Exposure aims to elevate the work of artists through activities that create/generate/enhance visibility for the creative process, artwork and societal issues of our time.

FUNDING STREAMS

Applicants may apply one of the following funding streams. Read full program guidelines for more details.

• Individual artists and collectives (up to seven grants):
  • Individual artists – Two-year grants of up to $20,000 (up to $10,000 each year for up to two years).
  • Collectives – Two-year grants of up to $35,000 (up to $17,500 each year for up to two years).
• Transformative justice (minimum of four grants) (Individuals and collectives identifying as BIPOC may apply):
  • Individual artists – Two-year grants of up to $20,000 (up to $10,000 each year for up to two years).
  • Collectives – Two-year grants of up to $35,000 (up to $17,500 each year for up to two years).
• First-time grantees (up to four, one-year grants up to $5,000)

PITTSBURGH, PA, December 13, 2021 — The Opportunity Fund announces support totaling $1,478,750, the largest cycle ever in its seventh year of grantmaking. The Board of Directors, along with two community panels, funded 81 out of 142 requests that were seeking a total of $2,516,525. A complete list of awarded grants can be found below.

Including this current grant cycle, the foundation has awarded 752 grants totaling over $10.3 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 ($22,500) to support the Alliance for Police Accountability and other partners in the Coalition to Reimagine Public Safety. The Coalition works to implement a community-led approach to public safety by creating models of intervention and prevention to reduce incarceration and police contacts in Black and Brown communities throughout Allegheny County.

Abolitionist Law Center ($15,000) to support the Prisoner Justice & Whistleblower Support Campaign (PJWSC). PJWSC assists and supports prisoners in solitary confinement and those who are experiencing human rights violations during incarceration, while expanding the organizing base in Pittsburgh and southwest PA. PJWSC also supports and protects jailhouse lawyers and prisoner whistle-blowers while they expose and litigate to make change inside the prisons.

ACTION-Housing, Inc. ($15,000), acting as fiscal sponsor to support the work of the Strength in Numbers Project (SIN) with emergency funding to staff front-line workers with lived experiences of homelessness for the McKeesport Downtown Housing’s Low-Barrier Year-Round Shelter. SIN also provides service navigation and advocacy using a person-first approach which prioritizes a person’s own choice of next steps.

ACTION-Housing, Inc. ($15,000), acting as fiscal sponsor to support the work of RentHelpPGH in stabilizing households and preventing evictions in Allegheny County by providing flexible funding to bolster regular operations and technology costs. RentHelpPGH supports vulnerable residents by providing enhanced resource navigation services from a Help Desk, community based organization partners, and independent resource navigators.

Alia Musica Pittsburgh ($20,000 over 2 years) to support Afro Yaqui Music Collective, including the development of a pan-African jazz opera and an animated anti-racist graphic novel, and advancing the radical pedagogical practice of the Afro Yaqui. Afro Yaqui Music Collective is a postcolonial big band committed to a decolonized music and theater practice.

Alumni Theater Company (ATC) ($15,000) to support general operations and ATC’s Season 14 programming. ATC creates bold theatrical work that gives fresh voice to the experience of young Black artists and highlight their rich contribution to our community.

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) ($15,000) to support global human rights work, including research, mobilization, and advocacy. AIUSA is a membership-based movement and grassroots organization demanding human rights for every person, tackling the most pressing challenges to human rights across the world.

Assemble ($5,000) to support general operations, including the support of artists in their Unblurred Gallery Program and Saturday Crafternoons that provide engaging creative experiences connecting artists with youth. Assemble envisions diverse neighborhoods of empowered people who create, connect, learn, and transform together.

Autism Urban Connections Inc. (AUC) ($15,000) to support general operations and new programming that supports African American members in the Autism and disability community to gain knowledge and skills around self-defense and safety. AUC provides supports, education, advocacy, and empowerment, with an emphasis on self-care to families of those with Autism, with priority placed in the African American, minority, and economically disadvantaged communities.

Awaken Pittsburgh ($15,000) to support general operations. Awaken Pittsburgh brings mindfulness-based social and emotional regulation skills and practices to individuals and communities that would not otherwise have affordable or accommodating access.

Axiom Advancement Corporation ($35,000 over two years) to support general operations to help cultivate additional strategic community partnerships and develop long-term stability. Axiom provides financial services to small businesses that need access to capital from a non-traditional source.

Bard College – Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities ($10,000) to support the Meanings of October 27th Oral History Audiobook of curated stories gathered about the October 27th, 2018 synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. Thirty-six stories that share the voices of a diverse group of Pittsburghers will address antisemitism, racism, healing, allyship, bridge-building, and related themes in the context of life stories.

Bethany Church of God in Christ ($5,000) to support structural repairs for the church building in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District. The repairs will enable Bethany Church’s continued work to provide clothing, food, and other resources for community members who need assistance.

Beverly’s Birthdays ($8,500) to support the Beverly’s Babies program. Through baby showers, pop-up distribution days, newborn care packages, and an infant care resource bank, Beverly’s Babies supports new parents and their babies at one of the most critical developmental stages.

Brew House Association ($10,000) to support general operations, including artistic development programs that provide space and mentorship to regional emerging artists and curators, Brew House exhibition programming, and the Creativity Cluster at the Brew House. The Brew House Association provides creative space and support for people to connect and expand their relationship with the arts.

CASA of Allegheny County ($5,000) to support general operations. CASA ensures that every child has a safe, supportive, and permanent home by providing skilled, culturally responsive volunteer advocacy for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the child welfare system.

Center for Community Stewardship ($15,000) to support general operations of the Tiyuv Initiative which serves the Jewish community engaged in racial justice and equity work in Milwaukee and nationally. The Tiyuv Initiative is an effort to establish a model and a hub for Jews of Color-led, culturally responsive evaluation of Jewish community racial justice programs.

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) ($7,500) to support its program in Pittsburgh. CEO provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. It also works with local employers to create pathways for justice-impacted job seekers to achieve social and economic mobility.

Chamber Music Pittsburgh ($30,000 over two years) to support the MainStage concert series at Carnegie Music Hall. The series features a wide range of chamber ensembles of the highest caliber, exposing the Pittsburgh community to superb performances.

City Theatre Company ($12,500) to support general operations of Pittsburgh’s home for contemporary plays, in its 47th season of new works. City Theatre will produce six plays and feature collaborations with local and national theater companies, community partners, and first-time and returning artists.

Community Foundation of the Alleghenies ($15,000) to support the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC) in implementing the region’s first food action plan through a collective impact model. PFPC builds a food system that benefits our communities, economy, and environment in ways that are just, equitable and sustainable. PFPC seeks policies that promote local food growing, sustainable agriculture, equitable development, and access to healthy food, particularly in low-income communities.

CORNINGWORKS ($45,000 over three years) to support general operations. Each year, funds will support the creation and presentation of three original full evening length productions.

Craft Emergency Relief Fund, Inc. (CERF+) ($10,000) to support craft artists and help them safeguard their studios, protect their careers, and prepare for and recover from emergencies. CERF+ serves artists who work in craft disciplines by providing a safety net to support strong and sustainable careers.

Doctors Without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) ($15,000 over 3 years) to support MSF teams across the globe in providing essential health care, running hospitals and clinics, performing surgery, battling epidemics, carrying out vaccination campaigns, operating feeding centers for malnourished children, responding to COVID-19, and offering mental health care.

Dreams of Hope ($10,000) to support general operations. Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, and allied (LGBTQA+) youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders.

Eden’s Farm ($30,000 over 2 years) to support general operations, including capacity building and programmatic expenses. Eden’s Farm exists to provide a safe place, trauma-informed holistic care, education and outreach, and resources to survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

FashionAFRICANA ($15,000) to support the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project (BNTOP). BNTOP is a platform for underserved public school students in the Pittsburgh region to gain access to theatre arts and work with seasoned professionals within the field. BNTOP annually hosts the August Wilson Monologue Competition for high school students, the winners of which advance to the national competition in New York City.

Grounded Strategies ($5,000) to support general operations. Grounded works to increase vacant land ownership rates amongst residents living in lower-income communities of color in Allegheny County to ultimately improve the social, economic, and environmental health of communities by building capacity to reclaim vacant and underutilized land.

Hill Community Development Corporation ($15,000) to support the second year of the Nafasi on Centre Artists-in Residence Program. Nafasi provides space where artists can grow creatively and develop skills as business professionals to turn their passions into viable careers.

Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT) ($45,000 over 3 years) to support general operations. HDAT provides professional level training in Black Dance traditions, history, culture, and aesthetics that engages and empowers students to pursue careers in Black dance.

