ONS Mini-Grants ’empower’ community members, support projects

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Alyse Horn

Above: Marlo Jones helps women learn how to crochet at a senior citizens home on the Northside.

Northside neighbors with small-scale projects are able to utilize the One Northside Mini-Grant program to get their ideas off the ground, with the next application deadline being January 30, 2020.

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

Cecelia Ware has been an advocate for the mini-grant program since she began applying for different projects several years ago, and believes that community members can feel “empowered” by engaging with their neighbors in this way.

“If you’ve got something that you want to share with the community, why not apply for a mini-grant and go ahead and do it?” Ware said.

The mini-grants were first supervised by The Sprout Fund, and when the nonprofit sunset, New Sun Rising took over the process in 2018. Ware applied for funding with both organizations, initially because she “needed to do work in [her] community” and wanted to help kids that may be navigating difficult experiences.

Ware has been awarded several mini-grants over the years, her first being the Saving Our Sons and Daughters after school program at Propel Northside that focuses on violence prevention and coping skills for high school students. Her current mini-grant project is an extension of the first, and is a Teen Drop in Center at 3577 McClure Ave. to ensure that students are supported beyond the school year. She said they are always looking volunteers, and those interested can email infinitelifestylesol@gmail.com.

“We still focus on violence prevention, but also social justice and African American history as well as leadership skills,” Ware said. “We provide the kids with a free meal, and we have a food bank and clothing bank so they can take those things home if needed.”

For Marlo Jones, this was the first year she applied for a mini-grant. As a talented crocheter, Jones wanted to share her craft through The Crochet Group, where she visits senior citizens each week and teaches them the basics of crocheting to create a beginner scarf or hat.

Jones said the mini-grant has helped her cover the costs of supplies, so each participate can choose and take with them several different yarn colors and their own pair of needles. She also uses a projector to present the different crochet techniques in an easy to digest fashion. She said the experience has been great for those involved.

“This is a safe environment, and people can talk and share what’s been going on in their lives” Jones said. “ It’s therapeutic… to start from nothing and create something beautiful with your hands.”

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising by January 30, 2020 will receive a decision in February 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the mini-grant funding pool is depleted, and the next mini-grant deadline is March 31, 2020.

The preferred method of submitting applications it to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/. Printing applications are accepted by postal mail, or via email attachment sent to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 1, 2020.

Upcoming ONS Mini-Grant deadline January 30, 2020

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Alyse Horn

The upcoming One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline is January 30, 2020.

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by this date will receive a decision in February 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and the next mini-grant deadline is March 31 of 2020.

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 accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/

Printed applications are accepted by postal mail. You may also submit your applications as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 1, 2020.

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. Please contact vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org for additional information.

The ONS Street Team will launch early next year. Stay tuned for future announcements. Those with questions may email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org.

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.

SNO secures home base for sustainable, civic engagement initiatives

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Brittany Reno, Executive Director of Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization, standing outside of the building that SNO closed on in September 2019.

During the summer of 2013, Brittany Reno was rounding out her first year of AmeriCorps and was given the opportunity to do a service project in the neighborhood she had moved to earlier that year: Sharpsburg.

The event, dubbed Smiles and Tiles Day, was a public art project that brought kids and their family members out to the 16th Street Park to paint ceramic tiles that would become a mural, which was put on display at the community library and is still there today.

“People were so excited about it and wanted to do more, and everybody had all these great ideas,” Reno said. “I wanted to give them some structure to make the ideas happen, so I started Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization (SNO).”

It began with a two-page Word document and a board of local volunteers, with Reno leading the organizing. In 2016, SNO received funding for operations and programs from the UPMC Health Plan, First National Bank, Giant Eagle, and the Hillman Foundation, and the board created a hiring process to find an executive director. Reno, who was not on the board, applied, interviewed, and got the job.

Sharpsburg Mayor Matthew Rudzki said before SNO there were residents and allies putting in work to rejuvenate the borough, but there was “trouble getting traction.”

