CONTACT: Jake Goodman, Executive Director, jgoodman [at] theopportunityfund.org
PITTSBURGH, PA, May 25, 2023 — The Opportunity Fund announces support totaling $1,040,750 in its ninth year of grantmaking. The Board of Directors and two community panels funded 62 out of 152 requests, plus 3 discretionary grants, that were seeking a total of $2,527,971. 31% of the dollars are for the arts and 69% for social and economic justice. The majority of this funding, 77%, is for unrestricted general operating support that can be used flexibly. 75% of grant partners are BIPOC-led organizations or organizations with multi-racial leadership teams; 66% are Black-led organizations. A complete list of awarded grants can be found below.
Including this current grant cycle, the foundation has awarded 980 grants totaling nearly $14 million since its inception in 2015. Grant cycles take place twice a year. Letter of Inquiry deadlines are January 15 and July 15 each year. Full information about applying for grants is available in the “For Applicants” area of our website.
Grant Partner List:
1Hood Media ($50,000 over five years) to support general operations. The five pillars of 1Hood Media are art, activism, media, education, and civic engagement. 1Hood Media builds liberated communities through art, activism, and social justice.
Abolitionist Law Center ($20,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of the Prisoner Justice Campaign. With the help of whistleblowers, jailhouse activists and prison litigators, the Prisoner Justice Campaign exposes the human rights violations happening in jails, state prisons, and immigration detention.
ACTION-Housing ($15,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of Rent Help PGH, including their transition to obtaining 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Rent Help PGH builds a just and stable housing ecosystem for Allegheny County tenants by ensuring residents can easily access high quality eviction prevention and supportive services, rental assistance programs, and resource navigation supports.
Afro-American Music Institute ($15,000), acting as fiscal sponsor to support the work of the UHIMWE Alliance. UHIMWE Alliance works together as same-gender loving men of color to make it better “for ourselves and others in pursuit of our future selves.”
Aliquippa Green ($15,000) to support the Beaver County Juneteenth Festival. Aliquippa Green empowers the Aliquippa community to become productive citizens by providing educational programming to youth and young adults on the topics of urban agriculture, technology, and home restoration.
Alumni Theater Company ($30,000 over two years) to support general operations. Alumni Theater Company creates bold theatrical work that give fresh voice to the experience of young Black artists and highlights their rich contribution to our community.
ARYSE ($10,000) to support the completion of a comprehensive three-year community driven strategic planning process. ARYSE is a student-centered organization that supports immigrant and refugee youth in becoming engaged, confident, and celebrated members of our community.
August Wilson House ($30,000 over two years) to support general operations. The August Wilson House promotes the literary and social legacy of August Wilson through the restoration of his boyhood home on Bedford Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood.
Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation ($35,000 over two years), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of BOOM Concepts. BOOM Concepts is a creative hub dedicated to the advancement of Black, brown, queer and femme artists. BOOM Concepts serves as a space for field building, knowledge sharing, mentorship, and storytelling.
Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation ($5,000), acting as fiscal sponsor to support the work of Just SING! The Just SING! Workshop: Singing for Self-Care empowers people to connect with their voices and breath using new and traditional vocal training techniques and exercises.
Brew House Association ($10,000) to support artistic programs and general operations. Brew House Association provides space and support for people to connect and to expand their relationship with the arts.
Bunker Projects ($15,000) to support general operations. Bunker Projects is an experimental artist residency, gallery, and publication that specializes in contemporary and multidisciplinary art-making. Bunker serves as a platform for artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition, provide an immersive space alongside intimate cultural programming and produce a digital arts publication.
Carnegie Mellon University ($7,750) to support the ninth installment of TQ Live! on August 26, 2023 at the Carnegie Museum of Art. TQ Live! presents a queer evening of dazzling performance, dance, poetry, comedy, resplendent fantasies, music, and more.
Chatham Baroque ($10,000) to support general operations during the 2023/2024 season. Chatham Baroque presents captivating, historically informed period music performances and educational programs. Chatham Baroque preserves critical musical traditions, illuminates historical contexts, expands the scope of early music, and builds a vibrant and diverse community of artists and music enthusiasts by exploring the passions and mysteries of the genre with Pittsburgh audiences and beyond.
Christian Immigration Advocacy Center (CIAC) ($15,000) to support the hiring of new legal staff to increase capacity to help more clients, keep short its wait list, and increase speed to complete immigration applications. CIAC displays and demonstrates the love of Christ by offering family-based immigration related legal services to immigrants and refugees of limited means in the Pittsburgh area and beyond.
