New Sun Rising deploys Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

New Sun Rising (NSR) is providing up to $5,000 to small businesses and nonprofits who demonstrated critical economic needs due to the COVID-19 crisis, thanks to $100,000 in seed funding from the Hillman Foundation.

Successful applicants are receiving immediate funding and technical assistance taken as a loan repayment (0% interest, 3 year term, 6 month no payments) or Vibrancy Corps option, which provides full loan forgiveness. The Vibrancy Corps requires organizations to make a one to three month commitment to use funds to implement projects that address urgent community needs.

“We know how hard people work in our nonprofit and small business community. While COVID-19 has pushed many of us to our limits, it is inspiring to see how hard people are willing to fight to sustain their organization and community. The goal of the Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund is to help as many leaders as possible to endure this crisis, and mobilize them to build vibrant communities together,” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director of New Sun Rising.

Although similar funds have been launched in Pittsburgh, there are several things that make NSR’s Crisis Mitigation Fund unique. Due to an innovative loan structure, nonprofits, small businesses, social enterprises, and cooperatives in Allegheny and Beaver County all were eligible to apply. In order to prioritize inclusion and data-informed decisions, the Fund Committee used information from NSR’s Vibrancy Index Dashboard to evaluate community impact, aligned values, and financial need.

New Sun Rising recognizes that complex problems require complex solutions, therefore funding decisions also considered a Crisis Response Priority score and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The wide range of supported organizations is a reflection of NSR’s triple bottom line community development methodology based on culture, sustainability, and opportunity.

The majority of organizations are receiving funds to help meet basic human needs by providing food, shelter, and mental health support, mitigating further losses for vulnerable populations such as immigrants and youth, and ensuring an equitable response to the pandemic. A total of 24 extraordinary organizations received funds, including: Barrels to Beethoven, Coraopolis Youth Creations, Hello Neighbor, Hill District Consensus Group, Kitchen of Grace, Inside Our Minds, Latino Community Center, Love Rocks Cafe, Protohaven, Revival Relief, Zellous Hope Project, Triboro Ecodistrict Food Relief projects in Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg, and more. A full list of awardees along with information on the organization’s Vibrancy Index Dashboard and Crisis Response Priority score can be found on the New Sun Rising website.

Neashia Johnson of the Hill District Consensus Group notes that “as existing food insecurity challenges are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, having the support of NSR’s Crisis Relief Fund is invaluable as we respond to the direct needs of our community.”

New Sun Rising will continue to support projects addressing community challenges on the front lines, but is not currently accepting new applications due to depletion of funds. If you are interested in partnering to financially support the Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund, please email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org or visit newsunrising.org/ways-to-give.

About New Sun Rising

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.

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-Pyatt

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.