“What SNO brought to the table was an umbrella organization with terrific leadership to rally that energy into one focused goal: the revival of our community,” Rudzki said. “The pieces of the puzzle were always there; we needed the glue to get them to stick together.”

Until recently, Reno was running the organization out of a home office and traveling to meetings around the community every day—literally “meeting people where they were”—or holding them at Brother Tom’s Bakery, the Sharpsburg Community Library, and other local spots. She said she felt like a “nomad,” but that it felt good to have people visiting the Sharpsburg business district and for her to “bring people here and show them everything I love about Sharpsburg and the great people who live here.”

Reno giving Triboro Ecodistrict Advisory Board members a tour of the buildings upstairs apartment.

Today, Reno will soon be able to invite visitors to 511 S. Main St., the location of the building that the neighborhood organization closed on this September and will use as the home base for its operations and community organizing workshops in the form of the new Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement Center. The building itself was built around 1900 and the last occupant was a small business owner who made significant repairs to make the building more accessible and safe. Along with providing the organization a space to hold day-to-day activities, there is also an upstairs apartment that SNO will rent out to cover the mortgage payments and eventually “become a source of sustainable unrestricted revenue” for SNO, Reno said.

Shanna Carrick, SNO Board President, said a handful of other locations were considered, but in the end they ended up finding “the perfect building.”

“For the last two years we’ve been saying we wished we had a space to hold public meetings with residents to talk about the ecodistrict and the different needs we have in the community,” Carrick said. Now, thanks to support from the Hillman Foundation, UPMC Health Plan, and First National Bank, they have that space.

As well as a meeting place for people to organize and advocate for things they want to see in the community and region, the building will serve as an example for solar energy and flood retrofitting, and give residents access to real-time air quality data. Reno said SNO is working with EIS Solar, who has created a layout for the solar panels and previously completed the installation at the Sharpsburg Community Library, but the roof will be replaced before the installation in the spring.

“We really want this space to provide an opportunity [for the community] to interact with new, green technologies and see what they’re all about and how they can help people beyond just being good sustainability investments for the environment,” Reno said.

Using solar to power the building will reduce operating costs and provide results comparable to the outcomes expected by the solar installation on the Sharpsburg Community Library. Every dollar saved through solar can be reinvested back into the community resulting in longer library hours or more funding for programs.

Reno said she is excited to demonstrate how solar can be a viable source of energy for Sharpsburg and showing how much energy will be generated minute-by-minute, and in turn how much money is being saved, as well as how much the installation is saving the building in carbon dioxide emissions.

These initiatives fall in line with the Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan, which was built over two years of local stakeholder engagement on the foundation of the Sharpsburg and Triboro Ecodistrict priorities including: equity, food, water, energy, mobility, and air quality.

“The plan is for this space to be a real civic engagement hub where people can learn about the community vision plan, get more involved in the community and local government, learn about resources for starting a local business, and learn about green technology and different opportunities for jobs and education in that field,” Reno said. “They can share their feedback on the plan and share their knowledge about life in Sharpsburg, the history of Sharpsburg, or whatever it is that they’re passionate about.”

After SNO secures its occupancy permit, the organization will open its doors with a community celebration and open house in the winter. Supporters can help cover start-up costs for SNO’s Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement Center at 511 S. Main St. by making a tax-deductible donation at https://www.paypal.me/sharpsburg or by sending donations to 511 S. Main St.

Next One Northside Mini-Grant deadline October 31, 2019

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Pittsburgh, PA — The upcoming One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline on October 31, 2019 is the last for this calendar year. The following deadline is January 30, 2020.

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by Oct. 31 will receive a decision in November 2019. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but those submitted after the Oct. 31 deadline will not receive a decision until February 2020.