City of Asylum Pittsburgh ($5,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support AurallaurA in the development and recording of a full length jazz album of original compositions, and the performance of two live public concerts at the City of Asylum. These compositions spotlight the blues, Latin, funk– even traditional folk music from Mexico, the Balkans, and China– which are unified by AurallaurA’s distinctive narrative lyric-writing.
Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh (FAAP) ($5,000) to support the operating expenses for the year-long FAAP cultural dance program. FAAP’s mission preserves, promotes and perpetuates the Filipino heritage among our members and the communities through cultural, charitable, and educational activities.
Frogang Foundation ($15,000) to provide program support. Frogang operates as a community that aims to unify Black girls from all over Pittsburgh to unite over one of the things they innately have in common, regardless of their age, or the neighborhood in which they live: their Natural Hair. Frogang Foundation creates and promotes positive self images for Black girls so they can recognize their self worth and see beauty when they look in the mirror.
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council ($12,500), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of the Office for Public Art (OPA). OPA envisions a region in which the creative practices of artists are fully engaged to collaboratively shape the public realm and catalyze community-led change. OPA builds capacity for this work through civically engaged public art, artist resources, public programming, and technical assistance.
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank ($30,000 over three years) to support general operations. The Food Bank enables its neighbors to access nutritious food, connects people to community resources so they can thrive, and builds new initiatives that address food insecurity now and in the future.
Grow Pittsburgh ($7,500) to support general operations. Grow Pittsburgh teaches people how to grow food and promote the benefits gardens bring to our neighborhoods.
Gwen’s Girls ($5,000) acting as fiscal sponsor, to support Black Women Recharge, an initiative of Single Women Defined. This initiative aims to restore, connect, and support Black women across Allegheny County. Single Mom Defined rewrites society’s narrative about Black single moms and creates an inclusive, supportive space for all single moms.
Healthy Start Pittsburgh ($15,000) to support general operations. Funds will partially support the organization to offer respite for staff and stakeholders of primarily Black women, birthing people, and mothers. Healthy Start improves maternal and child health and reduces poor birth outcomes and infant mortality in Allegheny County.
Hill Community Development Corporation ($15,000) to support the Nafasi on Centre Artists-in-Residence Program. The Hill CDC works in partnership with residents and stakeholders to create, promote, and implement strategies and programs that connect plans, policies, and people to drive compelling community development opportunities in Pittsburgh’s Greater Hill District.
JADA House International ($15,000) to provide support for the Teen Night program, which serves teens every week with programming focused on education, social impact and engagement, career guidance, and which acts as a community support group. JADA House International brings educational and social opportunities to Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood community for both youth and adult groups struggling to find access to positive and supportive programs.
Jewish Community Center for Greater Pittsburgh ($20,000 over two years) to support the JCC Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement (CFLK). The CFLK exists to strategically counter the distressing rhetoric of public discourse to strengthen the fabric of the community by amplifying the long-held values of ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ and ‘Do not stand idle while your neighbor bleeds,’ as they redefine ‘neighbor’ from a geographic term to a moral concept. The JCC of Greater Pittsburgh’s mission is: Nurturing people, Connecting community, Each day, Through every age, Inspired by Jewish values.
Justice at Work (JaW) ($7,500) to support general operations. JaW supports low-wage and immigrant workers as they pursue economic and social justice through the provision of legal services, community education, and advocacy. JaW provides employment and immigration legal services to support the overlapping needs of their clients.
Kassia Ensemble ($5,000) to support women composers through recording and releasing musical commissions to complete an album. The women that form the Kassia Ensemble strive for more inclusive gender and racial representation in the world of chamber music.
Legacy Arts Project ($30,000 over two years) to support general operations. The Legacy Arts Project preserves, promotes, and creates Africana arts that honor the history, heritage, and cultures of Africa diaspora in ways that advance healing and wellness, education, and community empowerment.
MAYA Organization ($10,000) to support general operations. MAYA exists to educate, empower, and advocate for birthing people and individuals touched by the criminal justice system through perinatal support services and counseling.
McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation ($30,000 over two years), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of The BlackteaBrownsuga Network (BTBSN). BTBN educates, inspires, and equips the community with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve success through music, media, and mental health focused programs.
Mon Valley Initiative (MVI) ($10,000) to support MVI’s Workforce Development & Financial Coaching Program. MVI works to increase the income levels and economic independence of local residents by delivering effective career development services, income supports and financial coaching, targeted to the unemployed and under-employed in the Mon Valley region.