Hill District Consensus Group ($15,000) to support the launch of the Black Power Artist Union of Western PA, which aims to increase the tangible power of Black artists and cultural workers to determine wages and visibility. This grant provides resources for the Black Power Artists Union to scale and frame their work.

Hill District Consensus Group ($7,500) to support Penn Plaza Support & Action Coalition (PPSA), which works to support the efforts to halt displacement and create and implement a “right to return” for all displaced Pittsburghers, especially Black Pittsburghers. PPSA is committed to change the way that housing is developed for low-to-moderate-income residents of our region.

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation ($10,000) to support TransYOUniting’s work with the at-risk trans and wider LGBTQ community of Pittsburgh. TransYOUniting provides essential housing, health access, mentorship, mutual aid, and food distribution services, and is working to create safer and more accessible networks of support for trans folks, focusing on Black trans women.

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation ($40,000 over two years) to support the capacity and general operations of True T PGH, which celebrates queer people of color through creative art, community health, and social activism.

Jeremiah’s Place ($10,000) to support general operations of the 24-hour crisis nursery. Jeremiah’s Place protects children and strengthens families by providing a safe haven of respite, health, renewal, and support for children when their families are experiencing a critical need for childcare.

Jewish Assistance Fund ($30,000 over 3 years) to support general operations so the Jewish Assistance Fund can provide financial assistance, without repayment, to the Western Pennsylvania Jewish community for emergency and pressing expenses.

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh ($45,000 over three years) to support the health and human service needs of thousands of low-income families, vulnerable individuals, and seniors across the region through two specific programs: AgeWell Pittsburgh and the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry.

Kente Arts Alliance ($15,000) to support the implementation of a leadership transition strategy to insure growth and sustainability. Kente Arts Alliance is an African American arts organization whose mission is to present high-quality art of the African Diaspora.

Latino Community Center ($45,000 over three years) to support general operations that will allow Latino Community Center to enhance and expand critical family and educational supportive services for Latinos in Allegheny County.

Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)($8,000) to support El Fondo Solidario de Pittsburgh (in English, the Solidarity Fund of Pittsburgh), a fund for bail bond loans to families with loved ones detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). El Fondo will also assist immigrant workers enforcing work-place protections such as workers’ compensation due to work-related injury.

Let’s Get Free: The Women and Trans Prisoner Defense Committee ($30,000 over 2 years) to support general operations including work to end perpetual punishment with a focus on Death by Incarceration (DBI), build pathways out of the prisons back to communities through commutation reform, support possibilities for people formerly and currently incarcerated, and shift to a culture of transformative justice. Let’s Get Free’s work is guided by people in prison and prioritizes working with women and trans prisoners.

Macedonia FACE ($10,000) to support general operations. Macedonia FACE’s adult engagement programs address economic and food insecurity needs of seniors and adults, individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, and individuals who are transitioning from incarceration to community. Family engagement programs include early literacy, school attendance and success, strengthening family relationships, and housing support.

Mon Valley Initiative ($10,000) to support the Workforce Development & Financial Coaching Program which seeks 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.

Mooncrest Neighborhood Programs ($9,750) to support general operations and to assist a primarily Latino population by coordinating services for healthcare, school enrollment, housing, employment, food access, interpreting and translating documents for non-English speakers, and navigating service delivery from partner and other organizations.

Mwanakuche Farm ($10,000) to support general operations for programs and services that include an organic vegetable farm, language translation and interpretation, community based events, career placement training, women’s empowerment programs, a youth cultural seminar, and a community garden project. Mwanakuche Farm offers reliable, healthy, culturally-appropriate foods and land-based educational experiences to the Somali Bantu community in Western PA.

NAT 28 ($7,500) to support the Pittsburgh Composers’ Project, a concert program highlighting the music of both established and emerging composers from the Pittsburgh region. NAT 28 strives to champion the works that will shape the next phase of musical and artistic evolution.

Neighborhood Allies ($30,000 over 2 years) to support general operations of Steel Smiling as they undergo a capacity building effort to scale to an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Steel Smiling is a community-based mental health entity creating access to culturally-specific resources through trainings, education, advocacy, referrals, and support for Southwestern PA’s Black community so that they can explore equitable pathways to individual healing and careers in the mental health field.

New Hazlett Center for the Performing Arts ($20,000) to support general operations as the New Hazlett provides a safe, accessible, and affordable mid-size venue for Pittsburgh’s performing arts community and audiences. The New Hazlett provides a nurturing, collaborative environment for artists, leveraging people, space and technology to create and present challenging and dynamic art.

New Horizon Theater ($15,000) to support general operations and the 30th Anniversary 2021/2022 Season with five live stage performances.  New Horizon Theater brings consistent, high-quality cultural events, reflecting the African-American points of view, and provides an ongoing venue for ethnic writers and performers to further their professional development.

New Sun Rising ($5,000) to support Tabitha’s Daughters as they bring health equity and health justice to the women of Pittsburgh, and in particular to impact the lives of African-American women throughout the city of Pittsburgh.

New Sun Rising ($7,500) to support Pittonkatonk, a unique musical festival, free and open to all, that connects the dots between community, organizers, and euphoric musical experiences. Pittonkatonk features Balkan Brass, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, Big Band, community music making, youth performance opportunities, and more in a celebration that bridges cultural divides and creates space that is inclusive, both culturally and economically.

Off the Wall Productions ($15,000) to support general operations and the production of shows written, directed, designed and performed by marginalized voices in the theater industry, including women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those with disabilities, both visible and invisible. Off the Wall strives to create challenging and thought-provoking theater to encourage critical thinking and community discourse.

PearlArts Studios ($60,000 over 3 years) to support general operations for this dance-focused arts organization that also provides music and media arts programming. PearlArts offers artistic experiences through creative residencies, innovative collaborations, and a broad range of dance and sound education and outreach opportunities.

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition ($15,000) to support Driving PA Forward, a broad immigrant-led coalition of organizations and community leaders across the state seeking systemic and transformative change with a goal enabling access to a standard driver’s license with strict privacy and data protections for all PA regardless of immigration status.

Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) ($10,000) to support general operations including additional therapists, advocates and other essential staff due to the large increase in service demand. PAAR works to respond, educate, and advocate to end sexual violence.

Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc. (PCSI) ($15,000) to support additional capacity to lead a regional effort to support reentrants through legal pardons and to create opportunities for this population to secure fulfilling, sustainable work. PCSI reduces the impact of poverty in Pittsburgh through direct service, advocacy, mobilization of resources, sustainable economic empowerment, and effective institutional change.

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company (PPTCO) ($60,000 over three years) to support general operations including a season of plays, the Ground Up Theatre training program, and educational programming. PPTCO is rooted in the African American community, produces the works of local racially and culturally diverse playwrights, provides a nurturing environment for all who work on and off the stage, and builds a culturally diverse audience.

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid (PRWA)($7,500) to support general operations of the PRWA Distribution Center, including rent, utilities, insurance and permitting, outreach, and the purchase of goods not acquired by in-kind donations. PRWA provides resources and community support to restaurant and hospitality workers who are struggling to maintain financial, housing, food, and healthcare security.

Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) ($60,000 over 3 years) to support general operations and advocacy for affordable, equitable, and expanded public transit. PPT is a grassroots, member-driven organization of transit riders and operators advocating for an accessible, affordable and sustainable mass transit in Allegheny County. PPT operates from the belief that transit and mobility is a human right, and is guided by a Transit Bill of Rights.

POORLAW ($15,000) to support general operations and administrative staff working to enforce programs and policies that address racial and ethnic disparities and build diversity, equity, and inclusion regarding social and economic development in the Greater Hazelwood community. POORLAW encourages community, leadership, ownership, friendship, an invested interest in Greater Hazelwood‘s growth into a thriving, safe, and enjoyable place to live and raise families.

Prevention Point Pittsburgh (PPP) ($15,000) to support the operation of PPP’s weekly harm reduction service locations by purchasing the materials that are distributed to facilitate safer substance use. PPP promotes and advocates for the reduction of harms associated with injection and other forms of drug use, and to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, other blood borne infections, and overdose.

Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE) ($15,000) to support operating expenses which undergird programming including: Intensive Services Program, Strategic Action Planning Program, Executive Coaching, Inclusive Voices, Education and Advocacy, and Information and Referral. PACE advances a more equitable community by increasing the capacity of individuals, groups, and organizations that challenge injustice.

Quantum Theatre ($50,000 over 2 years) to support the Artistic Legacy Fund. The Fund is a board-designated reserve, free from the inflexible regulations of an endowment but meant to grow principal with thoughtful investment and for use of up to 5% annually for ambitious artistic projects. Quantum Theatre is a company of progressive, professional artists dedicated to producing intimate and sophisticated theatrical experiences in uncommon settings, exploring universal themes of truth, beauty, and human relationships in unexpected ways.