NSR encourages prospective applicants to attend the next Open Office Hours to learn more about the mini-grant process in advance of preparing their application, which will be Monday, Oct. 21 from 1-2:30 p.m. at Woods Run Library, 1201 Woods Run Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Contact

For mini-grant applicants, the preferred method for submitting your application is to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/

About New Sun Rising

About One Northside

Community XR

Community XR is an opportunity for Pittsburghers to try virtual and augmented reality for free. This series of events is a collaboration between Pittsburgh Community Television<https://www.pctv21.org/> and XRconnectED<http://www.xrconnected.com/> and rotates to different locations throughout the city. Community XR promotes digital literacy and encourages Pittsburgh residents to learn how they can create for XR and about related educational and career opportunities. This is a family-friendly event, including AR coloring activities for children. The first Community XR event takes place on Saturday, October 12, at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub at 112 E Sherman St, Millvale, PA 15209. Click here for more info and to register.

ONS Mini-Grant applications being accepted now through 2020

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Melanie Sandoval reads with Aaron, a student from Spring Hill Elementary School involved in the after school reading program the Comic Book Shop, which received a 2018 ONS Mini-Grant.

Sometimes a lot of funding is needed to get a project off the ground, and sometimes it isn’t.

For those small-scale community projects, New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grants are back. Created to support community members in their efforts to elevate their neighborhoods, Northsiders can apply to receive $1,000 in funding to support initiatives that strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and activate significant places in their community.

Applications will be released on August 1, 2019, accepted on an ongoing basis, and reviewed bi-monthly. Deadlines to submit applications is 11:59 p.m. on: August 31, 2019; October 31, 2019; January 30, 2019; March 31, 2020; May 31, 2020 based on the availability of funds.

One Northside Mini-Grants will be announced in September 2019, November 2019, February 2020, April 2020, and June 2020.

Grant recipients may also receive additional support through New Sun Rising and the One Northside Mini-Grant Street Team to develop their project and secure additional resources. Applications are currently being accepted for those who would like to join the Street Team; they must be Northside residents and will support community members in their efforts to advance the ONS vision.

Members of the Street Team will receive a stipend of $1,500 and must be able to commit 60 hours in total, including training, throughout the months of August, September, October, November in 2019 and February 2020. Individuals of the Street Team are expected to educate and support community members about ONS Mini-Grants and help submit applications, as well as communicate the mini-grant program with residents and program partners individually and at neighborhood events.

Individuals who are awarded mini-grants may be able to find additional funding through ioby, which gives local leaders the ability to crowdfund the resources they need to build real, lasting change from the ground up. Pittsburghers specifically have raised over $500,000 for community programs. Currently, the ioby One Northside Crowdfunding Challenge will double donations to Northside projects.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend Information Workshops to meet with New Sun Rising staff and the One Northside Mini-Grant Street Team to learn more about the application process. Additionally, the Street Team will be available for informal meet-ups at community locations as requested. Check the schedule online at www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside for workshop locations, dates, and times. Contact New Sun Rising staff with your inquiry or other questions by phone (412) 407-9007 or email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. If you’re interested in hosting an information session in your neighborhood, please let us know.

Interested applicants are invited to attend the One Northside Community Project Support Slam Kickoff event from 6-8 p.m. on August 21 to honor past grantees and share information about ONS and ioby. Location is to be decided and updates will be posted on New Sun Rising’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

New Sun Rising is also seeking up to five community members to serve on the Mini-Grant Evaluation Committee, which will review applications virtually and meet six times over the coming year to discuss and approve them.

Those interested in becoming a member of the ONS Mini-Grant Street Team can send their resume or questions to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. This email can also be used to contact NSR for those interested in being on the Mini-Grant Evaluation Committee.

The preferred method to submit mini-grant applications is online at www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside.

Printed applications will be accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail. Individuals can also submit their application as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must end by August 1, 2020.

Diverse experience of director leads people to take action

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: Daniel Stiker (center) tabling for New Sun Rising at Pittonkatonk in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Leigh Solomon Pugliano)

The combination of passion and profession could be defined as soul work; the feeling of fulfillment through actively contributing to the common good. It’s something that most hope to obtain during their lifetimes and they’re fortunate to find it.

“Looking back at where I had joy and where I thought I could find it, and meaningful soul work, was with nonprofits,” said Daniel Stiker, the Director of Culture + Operations at New Sun Rising.

