone, uninformed, or unsupported. Through workshops, one-on-one education sessions, and resource-sharing, we equip caregivers with practical tools to navigate the challenges of mental health care, reduce stigma, and advocate for their loved ones with confidence. Our work is grounded in equity, trauma-informed care, and a commitment to meeting caregivers where they are.

Empowering Caregivers. Strengthening Communities. Navigating Serious Mental Illness Together.

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The Healing House

As a large-scale investment for food justice, Royally Fit aims to create a food hub and community safe third space called The Healing House, operating it for the distribution of nutritionally-tailored CSA boxes along with nutrition education programs, workshops and partnerships with agricultural stakeholders. Serving as the first phase of building The Healing Village, The Healing House will empower individuals and our communities with the access, knowledge and skills to improve lives through better nutrition and regenerative agriculture.

We seek to support families in underserved communities in a simple, healthy way with The Healing House, serving as an introduction to wellness routines which are important at every stage of life. We intend to catalyze this transformation through produce prescription boxes (nutritionally tailored distributions of fresh fruit and vegetables), herbalism and nutrition education, and improved connections with healthcare partners.

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Ignite Environmental Justice (EJ)

Education and mentoring workshops to help develop and communicate your community project

Do you or your community envision a project that could improve health, climate resilience, and/or economic opportunity? Nonprofits, municipal leaders, and residents in Allegheny or Beaver County are encouraged to get support by attending an Ignite EJ workshop. Participants will be better informed about how Environmental Justice relates to their community project and accessing federal Justice 40 grants, while receiving support to develop and communicate their project plan.

The Environmental Justice designation identifies communities that are considered disadvantaged due to exceeding the burden thresholds established in one or more of the following areas: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, waste & wastewater, and workforce development, and an associated socioeconomic burden.

New Sun Rising and RiverWise invite you to receive support designing and pitching their community project. Participants will be better informed about how Justice 40 and Environmental Justice relates to their community project as well as how to prepare for government funding opportunities. Learn more about our Justice 40 Opportunity Navigator and EJ census tracts in Allegheny and Beaver County here.

SUPPORTED PROJECTS

Over 30 projects received support and three projects who won the pitch competition were given direct admission into the Launch EJ Incubator: Ginger Brooks Takahashi for General Sisters, Mary Alice Gettings for Aliquippa Food Co-op, and Ebony Lunsford Evans for Out of the End Incorporated.

DATES + TIMES

We encourage you and one additional team member to register for the workshop nearest your project location.

Allegheny Valley: Thursday, May 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub, 112 E. Sherman Street, Millvale, PA 15209
Ohio Valley: Wednesday, May 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Whitted Media Content House, 507 Seventh Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010. Deadline to apply is May 20th at 8PM.
Monongahela Valley: Thursday, May 30 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Clairton Family Center, 734 Miller Ave, Clairton, PA 15025. Deadline to apply is May 28th at 8PM.

***Projects who attend an Ignite EJ workshop will be given preference for the Launch EJ incubator (details to be announced June 2024)

WHAT TO EXPECT

Workshop participants will benefit through:

Education: Get knowledgeable about the concepts of environmental justice, resilience, and Justice 40 funding opportunities
Mentorship: Receive support to develop and communicate your project plan
Advocacy: Practice pitching your project benefits and needs through an optional pitch competition

The categories of investment that fall under Justice 40 include areas like: climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure. All participants in the pitch event will be connected with SWPA Municipal Project Hub support for developing community-serving projects.

The Justice 40 Opportunity Navigator is a partnership between New Sun Rising and RiverWise.

Care Landlord Training Program

Mission Statement

By demystifying the complexities of property management, we aspire to cultivate a generation of informed, responsible, and successful landlords. These informed and supported individuals will begin the steps to acquiring and preserving intergenerational wealth.

Program Description

We will provide the tools and information to help individuals become successful and sustainable landlord stakeholders in the community. We will make sure the participants understand the rigors, challenges and expenses of owning and properly maintaining a property. This training will assist them in planning for long term success. Approaching the landlord model in the lens of a small business owner who must take into account R.O.I, forecasting, and understanding the expenses of running their small business.