RealTimeInterventions ($5,000) to support general operations of this community-fueled, performance-based arts company that creates theatrical experiences and public events that celebrate real stories of real people and real places. RealTime seeks to generate connection, curiosity and wonder, and help audiences see the world around them in new and unexpected ways.

Reimagine Reentry, Inc. ($15,000) to support operating activities, including support for training programs and addressing any barriers that arise for returning citizens. Reimagine Reentry works to reduce recidivism in Allegheny County by providing opportunities, reducing barriers, and supporting formerly incarcerated people in a holistic way. Their work has four main service areas: cooperative, intensive reentry coaching; job skill training; family reunification education; and, housing assistance planning.

Serenity Living Transitional Home (SLTH) ($25,000) to support renovations of a new building in order to expand SLTH’s housing program for homeless people identifying as women. SLTH educates, equips, and inspires at-risk youth and young adults with the tools to overcome life’s obstacles to success.

Shared Interest ($30,000 over three years) to support general operations and the organization’s continued contribution to Southern Africa’s recovery from the economic devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, through the provision of loan guarantees to Black-owned small businesses and cooperatives. Shared Interest mobilizes the resources for Southern Africa’s economically disenfranchised communities to sustain themselves and build equitable nations.

Silver Eye Center for Photography ($10,000) to support the exhibitions program including artist fees, travel, and exhibition production. Silver Eye promotes the power of contemporary photography as a fine art medium by creating original exhibitions, unique educational programing, and a space for artists to learn, create, and connect through a digital lab. The programs are dedicated to supporting the work of emerging, mid-career, and under-recognized artists and sharing that work with diverse audiences in engaging and meaningful ways.

sisTers PGH ($40,000 over 2 years) to support general operations and long-term sustainability, focused on two major areas: sustainable staffing and capacity building. SisTers PGH is a trans-led organization that provides supportive services, shelter, and housing for trans and nonbinary people, with a particular focus on Black Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities of Pittsburgh. SisTers PGH also offers outreach, trans-inclusion training, advocacy, and People’s Pride.

Social Good Fund ($10,000), acting as fiscal sponsor to support the work of the Pittsburgh cohort of PeoplesHub’s Access and Disability for Movement Organizations. PeoplesHub intends to support organizations to implement accessible frameworks and integrate an analysis of ableism into their work to ensure disabled people aren’t excluded from movements, and that social and racial justice campaigns in Pittsburgh include the needs of disabled people.

Take Action Mon Valley (TAMV) ($15,000) to support general operations. TAMV’s programming is designed to promote social change as well as Black liberation in smaller communities and advocate for social justice issues. TAMV works to combat ALL forms of community violence through activism and organizing.

Texture Contemporary Ballet ($10,000) to support general operations and three main stage dance shows, one choreography project, and two school performances. Texture inspires an appreciation of dance through dynamic and captivating performances, creative choreography, shared passion, and exceptional dance training.

The Allignment Chapter Corporation ($7,500) to support general operations and programs that help mothers with emergency items and financial literacy. The Allignment Chapter was created to provide same-day emergency support to low income mothers in need.

The Pittsburgh Contingency ($15,000) to support The Wellness Collective’s general operations and staffing costs so that the organization can continue to bring neighbors together to restore and maintain communities’ power and interdependence. The Wellness Collective reimagines what is possible when society places its people at the center.

The Pittsburgh Contingency ($7,500) to support Ifetayo Artwear Healing Through Beading Circles in hosting four beading circles for 60 women of African descent in which each woman makes one waistbead. The beading circles will be spaces where women engage in the transformative work of centering their voices through guided and intentional discussions about the power of being Black and female while engaging in the healing and meditative practice of beading.

Touchstone Center for Crafts ($12,500) to support general operations through the 50th Anniversary Campaign that will target operations, programming, and capital needs. Touchstone advances excellence in the arts and crafts by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative expression.

Unique Projects, Inc. ($10,000) to support slowdanger’s research and development phase of a new multidisciplinary evening-length performance work, SUPERCELL, that explores the anthropological connections of climate change and systemic oppression. slowdanger is a project based multi-disciplinary performance entity creating works at the intersection of movement, sound, and technology.

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) ($15,000) to support UAEM’s efforts to mobilize Black and brown young leaders to join and lead the access to medicines movement, equipping them with skills and resources to demand equitable access to essential medicines during COVID-19 and beyond. UAEM is a global movement of university students organizing on their campuses and beyond to ensure that publicly funded medicines and medical innovations, especially those that address neglected health needs, are affordable and accessible to the people who need them.

West End POWER ($12,500) to support the Level Up Program, an educational community civic series specifically for men, women, and families with people who are formerly and currently incarcerated/caught up in the criminal injustice system. The program seeks to educate people of the power of the civic rights, including providing voting information to every person who is in the Allegheny County Jail.

When She Thrives ($10,000) to support the expansion of S.O.A.R. [Successfully Overcoming Adversity with Resilience program]. SOAR takes a multigenerational approach to helping single mothers and their children understand the intersection of social justice and self-care. Participants learn to advocate for themselves at home, in school, the community and society at large and causes effecting single moms

Za’kiyah House Housing ($15,000) to support general operations including hiring and paying staff, thereby expanding the organization’s level of services for residents and education, support and outreach programs. Za’kiyah House provides support services to persons experiencing homelessness, drug addiction, and re-entry in Pittsburgh.

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PITTSBURGH, PA, December 14, 2020 — The Opportunity Fund announces support totaling $783,686 in its tenth cycle of funding. The Board of Directors, along with two community panels, funded 61 out of 114 requests that were seeking a total of $1,683,849. A complete list of awarded grants can be found below.

Including this current grant cycle, the foundation has awarded 593 grants totaling over $7.6 million since its inception in 2015. Grant cycles take place twice a year. Letter of Inquiry deadlines are January 15 and July 15. Full information about applying for grants is available in the “For Applicants” area of our website.

Grantee Partner List:

Afro-American Music Institute ($7,500) to support general operations. Afro-American Music Institute creates cultural literacy using a musical curriculum that encompasses all styles of the African and African American music traditions.

Aleph Institute ($10,000) to support the Alternative Sentencing Program (ASP) and Project Shifra. ASP helps non-violent first-time offenders find an alternative to traditional incarceration. Shifra is a home visiting program connecting distressed members of Squirrel Hill’s Orthodox community with resources and support. The Aleph Institute is a Jewish religious, educational, and humanitarian organization offering services to imprisoned Jewish men and women and their families.

Alumni Theater Company ($10,000) to support general operations. Alumni Theater Company creates bold theatrical work that gives a fresh voice to urban artists and highlights their rich contribution to our community.

ArtUp ($5,000) to support travel and research costs for US artists travel to Russia and Russian artists travel to the US as part of POP-AGANDA: REVOLUTION & ICONOGRAPHY, the fifth Sites of Passage project. ArtUp instigates insight by activating art. Undertaking on the ground initiatives, the organization builds global interchanges for the migration of ideas across political and cultural boundaries.

August Wilson House ($10,000) to support general operations. The August Wilson House promotes the literary and social legacy of August Wilson by exploring the cultural narrative of his writings through seminars, readings, exhibitions and performances – and through the restoration of his boyhood home on Bedford Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

Balafon West African Dance Ensemble ($10,000) to support general operations. Balafon provides an insightful, woman-centered perspective on West African tradition and culture as a source of healing and balance by providing quality education and entertainment to people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life.

Beaver County Foundation ($7,000) to support the Royally Fit‘s Community Wellness Program, including nutritional wellness workshops, art therapy, physical fitness and preventive health activities. Royally Fit provides education, access and resources for holistic health and wellness to historically undeserved communities.

Braddock Carnegie Library ($15,000) to support general operations of arts and culture programs, studios, resources and exhibitions within the Braddock Carnegie Library Association (BCLA). The BCLA is a place where neighbors meet, exchange ideas, share cultures, resources and creatives strategies with one another, while strengthening communities.

Carnegie Mellon University ($3,685) to support TQ Live!, a queer evening of dazzling performance, dance, poetry, comedy, resplendent fantasies, music, and more at the Warhol Museum. TQ Live! Is organized by Scott Andrew, Joseph Hall, and Suzie Silver.

Carrick Community Council ($7,000) to support 25 Carrick Ave‘s general operations and workforce development education. 25 Carrick provides at-risk youth and adults with career opportunities in the event production and broadcast industry through classes, workshops, and hands-on mentoring.