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Stiker left for several years in the late 1990s and moved to New York City. While there, he worked for a dotcom and got involved with the Beggar’s Group Theatre Club that primarily focused on underground and political performances. He said it was a life changing experience for him to be involved with a performing group that focused on important issues and “made a difference.”

“Theatre often moves people, sometimes to action, and that’s the theatre that I like,” Stiker said.

Similarly, nonprofit work is about moving people to action. Stiker said being heavily involved in theatre prepared him for his role in the nonprofit world and how to effectively communicate with people to create positive change.

Devin Montgomery, co-founder and executive director of Protohaven, began working with New Sun Rising in 2017 and Stiker was his primary contact. Montgomery said Protohaven was conceived to “preserve a community workshop” that would have otherwise disappeared without the fiscal sponsorship and guidance from NSR. Today, Montgomery said Protohaven is a nonprofit professional space for entrepreneurs and makers of any kind to create and scale their projects, “whatever that may be.”

“It was so helpful to go in as a new nonprofit and talk to someone who had a great deal of experience working with different funders and navigating [grant] requirements,” Montgomery said. “Dan has dealt with so many people in the same position that he really has a breadth of experience working with people in our situation that you don’t see in many other places.”

Stiker brings that cognizance to New Sun Rising, but it’s also what drew him to the nonprofit. When he returned to Pittsburgh in 2001, Stiker started a theatre company with Heather Lynn McNeish Gray and was able to land a tech support position with a large local nonprofit. Wanting to make more of an impact in the nonprofit realm, Stiker went back to university and obtained his bachelor’s and graduate degree in nonprofit management.

He began working with an organization that he loved, but still felt that he wasn’t fulfilling his soul work. So, in 2014 he founded the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival.

It was around this time Stiker heard about New Sun Rising and that it was looking for a board member. He ended up becoming the Vice Chair for the board with NSR Founder and Executive Director Scott Wolovich as Chair, and staff positions opened up as the nonprofit grew.

“At the time, and now, the mission of New Sun Rising is that soul work,” Stiker said. “It’s making an impact and working for the common good.”

Today, as the Director of Culture + Operations, Stiker works closely with Wolovich and Jamie Johnson, Manager of Performance Improvement. They touch base with every project, with Stiker and Johnson being the main contacts for fiscal sponsorships.

Ebony McQueen-Harris, founder and principal consultant at LEVELS Consulting, worked with Stiker around 2016 when she was managing Ignite Northside, a program under NSR that provides emerging social businesses and community project leaders with mentorship and development workshops. McQueen-Harris said what she has appreciated the most about Stiker is his realistic approach and support of those businesses and projects that NSR works with.

“Dan takes an objective stance when working with someone and asks ‘Is this business a viable fiscal sponsorship entity?’” McQueen-Harris said. “Business owners in the startup stage can be sensitive to critiques because it’s their baby, and I understand that, but Dan is kind of off the cuff and says, ‘This is your baby, but this is what I’m seeing and the things you need to consider.’”

Montgomery echoed this sentiment and said that Stiker’s ability to be “approachable and empathetic” makes it easy for others to open up and be frank during difficult conversations.

“That is very valuable and something about his personality that makes him suitable for the role he’s in.”

Work Hard Pittsburgh and New Sun Rising announce nearly $1 million in new funding for Hilltop workforce development

Posted on July 3, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Pittsburgh, PA – Work Hard Pittsburgh, in conjunction with New Sun Rising (NSR), will expand its workforce development and regional tech equity initiatives in Pittsburgh’s Hilltop neighborhoods, thanks to $950,000 in total funding commitments over two years from the Hillman Foundation and The Heinz Endowments

In its first year, 80 individuals will participate in job training programs with contracted partners, including the Academy PGH coding academy and Work Hard Pittsburgh. The Hilltop Workforce Development Program will provide equitable access to training, apprenticeships, and living wage job placement in tech and tech-adjacent industries primarily in Pittsburgh’s Hilltop and southern neighborhoods.