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Energy Efficiency Empowerment (E3)

Energy Efficiency Empowerment builds upon the rich legacy of Conservation Consultants, Inc., a nonprofit organization that dedicated over 40 years to promoting energy efficiency and conservation in Pittsburgh.

Our knowledge base is rooted in years of serving local homeowners and conducting over 400 energy audits from 2017 to 2020. These audits focused on middle- and lower-income single-family homes.

Among the key findings, we discovered:

44% of homes had uninsulated framed walls, while 24% featured brick/masonry walls without frames—markedly higher than the national average of 1.5%.
Average home air leakage was found to be twice as large as the national average, measuring at 17 ACH@50 Pascals (5136 CFM@50).
Additionally, 13% of homes lacked any attic insulation, exacerbating energy inefficiency. As a result, the energy use in such homes is roughly 40% higher than in the rest of the Northeast.
Even newly renovated homes often miss out on basic energy efficiency features.

Energy Efficiency Empowerment is here to illuminate these issues and assist those who aspire to do better. Our vision is to transform the home renovation processes, reducing the amount of energy needed to heat and cool our dwellings. By doing so, we aim to make a positive impact on carbon emissions and climate preservation.

To achieve this goal, Energy Efficiency Empowerment employs a comprehensive approach with the following components:

Home Performance Measurements
Energy Modeling and Recommendations
Project Plans Review, Efficiency-Related Specs, and Product Guidance
Expert Technical Advice
Hands-On Training for Contractors and Project Managers
Supportive Funding to Enhance Efficiency, When Available
Site Visits, Quality Control, and Verification
Scoring of Final Home Performance Achievement

Our motto is simple: Making 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.

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Violence Prevention Network

The RESTORE project aims to prevent violent extremism by harnessing the powerful role of trusted community leaders. We believe, whether social workers, school counselors, healthcare professionals, faith leaders, or therapists, these community leaders can play a crucial role to support ideologically motivated members of our communities to reject hate and abandon violence and instead engage in new ways of thinking and acting.

The RESTORE training offers evidence-based tools and methodologies for working with ideologically motivated individuals. It is crucial to our RESTORE model that participating community leaders stay embedded in the personal and/or professional contexts in which they already have legitimacy and authentic relationships. So participating in the RESTORE training does not mean taking on an entirely new professional role, but allows community leaders to integrate a new purpose and new competencies within their existing work.

We are looking for you, if…

you know or work with folks who may be immersed in or exploring ideologies that justify hate and violence under the guise of protecting self, family, community or nation, or
you know or work with folks who may be becoming convinced of conspiracy theories that can lead to hateful actions against certain groups of people, or
you feel a calling to join efforts to prevent radicalization to violence in your community and/or your professional context, and
you want support in how to make sure vulnerable individuals don’t give in to hate, instead
you want to strengthen their ability to tolerate folks who may not share their opinions.
you can imagine working with individuals who are vulnerable to extremist messaging without resorting to shaming or humiliation, and
you are valued, supported, and trusted within your community and by the folks with whom you work.

If this sounds like you, we would love for you to apply for the RESTORE training!

What will I learn as part of the RESTORE training?

The training provides the unique opportunity to build upon existing professional skills and experiences and apply new methods and approaches to working with ideologically motivated individuals.

You will gain understanding of different possible paths of radicalization to violence, information about violent extremist groups and violent ideologies, and how to engage with individuals vulnerable or already ideologically committed to extremist views.
You will be introduced to proven approaches, tools, and methods by our trainers and coaches, who have decades of experience working directly with violent extremists.
You will gain a network of other professionals working in the field of preventing violent extremism.