Center for Employment Opportunities ($20,000) to support general operations for the Pittsburgh site. CEO provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services to individuals with criminal convictions who have recently returned home from incarceration to build pathways to long-term stability and economic independence.

Chamber Music Pittsburgh ($15,000) to support general operations. Chamber Music Pittsburgh presents world-class chamber music ensembles and soloists, promising emerging artists, and innovative programs; and fosters an appreciation for chamber music in the Pittsburgh community by offering educational programs and experiences.

Christian Immigration Advocacy Center ($10,000) to support the Removal Defense Program and translation expenses. The Christian Immigration Advocacy Center provides low-cost and pro-bono immigration-related legal services to immigrants and refugees in the Pittsburgh region.

Circles Greater Pittsburgh ($30,000 over two years) to support general operations. Circles Greater Pittsburgh inspires and equips Pittsburgh area families and communities to resolve poverty and thrive. The organization believes no one should live in poverty, families and communities can take charge of their destinies, and, if given the right tools and support, economic stability can be achieved.

Circles Greater Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support THE COVERING LLC’s Healing by Designs Holistic Fashion Therapy program. The program supports women of color struggling with the remnants of trauma encountered through domestic violence using art, fashion and design coupled with leadership, transparency and love, as tools to facilitate healing from a holistic perspective.

City Theatre Company ($15,000) to support general operations. City Theatre Company provides an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays of substance and ideas that engage and challenge diverse audiences.

Computer Reach ($7,500) to support access to free computers for students in need. Computer Reach makes technology available to people most in need through refurbished equipment, computer literacy, training and support. The organization envisions a computer literate world where the benefits of technology are shared by all.

The Corner, a community outreach program of Friendship Community Church ($10,000) to support general operations. The Corner serves as a safe neighborhood space connecting neighbors to social service resources and affordable programming centered on the arts, social justice advocacy, education and community engagement.

CORNINGWORKS ($10,000) to support general operations. CORNINGWORKS is dedicated to creating provocative, accessible world class dancetheater works created with, and on critically acclaimed seasoned performing artists from diverse disciplines, addressing issues of relevance to our greater society.

Day One ($9,500 over two years) to support Day One’s education programming for a new cohort of single parents. Day One works to end the cycle of poverty for single parent families by providing housing, education and career support, and community connections so that they achieve self-sufficiency and their children succeed in school.

Divine Intervention Ministries ($5,000) to support general operations and ongoing aftercare for recently released individuals transitioning from incarceration into the community. Divine Intervention Ministries provides currently and formerly incarcerated adults and at-risk youth with coordinated resources that connect them to supportive services and job training opportunities focusing on restoring and realizing their maximum potential spiritually, physically, and economically.

Dreams of Hope ($10,000) to support general operations. Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the Pittsburgh region’s LGBTQA+ youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, develop as leaders and learn to make positive chances in their communities.

Duquesne University ($5,000) to support Elsinore-Bennu Think Tank’s (EBTT) senior community outreach. The EBTT evolved through partnerships between de-incarcerated citizens and faculty and staff at Duquesne. The EBTT designs, develops, implements, and improves systems that reverse social injustice in marginalized communities through the application of concepts of Restorative Justice.

Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh ($30,000 over three years) to support general operations and the Fiberart International 2022 exhibition of contemporary textile art. FI2022 will open in May 2022 at Contemporary Craft and Brew House Association.

Foundation of HOPE ($15,000) to support the Aftercare Program which provides basic needs; employment, housing placement, and counsel; weekly support groups; and one-on-one mentoring to formerly incarcerated individuals.

Heritage Community Initiatives ($5,000) to support general operations and the ongoing efforts by Heritage Education, Transportation and Nutrition programs to meet the growing need for safety net services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. For thirty-seven years Heritage has been dedicated to making a positive impact on the social mobility of thousands of families.

Hill Dance Academy Theatre ($10,000) to support general operations. Hill Dance Academy Theatre develops and trains dancers in Black Dance traditions, expands knowledge and contributions of Black Dance traditions, and creates emerging professional dance artists who will sustain dance in the Black community.

Hill District Consensus Group ($10,000) to support Navigation Services and an Emergency Housing Relief Program. This project provides free navigation services by phone for people who have lost income due to COVID-19 in order to gain access to rent, mortgage, and utilities funding essential to the success of healthy lives, housing stabilization.

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation ($15,000) to support general operations for True T PGH, including True T Studios and OPTION-U Emergency Housing, a program of True T PGH with the mission of aiding in creating a sustainable future for Trans and Non-Binary POC in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. True T PGH serves as a community platform for LGBTQ+ resource sharing, queer arts, activism, and entertainment. Through community outreach and safe space making, True T PGH provides a connection to meaningful resources while celebrating the positive happenings within the LGBTQ+ communities of color.

JADA House ($12,500) to support general operations. JADA House is dedicated to bringing educational and social opportunities to Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood community for both youth and adults groups struggling to find access to positive and supportive programs.

Jeremiah’s Place ($15,000) to support general operations. Jeremiah’s Place is a 24-hour crisis nursery that protects children and strengthens families by providing a safe haven of respite, health, renewal, and support for children when their families are experiencing a critical need for childcare.

Jewish Community Center for Greater Pittsburgh ($30,000 over two years) to support the Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement (CFLK). The CLFK reflects the JCC’s commitment to democracy and diversity and anti-racism at a time of deepening and widening political and civil division.

Kelly Strayhorn Theater ($15,000) to support general operations. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater serves as a catalyst for creative expression that brings diverse communities together. Focusing on the performing and media arts of our time, KST takes a multidisciplinary and inclusive approach to presenting contemporary performing arts. KST programs examine the questions that define and inspire us as individuals and communities.

Legacy Arts Project ($10,000) to support general operations. Legacy Arts Project preserves the history and traditions of African art as presented throughout the diaspora through study, practice, and presentation.

Let’s Get Free ($15,000) to support general operations. Let’s Get Free: The Women and Trans Prisoner Defense Committee is a group working to end Death by Incarceration (also known as life without parole sentencing), create opportunities for people to come home from prison through commutation, support successful possibilities for people formerly and currently incarcerated, and shift to a culture of transformative justice.

MAYA Organization ($17,500) to support MAYA’s Community-Based Perinatal Support Program, which improves birth and postpartum outcomes in zip codes with the highest rates of perinatal mortality and morbidity by providing culturally congruent mentorship and doula care. The program trains and hires former participants to support parents in their communities. MAYA breaks the cycle of generational trauma, promotes strong and healthy families, and enriches communities by providing perinatal support, mentorship, and mental health therapy.

New Hazlett Center for the Performing Arts ($15,000) to support general operations. The New Hazlett provides a nurturing, collaborative environment for artists, leveraging people, space and technology to create and present challenging and dynamic art.

New Horizon Theater ($10,000) to support general operations. New Horizon brings to the greater Pittsburgh area consistent, high-quality cultural events, reflecting the African-American points of view, and provides an ongoing venue for writers and performers to further their professional development.

New Sun Rising ($10,000) to support general operations for PearlArts Studios. PearlArts Studios is the safe creative space for STAYCEE PEARL dance project and Soy Sos to develop multi-media dance centered works. PearlArts serves the greater Pittsburgh area and beyond with artistic opportunities such as movement residencies, creative collaborations and dance education.

New Sun Rising ($5,000) to support Pittonkatonk’s ongoing May Day Celebration and surrounding programming that provides a platform for local performers and social justice groups from around the region in a performance with national and international performers from the African diaspora and Latin American.

Office of Public Art at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council ($5,000) to support Arts Excursions Unlimited‘s (AEU) general operations as it adapts to changing community needs in the face of the pandemic. AEU is a three-tiered arts and cultural program designed by and for residents in the Greater Hazelwood neighborhoods to foster equitable creative self-determination.

Office of Public Art at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council ($45,000 over three years) to support Sibyls Shrine, a project by artist Alisha Wormsley. Sibyls Shrine is a new artist residency program for Black women, womxn, trans women, and femmes who are mothers and identify as artists, creatives, and/or activists in Pittsburgh. The Sibyls Shrine residency program uplifts Black creative mothers with opportunities for skill-sharing, self-care, safe space, and financial support in an effort to further develop their craft and presence in the arts.

Off the Wall Productions ($10,000) to general operations. Off the Wall Productions provides a home in which live theater, dance, music, and comedy can be presented, while nurturing and empowering women theater artists to collaborate as playwrights, directors, technicians, and actors. The company aims to create a more conscious and compassionate community, while providing a living wage for all artists.

Operation Better Block ($5,000) to support COVID Residential Assistance. Operation Better Block strategizes, organizes and mobilizes, block by block, to benefit Pittsburgh’s Homewood Community.