“Much of the disparity we see in who benefits from the tech economy can be linked to a lack of access. It is encouraging to see this significant investment in training and placement programs that are embedded within the community and directly informed by industry need,” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director of New Sun Rising.

The program will build off of the success of Academy PGH, a 12-week intensive coding academy that has placed over 80 participants into full-time careers since 2016. Half of all Academy participants are from underrepresented groups in tech, and graduates average a starting salary of $58,000. It will also extend into tech-adjacent careers, such as digital marketing and medical billing, a growing sector in which many socioeconomic groups are also underrepresented.

The Work Hard Pittsburgh digital media cooperative is currently working to establish a state-of-the-art training facility in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood, its home since 2012. Included in the new building will be a 25-person classroom, full media production suite, private offices, conference rooms, and coworking desk space. In the interim, WHPGH will use its existing facilities on East Warrington Ave. and partner with neighborhood organizations to begin training.

“Work Hard Pittsburgh is providing real opportunity. Not only economically, but through inclusivity, and we’ve made a decision to be intentional about it,” said Maximilian Dennison, Digital Inclusion and Equity Coordinator of Work Hard Pittsburgh.

Fifty percent of the slots for these new initiatives are reserved for demographics that are underrepresented in tech and tech-adjacent industries. Currently, only 10 percent and 12 percent of computer science majors are Black and Latino respectively, while 83 percent of tech executives are white. Furthermore, women in STEM make $16,000 less on average than their male counterparts, while Black and Latino people make $14,000 less than their white coworkers. The coming economic changes caused by emerging technologies means cause underserved and underrepresented populations will suffer the most from an increasing wealth gap.

About Work Hard Pittsburgh
Max Dennison and Josh Lucas, Executive Committee Members, Work Hard Pittsburgh
Info@workhardpgh.com
412-376-5111
Work Hard Pittsburgh is a cooperatively owned and operated business incubator that combines media and technology services with training, sales support, and access to capital. They provide entrepreneurs with a path to start, scale, and sustain their business ventures. Since 2016, WHPGH has generated over $1.25 million in paid contracts to tech and tech-adjacent gig economy workers, 50 percent of whom live below or near the poverty line.

About New Sun Rising
Scott Wolovich, Executive Director, New Sun Rising
scott@newsunrising.org
412-855-7433
New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that all 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.

Nonprofits prepare for accelerator program’s final pitch event

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: The SVP Full Circle Spring 2019 Cohort and SVP Partners during a happy hour and networking event in May at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub.

While they embody different missions, the common thread amongst the SVP Full Circle Spring 2019 Cohort is a familiar one for those who work in not-for-profit organizations.

“With nonprofit work you think big and want to save the world on a zero dollar budget,” said Jackie Smith, executive director of Greater Valley Community Services. “And [the coaches] keep it in perspective.”

Social Venture Partners Full Circle is a 14-week accelerator program that combines consulting, workshops, seminars, networking and a final pitch event that will take place on Wednesday, June 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Energy Innovation Center, 1435 Bedford Ave.

Meant for nonprofits that are at a critical juncture regarding their organizations future development, the program looks for applicants that are committed to achieving measurable outcomes and ready to expand and grow their impact.

The coaches that Smith referred to, also known as SVP Partners, are individuals engaged within the nonprofit community that are able to contribute their time and energy to furthering the advancement of the selected nonprofits chosen to participate in the program.

“The Full Circle Program is an incredible opportunity for nonprofit leaders and SVP Partners from the corporate sector to work collectively to improve internal operations and develop strategies for growth,” said Leigh Solomon Pugliano, Full Circle manager and director of opportunity at New Sun Rising. “It also provides greater insight to the corporate sector, the issues our communities are facing, and the incredible work our nonprofits do to make change.”