National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh (NCJW) ($7,500) to support Reproductive Justice work, including the development of Repro Shabbat programming that advances coalition-building, centers BIPOC work, and empowers participants to advocate for reproductive healthcare access and reproductive justice. NCJW Pittsburgh exists to step forward, speak out, and stand up for the needs of all women, children, and families.
New Israel Fund ($30,000 over three years) to support general operations. The New Israel Fund and its partners in Israel work to safeguard democracy, human rights, social/economic justice, religious freedom, shared society, and equality for all of Israel’s citizens.
New Sun Rising ($10,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of Brown Mamas. Brown Mama’s Social Impact Ambassador Program will hire moms to host meetups and support groups in their community. Brown Mamas is a community and social enterprise focused on social capital expansion and amplification of the voices and lived experiences of Black mothers.
New Sun Rising ($10,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of Gallery Closed, including a new season of programming and four site-specific installations for a unique independent arts space. Gallery Closed is a unique art space whose exhibits are designed for and viewable only from the street through two windows. Gallery Closed exhibits site-specific artwork primarily for the passing public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Off the Wall Productions ($12,500), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support a workshop of “In Our Time: Pandemic Stories from the Frontlines,” a new play by Hiawatha Project, inspired by interviews with women ICU doctors on the frontlines of COVID, and Hemingway’s novel, In Our Time. Hiawatha Project creates original performances by interrogating social justice questions through myth, free association, and movement.
The Open Door ($15,000) to support general operations. Building from a harm reduction model, The Open Door provides supportive housing and related services to improve the health of the forgotten population of high-risk, chronically homeless people living with HIV.
Organization of Chinese Americans – Pittsburgh Chapter ($10,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of JADED, Pittsburgh’s first Asian American & Pacific Island (AAPI) artist collective. Led by women and non-binary artists, JADED creates spaces for AAPI representation and empowerment.
Out of the End ($15,000) to support general operations. Out of the End creates a foundation for the Black and brown community within the Greater Pittsburgh Metropolitan area and surroundings with sustainability, equity, and livability.
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media ($5,000), acting as fiscal sponsor to support the work of Looking Glass. Looking Glass, which will culminate in a mobile application that provides another means of discovering, commemorating and remembering the richness of Black life in Pittsburgh. Looking Glass preserves and expands access to Black histories and stories through developing community enriching technologies.
Pittsburgh Public Media, AKA WZUM, the Pittsburgh Jazz Channel ($7,500) to support general operations. WZUM works with performers, educators, institutions and music lovers throughout the region to help build and sustain a community that supports and embraces the great American and Pittsburgh treasure of jazz with programming and information on the radio and online at www.wzum.org.
Pittsburgh Scholar House ($10,000) to support Wayfinders Program of Pittsburgh Scholar House. The Wayfinders Program provides tangible support to single parents facing barriers to completion while enrolled in post secondary education programs. Pittsburgh Scholar House provides equitable access to higher education opportunities, social capital development, and early learning access to ignite a positive cycle of generational prosperity.
Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks (PSIP) ($7,500) to support general operations and the 2023 all-female production of “Antony and Cleopatra” in Pittsburgh City Parks. PSIP provides free and accessible Shakespeare and classical theatre to Pittsburgh residents in public parks and outdoor spaces. PSIP expands knowledge and appreciation of Shakespeare, develops and trains actors in the milieus of classical and outdoor theatre, and fosters the enjoyment of outdoor public spaces and parks.
Pittsburgh United ($10,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of the Pittsburgh Black Worker Center. The Pittsburgh Black Worker Center increases the power of Black working people by organizing and educating our people for more sustainable and more meaningful labor, higher wages and the ability to unionize.
POISE Foundation ($10,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of The Radical Youth Collective with general operating support. The Radical Youth Collective is a fellowship and nurturing environment for young Black people to learn about Black radical tradition and how to organize.
POISE Foundation ($10,000) acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the work of The Young Voices Action Collective (YVAC) with general operating support. YVAC, which is run by Black youth, provides low-income Black youth with a platform on which to bring about the change they want to see.
Protohaven ($12,500) to support general operations. Protohaven engages people in the process of making things to enrich individual lives, builds thriving communities, and contributes to a vibrant, sustainable society.
Sankofa Village for the Arts ($15,000) to support general operations. Sankofa Village for the Arts delivers culturally responsive, African-centered programs and services to children and youth, parents and families and community members, arts organizations, in the creative and performing arts.
sisTers PGH ($60,000 over three years) to support general operations. SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led organization that serves people of color, Trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern PA. SisTers PGH provides opportunities for Trans communities to thrive through affirming programming that includes transitional housing, leadership roles, and initiatives that are created by trans people for Trans people.