Pittsburgh Glass Center ($10,000) to support general operations. The Pittsburgh Glass Center is a school, gallery, and state-of-the-art green glass studio that provides free public access and drives economic development in its East End neighborhood.

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company ($15,000) to support general operations. Pittsburgh Playwrights is rooted in the African American community and produces the works of local racially- and culturally-diverse playwrights, provides a nurturing environment for all who work on and off the stage, and builds and serves a culturally diverse audience that can strengthen civic community.

POISE Foundation ($10,000) to support general operations. POISE Foundation exists to assist the Black community in achieving self-sustaining practices through strategic leadership, collective giving, grantmaking and advocacy.

POISE Foundation ($15,000) to support the Landless People’s Alliance/Pittsburgh Union of Regional Renters (PURR). PURR supports tenant organizing, advocacy, and low-income housing policy work in the Allegheny County region, while building a full service county-wide tenant union.

Side Project Inc. ($7,000) to support general operations of the Black Women’s Policy Agenda (BWPA). The BWPA builds a collective agenda that incorporates policy priorities affecting Black women and girls from all identities in the Pittsburgh region while synergizing with the on-the-ground work of Black women in communities and the organizations and initiatives that serve them to shape and change policy.

Take Action Mon Valley ($15,000) to support general operations. Take Action Mon Valley combats all forms of community violence through activism and organizing.

Thomas Merton Center ($20,000) to support general operations of Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT). PPT is a grassroots, member-driven organization of transit riders and operators advocating for an accessible, affordable and sustainable mass transit in Allegheny County.

Touchstone Center for Crafts ($10,000) to support general operations. Touchstone offers unique, high-quality immersive craft experiences to youth, teen, and adult learners – from amateurs to professional artists.

Ujamaa Collective ($30,000 over two years) to provide general operating support.  The grant supports the implementation of Ujamaa’s strategic plan, which will allow the organization to better serve as an advocate for fair trade, cooperative economics and gender equity. 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.

Union Project ($10,000) to support general operations. Through intentional arts practice and deliberative dialogue, Union Project builds understanding and empathy, fosters creativity and connections, and builds skills and opportunities to support and unite some of Allegheny County’s most vulnerable populations.

University of Pittsburgh ($15,000) to support the Office of Child Development’s P.R.I.D.E. Program (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education). P.R.I.D.E. helps parents, caregivers, educators and community leaders learn about the many ways race impacts young children through various learning opportunities, and family and community engagement. The program helps young Black children ages 0-8 develop positive racial identities.

Westend POWER ($7,500) to support general operations and the expansion of the Community Education Civic Program to help meet the needs of formerly incarcerated individuals. West End POWER is a community organization committed to strengthening communities through activism, advocacy, education, equity, and promoting unity.

When She Thrives ($10,000) to support general operations. When She Thrives’ ensures that African American single mothers have access and opportunity to advocate for themselves and their families by providing resources, education and support on their journeys to redefining and maintaining self sufficiency.

Women of Visions ($5,000) to support general operations. Women of Visions is an historic African American women’s visual arts non-profit that promotes the art, culture and history of women of the African Descent by helping each other to excel as artists and to grow professionally through exhibitions, community collaboration, and other progressive opportunities.

Women’s Law Project ($15,000) to support general operations. Women’s Law Project (WLP) creates a more just and equitable society by advancing the rights and status of all women throughout their lives. WLP works on a wide variety of issues, including reproductive rights, workplace rights, and discrimination.

YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh ($12,000) to support general operations for the Lighthouse Project as it continues to meet the needs of Black youth coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and assists them to lend their creative voices to the cause of confronting systemic racism. The Lighthouse Project is a center housed inside the Homewood-Brushton YMCA where teens can be creative, connect with peers, and access cutting edge media technology.

Za’kiyah House ($10,000) to support general operations. Za’kiyah House provides trauma-informed housing for survivors of incarceration, homelessness, and drug use.

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The Covid-19 Arts Working Group (CAWG), a collaboration of 15 foundations and a private donor in the Pittsburgh metro area, announces the Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund, in response to the unprecedented and ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region’s arts and cultural sector. The fund is intended to foster collective action and identify creative solutions to operating challenges as nonprofit arts organizations navigate these uncertain times. While the fund is open to all arts and cultural organizations, in recognition of long-standing disparities in funding, it will prioritize small to medium-sized arts organizations and those that serve or are led by historically marginalized communities in southwestern Pennsylvania, whether they be urban or rural in location.

Opportunity Fund is pleased to participate as a co-organizer of the Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund. Details, including eligibility requirements, deadlines, FAQs, the application process and guiding principles can be found at www.artsreimagined.org or by calling (412) 219-6584.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s cycle includes grants of $50,000 each to Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and to the Office of Public Art for special initiatives in response to the coronavirus. The program also funds seven individual artists for creative projects according to four key goals:

• Supporting creative development for professional artists.
• Creating career advancement and recognition opportunities for artists.
• Encouraging creative partnerships among artists and local organizations.
• Increasing the visibility of working artists.

Since 2011, 142 artists and organizations have received $2.1 million through the Investing in Professional Artists program. The Opportunity Fund is new to the partnership this year with support for individual craft artists.

The individual artist awardees for the Investing in Professional Artists 2020 cycle are:

• Literary artist Jari Bradley: $10,000 to fund the development of a manuscript for “Unruly,” a full-length collection of poems that centers the unconventional Black queer body. In the manuscript the author will draw connections between the confessional style of their poetry and their physical form and presence. Bradley aims to highlight what it means to exist in a body deemed “disruptive, aberrant and wild amid heteronormative social and familial codes of Black existence.”
• Visual artist Darnell Chambers: $10,000 to organize an exhibition and sequence of comic-book-style illustrations as a storyboard of “Run Back Town,” which is envisioned as a three-season, African-centered animation series that focuses on ancient African history and folktales. Chambers’ work is deeply inspired by world history and his personal experiences growing up poor in America as a man of color. His media arts, animation and design background have given him “better understanding of media and the psychological effects of systematic oppression,” and has led to his belief that “the purpose of art is to inform and instruct, to preserve and protect, and raise awareness to the global injustices of people of color.”
• Glass artist Jaime Guerrero: $10,000 to create five new life-size glass sculptures of angels to honor those who have lost their lives to acts of racism. The sculptures will focus attention on social issues relevant to those living in Pittsburgh while pushing the boundaries of what is possible in glass. The figures will be hand-sculpted at the Pittsburgh Glass Center using its equipment and staff assistants. Choosing which individuals to commemorate “will be a difficult task requiring respect and careful deliberation” and will be guided by key community members in partnership with organizations such as Casa San Jose. Each angel sculpture will take about two months to produce from start to finish. The sculptures will later be the centerpiece of an exhibition roughly a year after the project begins.
• Dancer/choreographer Pearlann Porter: $10,000 to fund conceptual/artistic development to produce a new full-length work, “mirror/360,” to debut in fall 2021. The grant will support a six-month research process including artist residencies, open community workshops, in-depth movement/audio investigations, and two informal performances at The Space Upstairs, which is Porter’s permanent artistic residence. The new element at the heart of the work will be the incorporation of live improvisational poetic vocalization by the dancers amid the choreography, utilizing innovative methods for amplifying and recording voices in real time. The dancers will be “given agency and direction to speak their inner monologues as a stream of poetic-consciousness throughout the piece that informs the work on an entirely new level of reveal.”
• Sculptor Lindsey Scherloum: $10,000 toward building two land art sculptures in publicly visible landscapes and developing a public engagement process that communicates contemporary environmental issues while practicing ancient building and weaving techniques. Scherloum has been weaving from invasive species for more than 10 years, first as a self-taught artist and then later after formal study of techniques used traditionally all over the world. Weaving with invasive species “shifts the perception of what may have a negative impact in nature by reorganizing it into fences, vessels and other useful materials.” This grant funds the creation of natural immersive installations using ancient wattle structure-building and basket-weaving techniques. These new sculptures will emerge through a three-part series of public engagement events executed with cooperation from Tree Pittsburgh and the artist collaborative Creatives for Climate. Volunteers and staff will harvest materials and weave them into usable sculptural forms.
• Film and video artist Mariah Torres: $10,000 to fund post-production of a proof-of-concept for a half-hour comedy series called “Rock Bottom” about the artist’s experiences living in her car in New York City with her best friend. In an effort to pursue her creative dreams and move her family out of Pittsburgh, Torres made the difficult decision to leave her son with his father and move to New York, only to be immediately evicted from her sublet. The artist then hid from her family that she was living in her car while working on a script about her experience with homelessness. The project has moved from two years of pre-production, table reads and script development into a proof-of-concept, promo materials and a title sequence for the show, which Torres describes as “a unifier in these divisive times; everyone has had a rock bottom moment. What we want to illustrate is that you can create your own reality, and with humor and heart, we can build each other up even in the darkest moments.”
• Sculptor Rachel Mica Weiss: $10,000 to support the creation of a large-scale concrete publicly installed outdoor work at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. The artist’s largest cast concrete “Fold” sculpture to date is inspired by walls people build, ranging from the geological and architectural barriers to formless psychological constructs. Through her sculpture, the artist pushes the limits of cast concrete, marble, obsidian, rope, and psychological constructs. Her cast concrete slabs bend paradoxically like fabric or foam, “often hugging coffin-like plinths, their abstracted figures—along with their material morphology—speak to a transcendent, transformational experience that the viewer is invited to share.”