Quick facts about the training:

The training runs from May 19 to September 25, 2023, and consists of both in-person and online, synchronous and asynchronous components, with 10.5 days of full-time, in-person training as well as ten 2-hour online live training sessions (for a total of 104 “in-class” training hours).
The three in-person training modules will run from Friday to Monday. Location of in-person training days will be Pittsburgh, PA.
The training, all course materials, meals, and accommodation (if needed) are offered free of cost to a limited number of trainees. Additionally, both needs- and merit-based scholarships / sponsorships are available to compensate trainees (and/or their employers) for time spent in training.
A maximum of 15 carefully selected trainees will be accepted to participate in the RESTORE training.
Trainees, who successfully complete the training may be invited to join our 12-month RESTORE pilot project. Compensation for participating in the RESTORE pilot project will be offered to successful trainees and/or their employers based on case load and previous experience.
Application deadline to participate in the RESTORE training is April 14, 2023. Please email us at usa@violence-prevention-network.com to receive more information about the training and apply here.

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Ignite Creative Advocacy

A mentoring workshop + pitch competition to plan your advocacy campaign

Do you or your community have a need that could benefit from advocacy? While advocacy is often focused on changing public policy, creative advocacy includes a broader set of strategies. Maybe you need to share information to create awareness about an important issue. Or maybe your cause needs to inspire people to become better connected and engaged. Your advocacy could also be focused on mobilizing resources to take action such as fundraising.

Whatever the reason, community advocates and nonprofit leaders were encouraged to apply for the Ignite Creative Advocacy workshop: a virtual event held on March 30, 2023. Participants will receive support to develop an advocacy campaign plan that uses public forms of engagement and artistic practice to disrupt prevailing narratives and strengthen community movement toward their goals.

The workshop will include information about concepts and strategies from the Creative Advocacy Playbook, mentoring to develop your campaign plan, and an optional pitch competition where participants share their plans with a panel of judges. Three Creative Advocacy campaigns will then be selected to each receive a $5000 grant and technical assistance to support the implementation of their plan. The Creative Advocacy initiative is a partnership between New Sun Rising and RiverWise as part of their efforts to build community capacity and power across Allegheny and Beaver Counties.

The application deadline for this workshop has passed.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

1:00 – 1:30 Introduction + Learning

1:30 – 2:30 Campaign Building Breakouts with Mentors

2:30 – 3:00 Campaign Pitches

Kiva City Pittsburgh

Kiva Pittsburgh helps financially excluded entrepreneurs fund their dreams by providing access to 0% interest capital and a community of 1.8 million supportive lenders. Over 200 businesses in Southwestern Pennsylvania have received Kiva loans!

New Sun Rising partnered with Kiva and the Segal Family Foundation to establish this service in the Pittsburgh market.

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

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2020 Community Small Business Workshops

A mentoring workshop to build your business or nonprofit

Do you have an existing business or nonprofit that improves your community? Get mentoring support and connected to resources that can help you succeed during a 2 hour Small Business Workshop. Accepted applicants receive a $150 cash stipend, real time guidance from professional mentors to develop an action plan, and ongoing entrepreneurial resource navigator support. $1500 of additional financial awards will be given at each workshop.

THE WORKSHOPS

Businesses or Nonprofits who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for one of the following sessions:

Wilkinsburg – July 18: in partnership with Community Forge
Hilltop – August 8: in partnership with Fresh Fest and Work Hard Pittsburgh
Homewood – August 15: in partnership with Bible Center Church, HBBA, Neighborhood Allies

Each 2 hour workshop will be held virtually, focused on strengthening the individual needs of your organization. Mentors will assist leaders to identify immediate steps and resources in the following areas:

Defining client needs + Communicating your value
Strengthening financial preparedness + operations
Identifying program/service pivots related to COVID-19
Understanding adaptive leadership

ELIGIBILITY

The following criteria will be used to select workshop attendees, as reported on the application:

Operations primarily located in or serving the workshop’s host community
Legally incorporated and generating income
Openness to new information and mentor guidance
Committed to full participation on workshop date/times

The 2002 Community Small Business Workshops are made possible through the support of BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA.

NSR Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund (the “Fund”) provides up to $5,000 to small businesses and nonprofits who demonstrate critical economic needs as a result of unemployment or underemployment due to the COVID-19 crisis.