Squonk Opera ($25,000 over two years) to support general operations, including the creation of Squonk’s next free outdoor spectacle and its delivery to the Pittsburgh region’s public spaces. Squonk inspires diverse audiences to explore their creativity and common humanity; invigorates live performance and develop young and non-traditional audiences with music, multimedia spectacle and humor; and embraces the unique culture of Western Pennsylvania, and the world.
Sustainable Markets Foundation ($15,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the Debt Collective’s medical debt outreach and organizing efforts in Pittsburgh. Funds will provide stipends for people with medical debt in Pittsburgh who are interested in organizing others in their communities, but whose financial circumstances make it prohibitive to devote substantial time to this kind of work without financial compensation. The Debt Collective builds the power of debtors to turn individual financial burdens into a source of collective leverage that can be wielded to push for social and economic transformation.
Take Action Advocacy Group (TAAG) ($45,000 over three years) to support general operations. The mission of TAAG (formerly Take Action Mon Valley) is to equip communities with the necessary knowledge to leverage local grassroots community organizing, to gain power and influence over decisions that directly affect them, thus creating sustainable change and increasing the conscious level of residents.
Team G.R.O.W. ($10,000) to support the second Women’s Power Educational Home Repairs Training Class which educates women on how to fix repairs around their homes. Team G.R.O.W. supports low income women homeowners of Pittsburgh’s Uptown/Hill District community through education by providing the skills necessary to be able to make small repairs and maintenance upkeep in their homes, helping them to avoid eviction due to damages that may accrue while living in low-subsidized housing.
Thomas Merton Center ($7,500), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support the Pittsburgh Prison Book Project to update the Pennsylvania Prisoners’ Resource Guides, and to purchase a high-capacity printer and a laminator. The Pittsburgh Prison Book Project improves the quality of life for people incarcerated in Pennsylvania by providing free access to educational materials, books, and resources.
Touchstone Center for Crafts ($15,000) to support general operations. Touchstone Center for Crafts advances excellence in arts and craft by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative artistic expression.
Trade Institute of Pittsburgh ($20,000 over two years) to support general operations as the organization carries out its strategic plan to build Black wealth. The Trade Institute of Pittsburgh empowers men and women with significant barriers to employment through skill-building and career opportunities.
TransYOUniting ($60,000 over three years) to support general operations, including the running of the QMNTY center that opened in partnership with Proud Haven. TransYOUniting is a mutual aid non-profit, providing resources to Pittsburgh’s Trans community.
United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh (USBGP) ($17,500) to support general operations. USBGP builds community amidst the Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh by enabling individuals and families to successfully acclimate and transition to self-sufficient life in American society by providing direct practical assistance and connecting people to other resources and opportunities.
Westend POWER ($15,000) to support the Colorful Background EXPO, a 12-week cohort for formerly incarcerated people to build employment prospects. West End P.O.W.E.R. is a community organization committed to strengthening communities through activism, advocacy, education, equity, and promoting unity.
Willissae’s Agency for Vision and Empowerment (WAVE) ($10,000) to support general operations. WAVE creates housing and economic stability for at-risk individuals in low-income communities through personal empowerment, skillset development, problem solving, and wealth building.
Young Black Motivated Kings & Queens (YBMKQ) ($10,000) to support general operations. YBMKQ provides youth with programs where they can feel safe to learn and grow into leaders of tomorrow and, most importantly, to simply exist. YBMKQ hopes to offer programs that allow participants to have moments of vulnerability and healing from daily traumas they may experience in their communities and out in society.
Discretionary Grants
ACTION-Housing, Inc. ($5,000), acting as fiscal sponsor, to support a Supersedeas Payment Eviction Prevention Revolving Fund maintained by Pittsburgh Union of Regional Renters, with government rental assistance dollars once tenants facing eviction are deemed eligible. This funding allows the Supersedeas Fund to extend multiple years.
Columbia Museum of Art ($2,500) to support the “Tina Williams Brewer: Stories of Grace” exhibition brochure. This exhibition will be the largest museum-organized show of the works of artist and educator, Tina Williams Brewer.
Ujamaa Collective ($5,500) to support five scholarships for a cohort of leaders from Hill-based Ujamaa Collective and The Hill District Consensus Group to attend the State of the Black World Conference in Baltimore, hosted by Institute of the Black World 21st Century. Ujamaa Collective is a catalyst to advance Africana Women by providing a fair trade marketplace for cultural, artistic and entrepreneurial exchange through cooperative economics in the Historic Hill District and beyond.
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