The program is held in the fall and spring, and accepts a total of five nonprofits each season. Recently, four out of the five organizations gathered for a happy hour event at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub to network and practice for the final pitch event on June 26. During the event, individuals shared their nonprofits history and the key areas they have been working on within the program. Those organizations included:

Greater Valley Community Services

Based in Braddock, Greater Valley Community Services was created to strengthen and hold S.P.A.C.E (supportive programs affording collaborative engagement) for youth, adults, and seniors in the community. Executive Director Jackie Smith said that recently there has been a disconnect between residents and the businesses coming into the neighborhood, especially with youth, and when she read the description for the Full Circle program felt that the fit them perfectly.

“We’ve been stuck in a place and thought this might be the boost that we needed for the program that we wanted to work on,” Smith said.

Partnering with the Woodland Hills School District and entrepreneurs in the community, GVCS plans to create a program that will connect high school students to small business owners who will work together to create marketing plans, websites, and eventually apps for the neighborhood businesses. Smith said the SVP coaches have been instrumental in understanding the best ways to engage both students and businesses, and in deciding how classes will be structured for students in the program.

Unity Through Creativity

The Grounding Lab, a program under Unity Through Creativity, is situated in Hazelwood and uses arts infused techniques to assist people experiencing despair and enhance their emotional coping skills through contemplative process of deep self-reflection. With 40 years of nursing experience and research, Creative Director Margaret Baco said she has developed the understanding that true healing from traumatic experiences can come from engaging in expressive arts.

Baco said the SVP coaches have helped her focus on creating a community strategy, program development, strategic thinking, and networking. Specifically, she said she has appreciated the connections between those in the program.

“We are attracting one another during this dynamic process and New Sun Rising is able to see how networking through this cohort can strengthens our capacity to function,” Baco said. “It’s an outcome that I am deeply grateful for.”

Legacy Arts Project

In 2005, Erin Perry became a member of the dance ensemble at Legacy Arts Project, an organization focused on preserving the history and traditions of African arts as represented throughout the diaspora through education, instruction and interactions. In 2011, Perry became the executive director and has continued to expand the vision and grow the organization. She said Legacy Arts Project is “not only the exploration of African art, but also the exploration of self and well being.

Perry said joining the Full Circle program has provided guidance on fiscal sponsorships and marketing, and has also “rejuvenated” the nonprofits outlook around its programming and impact it has made in the Homewood community.

“If we were to have a personality assessment of our organization, [I’d say] we are humble,” Perry said. “At the same time we haven’t done a full service to the organization in promoting the work we do or have done, and the coaches have allowed us to recognize humility and pride in the power that has been going on and motivated us to tell the story.”

Coraopolis Community Development Foundation

The Coraopolis Community Development Foundation was formed to serve its community by encouraging and assisting in renewal through community service and development projects, and Executive Director Amy Cavicchia said if she asks someone to volunteer, it’s because it’s something she’s also going to do herself.

Cavicchia has been easing in to her position at the nonprofit over the last two years and said her work with the Full Circle program has been focused on her elevator pitch and donor management.

“This program has really kept me focused and realizing what you can do and what you can’t do.” Cavicchia said. “Write it down, figure it out, do what you can and don’t worry about what you can’t do, because you can’t do it.”

Associated Artists Pittsburgh

Associated Artists Pittsburgh was unavailable during the event. Their mission is to enhance the region’s cultural vitality and promote visual arts excellence by showcasing artists’ work through contemporary exhibitions, providing community-based education programs, and facilitating a broad dialogue to engage artists with one another and the community.

My Place partnership provides added support for at-risk youth

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Teenage years are a turbulent time for most, and as young adults begin to enter their early 20s it can become a complicated journey to find ones place in the world.

Even with a stable living arrangement it can be a difficult age to navigate, but for those who are chronically homeless the focus transitions from self-discovery to survival.

For young people in that situation and who have aged out of the foster care system, ACTION-Housing began My Place, a program for young adults between the ages of 18-24 to provide rapid rehousing, employment, and mental health support for those who are homeless or are at risk.

These young adults stay in the program for up to 24 months in a 1-bedroom apartment in the Pittsburgh area and the goal is to enable the participants to ultimately live independent, self-sufficient lives. Since 1957, the organization has been assisting individuals and families in difficult situations. Within the past year, the My Place program has helped 49 young adults.