NSR is committed to increasing data sharing and transparency. Please click the Fund Overview image to learn more about applicants, funded organizations, and community needs supported. Special thanks to the generous and timely support of the Hillman Foundation for providing $100,000 in seed funding. Applications are currently closed due to depletion of funds. If you are interested to contribute or partner, please email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org or consider making a donation.

Successful applicants receive funds and technical assistance by selecting between two options:

Loan Repayment. Organizations who do not elect the Loan Forgiveness option will enter into a standard loan agreement (0% interest, 3 year term, 6 month no payments)
Vibrancy Corps (Loan Forgiveness). Organizations that elect to participate in the Vibrancy Corps are eligible for full loan forgiveness. The Vibrancy Corps requires organizations to make a 1-3 month commitment to use funds to implement projects which address community needs. Failure to complete a final report of Vibrancy Corps activity will result in a default to the Loan Repayment option.
- Create Impact. Use your organization’s products, services, or staff to address a validated community need, improve public health and safety, or help other organizations to improve their operations or generate income during COVID-19 recovery. Positive community impacts of your work should be reasonably expected within 30 days. Note: Vibrancy Corps activity will be reported as 1099 activity for individuals and for-profit businesses, and as an award to non-profits.
- Connect. Attend a 1-hour phone or online weekly support meeting with other Corps members. Provide photos of you and your team doing this work so we can amplify your organization through our media channels.
- Be Flexible. We encourage flexibility, creativity, and adaptiveness when proposing Vibrancy Corps projects. Organizations will have the opportunity to share high level details in the program application.

Fund availability is contingent upon available financial resources. New Sun Rising reserves the right to adapt Fund goals at any time to reflect the emerging nature of community needs.

ELIGIBILITY, APPLICATION, + DETERMINATION

Nonprofits, for profit businesses, social enterprises, and cooperatives in Allegheny and Beaver County, are all eligible to apply. New Sun Rising reserves the right to prioritize support for organizations who have previously participated in our programs. Organizations are not eligible if they have received Crisis Mitigation Relief Funds in the last 12 months, are seeking support for candidate campaigns or other partisan activity, leadership transitions, or start up costs.

Applications to the Fund are to be completed online or, if technology creates a barrier, through an application interview scheduled by emailing vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. All applicants are vetted by a diverse Fund Committee, composed of New Sun Rising staff and community representatives, following the Selection Criteria.

Initial application deadline has passed on April 3rd. Applications received by 11:59PM on the deadline dates will receive a notification of their status within one week. Additional dates will be communicated through the New Sun Rising website (newsunrising.org) and social media accounts as determined by fund availability.

SUPPORT

As part of the Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund, New Sun Rising and program partners will also provide recipients with support services and educational opportunities. This could include topics such as operations, human resources, finances, and leadership resilience to support organizations through the crisis. Peer support will occur through weekly Vibrancy Corps check ins.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Due to the rapid response nature of this Fund and evolving community conditions, the following criteria will be used to guide due diligence. All decisions will be made by a diverse Fund Committee, including New Sun Rising staff and community representatives, according to the NSR Vibrancy Score Rubric and prioritized using the following criteria:

Values: Organizations who demonstrate a commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion throughout their staff, the people they serve, and community partners that are most impacted by racial and economic inequities will be prioritized. (e.g. communities of color, immigrants, refugees, formerly incarcerated residents, youth, low-wage workers, people with disabilities, low-income residents, LGBTQ community members, etc.)
Need: Organizations who demonstrate a critical need for funds due to unemployment or underemployment since the COVID-19 breakout will be prioritized.
Impact: Organizations who have products or services that serve basic human needs, public health and safety, or help other organizations to operate virtually or generate income will be prioritized. Operations must occur within publicly accepted and government mandated public health and safety standards.

Applications Currently Closed

The Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund is made possible through the responsive and extraordinary support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation. Please consider a donation to help us support more organizations and leaders through this crisis.

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.

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