More information can be found on The Pittsburgh Foundation website.

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PITTSBURGH, PA, June 12, 2020 — The Opportunity Fund announces support totaling $638,500 in its ninth cycle of funding. The Board of Directors, along with two community panels and a panel of advisors, funded 53 out of 103 requests that were seeking a total of $1,512,418. A complete list of awarded grants can be found below.

Including the current grant cycle, the foundation has awarded 524 grants totaling over $6.5 million since its inception in 2015. Grant cycles take place twice a year. Letter of Inquiry deadlines are around January 15 and July 15 each year. Full information about applying for grants is available in the “For Applicants” area of our website.

1Hood Media ($10,000) to support the general operations of Young Black Motivated Kings & Queens (YBMKQ). YBMKQ engages high school-aged youth in becoming the leaders of tomorrow while serving the community.

Alia Musica Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support the fourth edition of the biennial Pittsburgh Festival of New Music.

Alia Musica Pittsburgh ($7,500) to support general operations for Afro Yaqui Music Collective including development of a new jazz opera and an album release. Afro Yaqui promotes a progressive, humanistic, antiracist, feminist, and ecologically oriented musical practice that is both locally grounded and globally oriented.

Allegheny County Parks Foundation ($20,000 over three years) to support the creation of the Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres by restoring the current sculpture collection and relocating most sculptures to a newly designed, pedestrian-friendly sculpture garden.

Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Inclusion Health ($5,000) to support the Women’s Health Access Fund which will provide reproductive health services for homeless, uninsured, and underinsured women (not exclusively cisgender women). Services will include STI testing, prenatal care, contraception, routine gynecological care, hygiene products, and pregnancy termination.

Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall ($7,500) to support general operations for the Music Hall in Carnegie, PA in 2020.

Assemble ($10,000) to support general operations. Assemble builds confidence through making by uniting communities of artists, technologists, makers, and learners.

barebones productions ($7,500) to support general operations. barebones facilitates the growth of local theater artists through the production of challenging, entertaining, and thought provoking plays; and attracts new theater audiences by employing minimal production elements for maximum impact.

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation ($7,500) to support BOOM Concepts’ exhibitions and residencies that encourage field-building, knowledge-sharing, peer-to-peer mentorship, and storytelling for creative entrepreneurs representing marginalized voices.

The Brew House Association ($5,000) to support general operations, including artistic development programs that provide space and mentorship to regional emerging artists and curators, as well as exhibition programming.

Bricolage Production Company ($12,500) to support general operations as the organization undergoes strategic planning, collaborates with local artists to create participatory theatrical experiences, and innovates accessibility solutions that can positively impact the broader Pittsburgh and national theater communities.

Bridgeway Capital ($20,000 over two years) to support the ORIGINS Initiative which provides intensive business development guidance and transformative opportunities to help the region’s African American artists, makers, designers, and craftspeople realize meaningful business growth and financial resiliency.

Casa San Jose ($25,000 over two years) to support general operations and long-term sustainability as the organization provides programming to empower the Latinx community in the Pittsburgh region through community organizing, youth organizing, civic training and engagement, advocacy, and leadership development.

Casa San Jose ($12,500) to support the Guerrero Glass Youth Program, which will provide free glassblowing for youth in our immigrant and underserved communities.

Center of Life ($10,000) to support general operatations to ensure that youth and families receive the life-skills, education, training, and resources to be strong and to make their communities strong.

Chatham Baroque ($12,500) to support the 2020/2021 Season. Chatham Baroque connects diverse audiences to the passion and depth of the music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and Early Classical periods through vivid and compelling performances and educational experiences.

Circles Greater Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support the infrastructure and growth of The Wellness Collective, which provides needs-based resources to neighbors throughout Allegheny County.

Circles Greater Pittsburgh ($3,000) to support Soil Sisters Plant Nursery’s summer programming. Soil Sisters provides access to naturally grown vegetables, herbs, and flowered seedlings targeting food apartheids and neighborhoods that are lacking agricultural resources.

City Theatre Company ($15,000) to support the participation of mid-sized arts organizations (including City Theatre, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and others that demonstrate a willingness to lead with equity as value) in an artEquity-facilitated regional cohort focused on EDI practices in Pittsburgh.

Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center ($10,000) to support free medical, dental and behavioral health care to those who are uninsured or under-insured in Butler County, PA.

Community Human Services Corporation ($15,000) to support the expansion of Project Silk’s arts-based programming to offer clients an avenue to creative expression, as well as therapeutic and HIV preventative services.

Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) ($10,000) to support craft artists and help them safeguard their studios, protect their careers, prepare for and recover from emergencies.

Crisis Center North ($10,000) to support general operations and the ongoing provision of critical services and programming to victims and survivors of domestic, intimate partner, and dating violence in the Greater Pittsburgh region, especially the northern and western regions of Allegheny County.

Dreams of Hope ($12,500) to support Hatch Arts Collective‘s 2020-2021 season of performance programming and development. Hatch Arts Collective makes socially-engaged theater and works across disciplines and differences, activating communities through meaningful arts experiences.

East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) ($7,500) to support general operations. EECM addresses the issues that impact the area’s most at-risk, disadvantaged, and underserved populations, and implements programs to help those populations become self-sufficient..

Eden’s Farm ($7,500) to support a Drop In Center that provides care and respite programming for victims and survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation

Focus On Renewal Neighborhood Corporation ($17,500) to support the Community Resource Center. Focus On Renewal’s programs and partnerships connect children, adults, and families with relationships, resources, and opportunities to develop and sustain a thriving community.

The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support the 1926 Murray Avenue project, where adults of diverse abilities can find employment and friendship opportunities, and teens can seek stigma-free mental health care.

Front Porch Theatricals ($5,000) to support general operations. Front Porch provides professional, high-quality musical theater productions featuring Pittsburgh’s diverse actor, artistic and technical talent base.

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank ($40,000 over three years) to support general operations. Via its ongoing programs and services, the Food Bank provides fresh produce and nutritious food to support the health and wellbeing of neighbors in need, connects people to community resources to help stabilize their lives, and eliminates waste in the food system.

Grounded Strategies ($5,000) to support the CommunityCare Support program which provides neighborhood residents with resources and information to take direct action to improve their community through the stewardship of public greenspace.

Hill Community Development Corporation ($12,500) to support the general operations of Nafasi on Centre, an artist co-creating and living space.

International Documentary Association ($5,000) to support Ghost Lights: Reclaiming Theater in the Age of AIDS, a documentary film about the enduring force of the theater community as the AIDS crisis cut a swath through its brilliant ranks, leaving an emotional, artistic and developmental void in the industry.

Kamratōn ($10,000) to support a production of the new opera, “The Strange Child,” by composer Julia Werntz and librettist Kim Adrian. Other artistic collaborators include Daniel Curtis, Shana Simmons, Quince Ensemble, Paul Pinto, and Robert Frankenberry.

Lighthouse Arts, Inc. ($5,000) to support the Beacon of Jazz series that showcases jazz as an artform by featuring talented regional artists; and Brilliant Corners, which explores a variety of topics in jazz in a manner designed to engage participants and help them gain more listening enjoyment

Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild ($45,000 over three years) to support general operations of MCG Jazz. MCG Jazz preserves, promotes, and presents jazz music.

New Sun Rising ($7,500) to support Inside Our Minds’ “We’re Speaking. Are You Listening?” series. The series will include collective community narrative workshops and digital collage, highlighting the history of mental health storytelling and the importance of centering the voices, experiences, and perspectives of people with lived experience when speaking about mental health.

Pennsylvania Women Work ($10,000) to support general operations. PA Women Work supports employment and economic opportunity for women who struggle to find their place in Pittsburgh’s expanding economy.

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (PNME) ($10,000) to support general operations. PNME commissions, performs, and presents new music in ways that challenge, engage, and inspire.