This spring, New Sun Rising was contracted by ACTION-Housing to build upon the success of My Place to provide increased support for residents’ employment stability, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The program is delivered through three workshops a month with individual artists Quaishawn Whitlock of 1stLayer, Lashawn Reed of Strong Ambitious Women, and Emily Marko.

“We’re meeting them where they’re at,” said Jamie Johnson, My Place Program Coordinator and Manager of Performance Improvement at NSR.

“Some have goals of wanting to be business owners and some need employment right now, but they’re also dealing with personal things like mental health issues and learning disabilities,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to help them develop stable employment to maintain a living situation on their own.”

Those involved in the program do so voluntarily, which Johnson said can raise issues about attendance consistency, but she, the artists, and Lead Facilitator Brettney Duck of G.O. girls have been putting in the effort to develop trust and transparency.

The program staff focus on four development initiatives: planning, connectivity, resources, and identity. Lashawn Reed of Strong Ambitious Women said she touches these four areas, but mainly she is working with the young adults on creating identity.

The main age demographic that Reed works with is usually in 5th or 6th grades, and that can be easier to instill confidence and “plant the seed.” Its been more challenging to work with young adults who have already “made up their mind” about who they are.

“Now you have to convince them that they can be that confident person,” Reed said.

She uses her self-esteem building and strength based services to coach those in the program on creating a brand and teaches them how self-worth and confidence can impact their businesses. All three of the artists are small business owners, which gives them a chance to talk honestly about their own entrepreneurial journeys during their workshops.

Johnson said they have a steady group of three to five youths in the program. Up to 10 young adults are able to join My Place, but the smaller group has worked out well and staff has been able to give enough attention to each individual to work through their personal and entrepreneurial endeavors.

“They’re a resilient bunch of young adults,” Johnson said. “I feel like as long as we can make an impact and help [them], we are happy regardless of the number.”

GROW Residency program now accepting applications

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Alyse Horn

Above: PearlArts Studios at New Sun Rising’s Vibrancy Awards in March 2019. PearlArts participated in the first iteration of the GROW Residency program. (Photo by Sean Gray)

You’re invited to apply for New Sun Rising’s GROW Residency program. As a participant of this program, you’ll work the Director of Opportunity and the NSR team to move towards the growth and sustainability of your business or organization.

The GROW Residency program will provide flexible, ongoing support to growth stage businesses, nonprofit projects, and community/collaborative initiatives. Residents will have access to workshops and services specifically designed to meet their needs, including up to 8 hours of consulting and capacity building support per month.

The GROW Residency curriculum includes:

Business Mentoring
Professional Development
Organizational Development
Networking / Connecting Opportunities
Revenue Model Development
Advocacy (introduction to potential funders, collaborators, and partners)
Review of Grants and Project Proposals
Pitch Development

Successful completion of the residency will move your organization through strategic action and planning that promotes long-term value and profitability. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive an unrestricted financial award of $2000 and access to grants and loans via the GROW Vibrancy Fund. Each cohort will have 7 participants selected by a committee of judges.

Applications close on May 24th. The 2019 GROW Residency Program kicks off on June 12th. To learn more about the program before you apply, contact leigh@newsunrising.org to schedule a meeting. Apply here.

pearlPRESENTS DANCE FESTIVAL

On June 3, 2019 PearlArts Studios kicks off pearlPRESENTS, a 7-day dance festival highlighting a dynamic line-up of acclaimed Pittsburgh-based and national dance artists at the New Hazlett Theater.

The festival will feature seven days of dance performances, workshops, and masterclasses. Participating artists include STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos, Sidra Bell Dance New York, slowdanger, Maree ReMalia, Island Moving Company, chitra.MOVES and more! The festival will feature a variety of dance genres and bring together some of the country’s most talented dancers, providing the opportunity for audiences to see them on the same stage for first time.

Headlining pearlPRESENTS is an extravagant, soul-themed fundraising gala benefiting our educational outreach, residency programming, dance projects, and the acquisition of a new space to call home.