Pittsburgh Youth Chorus ($7,500) to support the world’s first youth production of “Crossings,” a multidisciplinary performance piece by Ysaÿe Barnwell and David Roussève presented in collaboration with Hill Dance Academy Theatre and Afro-American Music Institute.

Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra ($7,500) to support the Perspectives Chamber Music Festival, a festival that will foster collaboration between classically trained Pittsburgh musicians and equally talented local and national classically trained musicians of color.

Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania (PPWP) ($45,000 over three years) to support general operations and the replacement and enhancement of PPWP’s security in their downtown health care facility.

POORLAW ($12,000) to support general operations. POORLAW advances a social justice framework for improving the quality of life for Hazelwood residents through strategies that increase opportunities, foster access to resources, and provide education and training.

POWER ($15,000) to support general operations. POWER helps women reclaim their lives from addiction and related emotional health issues and improve the well-being of future generations.

RealTimeInterventions ($7,500) to support general operations, including theatrical events and public experiences that depend upon the immediate nature of live and real-time art: events that come to life when people come together.

Repair the World ($7,500) to support general operations of Pittsburgh-based programming, mobilizing thousands of young people all backgrounds to serve, learn, and meet pressing needs with local partner organizations.

Resonance Works ($5,500) to support the second production and Pennsylvania premiere of “I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams”. Resonance Works is an artist-driven, collaborative, multi-modal performing arts company dedicated to exploring the confluence of artist, audience, music, and space through performances that empower musicians and engage audiences.

Squonk Opera ($25,000 over two years) to support general operations and Squonk’s strategic development as a resource in Pittsburgh to invigorate public spaces through live performance with music, multimedia spectacle and humor.

Thomas Merton Center ($3,500) to support the Harambee Ujima Black Art and Culture Association, created to celebrate and give visibility to Black arts while acting as an economic generator for local artists and small businesses in and around Three Rivers region.

Unique Projects, Inc. ($12,000) to support slowdanger’s collaboration with MICHIYAYA Dance to create ‘weighted sky’— a new, full-length, multidisciplinary performance work.

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) ($5,000) to support general operations. Funding will support UAEM’s collaborative campaign to pressure universities, governments and pharmaceutical corporations to ensure that all publicly funded diagnostics, treatments and the eventual vaccine for COVID-19 will be sustainably priced, available to everyone and free at the point of delivery.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art ($10,000) to support the exhibition Border Cantos | Sonic Border, which will be displayed at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art from May 30 to August 22, 2021.

Willissae’s Agency for Vision and Empowerment (WAVE) ($10,000) to support general operations for WAVE’s housing counseling services. WAVE empowers individuals who face barriers to discover and reach their potential through education, counseling, social services, and long-term support.

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COVID-19 is already affecting all of our lives, some more profoundly than others.  This is a time for foundations to listen, to remove barriers, to increase support, and to act quickly.

Along with hundreds of other funders across the nation, we have made our general commitments public. But more specifically, the Opportunity Fund is accountable to you. While we are still actively determining much of our COVID-19 strategy, we want to share with you some of the preliminary commitments we are making:

• We commit to a higher total payout in 2020 than ever before.
• We commit to granting roughly $500,000 to support COVID-19 response, outside of our two normal grant cycles, and sourcing a significant portion of those funds from our endowment.
  • We have not yet determined how or to whom we will distribute these funds. We are not currently accepting applications or solicitations for these funds.
• We commit to continuing our two normal grant cycles, with a slightly reduced budget in 2020.
• We commit to loosening restrictions for active and future grantees. We’ll also provide more flexible options, including conversations, for grant reports during this time.
• We commit to listening to you. To reading your emails. To reaching out to ask advice.

Finally, less formally but wholeheartedly, we commit to walking the tightrope between being responsive to the urgency we are all experiencing in the moment, and to remaining nimble and flexible over the duration of this crisis. There are lots of ways we can support each other, including but certainly extending beyond us granting money.

In solidarity,

Jake, Tiffany and Idy

The work you do is vital. It is life-saving, life-giving, visionary. We are proud to be actively supporting a portion of the work you currently do.

Please know that we unequivocally support and encourage any precautionary measures you may take–or have been required to take–to guard against COVID-19 that results in the postponement, alteration or cancellation of any aspect of the grant we awarded your organization. We simply ask that you inform us about it as soon as you can.

The goals of the program are to:

• Support the creative development of professional artists in the region.
• Create career advancement and recognition opportunities.
• Incentivize creative partnerships between artists and local cultural organizations.
• Increase the visibility of independent working artists in the region’s cultural life.

The Opportunity Fund is collaborating on the Creative Development Grants component of the IPA program. Professional artists in any discipline/media and at any career stage may apply directly for grants up to $10,000 to further artistic and career goals. This year includes an added focus of professional artists working in the field of craft made possible with Opportunity Fund support.

Visit The Pittsburgh Foundation for complete guidelines and the link to apply. All applications must be submitted by February 17, 2020. 

PITTSBURGH, PA, December 11, 2019 — The Opportunity Fund announces support totaling $896,200 in its eighth cycle of funding. The Board of Directors funded 68 out of 137 requests that were seeking a total of $2,390,524. A portion of the grants were based on the recommendations of a panel of seven community members. A complete list of awarded grants can be found below.

Including the current grant cycle, the foundation has awarded 421 grants totaling over $5.3 million since its inception in 2015. Grant cycles take place twice a year. Letter of Inquiry deadlines are around January 15 and July 15 each year. Full information about applying for grants is available in the “For Applicants” area of our website.

Abolitionist Law Center ($12,500) to support general operations and an expansion of its focus on Allegheny County through an increased litigation strategy and creation of a courtwatch program to gather and disseminate information on bail, probation, charging decisions, and racial disparities to the public.

Abolitionist Law Center ($10,000) to support the Prisoner Justice & Whistleblower Support Campaign in assisting and supporting prisoners in county jails, state prisons, and immigrant detention facilities. The campaign supports and protects jailhouse lawyers and prisoner whistle-blowers while they expose and litigate human rights violations and other issues as it pertains to mass incarceration.

Alliance for Global Justice ($20,000) to support the Bukit Bail Fund of Pittsburgh in providing financial assistance to people who are being held in the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) due to an inability to meet cash bail. Services prioritize those held in the ACJ who are Black, Brown, trans, or in need of immediate medical assistance.

AsylumConnect ($7,000) to support general operations and an improved version of the first ever resource app for LGBTQ asylum seekers in the greater Pittsburgh community.

Autism Urban Connections ($10,000) to support African American, minority, and economically disadvantaged families of the autism community by providing resources, education, and various supports throughout their journey of learning and living with autism.

Bach Choir of Pittsburgh ($5,000) to support Mary Shelly: Frankenstein Reimagined, a newly-commissioned work by composer Ben Opie in a jazz, funk, hip-hop style. The Bach Choir will perform the work as soundtrack to the 1931 Frankenstein film.

Balafon West African Dance Ensemble ($10,000) to support general operations and Balafon’s Managing Director to expand programming, increase earned revenue, develop educational materials, and expand Balafon’s community arts education programs and partnerships.

Beverly’s Birthdays ($7,500) to support programming for The Birthday Boutique, a mobile fashion truck that travels to group birthday celebrations held at residential treatment facilities, shelters, and family support centers. Birthday recipients and their families have the ability to board the truck and “shop” for new clothing.

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation ($5,000) to support programs, projects and activities that assist those living in the Garfield, Bloomfield, and Friendship neighborhoods facing challenging circumstances and that capitalize on opportunities to improve the physical and economic environment of the larger community.

Bunker Projects ($7,500) to support the general operations of Bunker Projects, an artist-run residency and experimental gallery space that serves as a platform for emerging artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition.

C-clear Empowerment ($10,000) to support the completion of a community innovation and empowerment center in McKeesport. The center will offer public forums, art based instruction, technology development, and a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs, makers, and product developers to stimulate job creation.

Center for Employment Opportunities ($10,000) to support individuals who were recently incarcerated, at high risk of being re-incarcerated, unemployed, and in need of immediate income. CEO provides comprehensive employment services to help Pittsburgh individuals secure and sustain jobs, offering a pathway to long-term stability and economic opportunity.

Chatham Baroque ($7,500) to support general operations for the 2019/2020 Season of Chatham Baroque + Renaissance & Baroque programs that connect diverse audiences to the passion and depth of the music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and Early Classical periods through vivid and compelling performances and educational experiences.

City of Asylum Pittsburgh ($45,000 over 3 years) to support general operations. City of Asylum provides sanctuary to endangered literary writers and a broad range of literary programs in a variety of community settings to encourage cross-cultural exchange.

City Theatre Company ($10,000) to support the Momentum Play Development Series, focused on bringing plays to a finished product and prospecting new works that will find their way to world premiere productions in 1-3 years.

Community Justice Project ($10,000) to support impact litigation and other broad-based legal advocacy across Pennsylvania—especially in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania—to protect the rights of low-income communities.

Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) ($15,000) to support general operations and programs in two cultural venues. KST is a catalyst for creative expression that brings diverse communities together. Focusing on the performing and media arts of our time, KST takes a multidisciplinary and inclusive approach to presenting contemporary performing arts.

CORNINGWORKS ($15,000) to support the development, creation, and production of The Tipping Point—a multi-disciplinary, immersive dance/theater performance that focuses on the refugee experience. Created in collaboration with Doctors Without Boarders and local refugee organizations, it will be performed at 25 Carrick.

Familylinks ($10,000) to support homeless youth (ages 16-21) to build a strong foundation for successful independent living and transition to safe and stable housing, through Familylinks’s Transitional Living Program.

Fractured Atlas ($5,000) to support folkLAB in the creation and documentation of three performance projects, including development of a first touring work, and to assist in creating additional co-programming and partnerships with aligned local community organizations.

Fractured Atlas ($10,000) to support the Other Border Wall Project, an international exhibition, public engagement art making, and conceptual campaign. The group will present an exhibition titled OBW 2020 at 937 Gallery in Pittsburgh in the Fall of 2020.

Gwen’s Girls ($10,000) to support the Gwendolyn J. Elliott Institute Speakers Bureau to educate the public on the inequities affecting Black girls and better equip organizations, agencies, and service providers to deliver informed quality services to Black girls in the Southwestern PA region.

Handmade Arcade ($10,000) to support Pittsburgh’s maker movement by providing craft-based artists, designers, and makers with opportunities to sell products, build community, network, and share their artistic practice.

Healthy Start Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support the Community Health Advocate program, which engages single black mothers who are living in high poverty, high disparity Pittsburgh neighborhoods. The program supports leadership and advocacy competencies among black women whom are underrepresented in decision-making processes that impact their families.

Hill Dance Academy Theatre ($15,000) to support general operations for HDAT’s 15th anniversary year and costs associated with producing the annual Spring Dance Concert featuring a commissioned piece by internationally-known choreographer, Ronald K. Brown.

Homeless Children’s Education Fund ($10,000) to support general operations toward providing a safety net that works directly with students, educators and housing partners to address critical needs including unstable housing, poverty, and domestic violence.

Human Services Center Corporation ($10,000) to support general operations of programs that work with clients to find a pathway out of poverty, including a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, Emerging Leaders Program, Supports for Success, and food pantry.

Kassia Ensemble ($10,000) to support Commission Music for 7, a new piece of music by composer Judith Shatin for 2 violins, viola, cello, bass, harp and clarinet that explores thematic material by the Ensemble’s namesake, the poet and Abbess, Kassia.

Kassia Ensemble ($10,000) to support a collaboration between Demaskus Theater collective, producer and artist Amanda Neatrour, and Kassia Ensemble to present Song from the Uproar, an all-female chamber opera by composer Missy Mizzoli. This production intends to highlight barriers for women in the performing arts seeking leadership opportunities, equal pay, and equal representation as writers and composers.

Kente Arts Alliance ($30,000 over 2 years) to support general operations and further implementation of Kente’s executive transition strategy. Kente Arts Alliance is an African American arts organization whose mission is to present high-quality art of the African Diaspora and to entertain, inform and uplift the residents of underserved communities.

KidsVoice ($20,000) to support the Data-Driven Magisterial District Judge Advocacy Initiative, a pilot program that leverages Allegheny County-provided data to expand representation of current and former foster youth in summary offense cases before magistrate district judges. The program helps clients avoid fines and criminal records which become barriers to employment and housing.

Latino Community Center ($30,000 over 2 years) to support the Supportive Service program for the Latino community in Allegheny County.

Lawrenceville United ($10,000) to support the Lawrenceville Housing Justice Project, designed to promote affordable and safe housing in Lawrenceville for the community’s most marginalized residents through direct support, advocacy, education, and coalition building.

New Century Careers ($10,000) to support MANUFACTURING 2000 (M2K), a tuition-free, pre-apprenticeship, entry-level machinist training program offered to unemployed job/career seekers and low-wage workers.

New Hazlett Center for the Performing Arts ($15,000) to support general operations to help the New Hazlett serve as a stable, affordable rental and support facility for Pittsburgh’s diverse artists and arts organizations.

New Horizon Theater ($10,000) to support the 2019/2020 Season and the organization’s mission to provide consistent, high-quality stage productions reflecting the African-American points of view, and to provide an ongoing venue for African-American writers and performers to further their professional development.

New Israel Fund (NIF) ($30,000 over 3 years) to support NIF and its partners in Israel working 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) to support Global Wordsmith’s Language Access Project, a robust program that provides translation and interpretation in multiple languages for local organizations at no cost, so that the services provided by these organizations can become accessible to English learning immigrants and refugees.

New Sun Rising ($7,500) to support the Pittonkatonk May Day Celebration in 2020. Pittonkatonk provides a platform for local performers and social justice groups from around the region in a performance with national and international performers from the African diaspora and Latin American.

New Sun Rising ($10,000) to support The Brown Mamas Monologue Project, an annual showcase of 10 African-American mothers telling unique stories about the trials and triumphs of motherhood. The event both gives a platform to Black mothers in need of an opportunity to share their motherhood narrative, and provides an opportunity to diversify the American motherhood narrative.

New Sun Rising ($10,700) to support Casey Droege Cultural Productions in providing a first year of programming at CDCP’s new project space with two new exhibitions of artists who work with textiles and found objects.

New Sun Rising ($15,000) to support the creative development of Casop: Requiem for Rice, the first full symphonic work written about slavery, including the commissioning of the completed piece and documentation of its creation in “Making ‘Requiem for Rice.'”

New Sun Rising ($15,000) to support general operations of PearlArts Studios|STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos (SPdp&SS). SPdp&SS exists to interpret and mirror culture and community through dance and dance centered multi-media experiences. With diverse casting and programming, Pearl Arts explores innovative conceptual possibilities while participating in meaningful collaboration.

Northside Common Ministries – Program of Goodwill ($10,000) to support Be Well Pittsburgh in updating and expanding low-income healthcare resource information and outreach to underserved communities.

Off the Wall Productions ($7,500) to support the production and performance of six artistic works in the 2019/20 season. Off the Wall Productions presents live theater, dance, music, and comedy while nurturing and empowering women and LGBTQIA theater artists to collaborate as playwrights, directors, technicians, and actors.

The Open Door ($25,000) to support capital renovations and urgent repairs. The Open Door provides affordable, safe, and supportive homes for individuals living with HIV who are not eligible for more traditional housing programs.

Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) ($15,000) to support general operations that advance PGC’s mission through artistic activities such as classes, outreach, artist residencies, exhibitions, and studio rental.

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company ($20,000) to support general operations and the 2019/20 Season of plays. Pittsburgh Playwrights is committed to developing and showcasing the works of local playwrights. The organization seeks to nurture a racially and culturally diverse community of playwrights, directors, actors, and technical specialists to hone their craft and to network creative opportunities.

Prime Stage Theatre ($5,000) to support general operations, including a season of plays at the New Hazlett Theater, expansion of accessibility programs, and a four-year strategic plan. Prime Stage entertains, inspires, and enriches by bringing literature to life through professional theatre.

Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE) ($10,000) to support operating expenses and current programming. PACE’s mission is to advance a more equitable community by increasing the capacity of individuals, groups and organizations that challenge injustice.

Quantum Theatre ($45,000 over 3 years) to support three seasons of environmentally-made productions, including several world or American premieres. Quantum is a company of progressive, professional artists dedicated to producing intimate and sophisticated theatrical experiences in uncommon settings, exploring universal themes of truth, beauty, and human relationships in unexpected ways.

Radiant Hall ($10,000) to support general operations as Radiant Hall builds a vibrant and sustainable support model for Pittsburgh’s working artists, centered around affordable studio space.

Serenity Living Transitional Home (SLTH) ($15,000) to support general operations for a housing and mentor program for homeless young people identifying as women aging out of foster care or experiencing homelessness due to unfortunate circumstances.

Shared Interest ($20,000 over two years) to support general operations for Shared Interest’s work providing loan guarantees to low-income borrowers of color in Southern Africa.

sisTers PGH ($20,000) to support general operations and SisTers PGH’s newly opened drop-in space that provides the transgender community with shelter, food, clothing, employment resources, housing resources, and a place to rest and commune during homelessness and/or during recreational activities and programs.

Texture Contemporary Ballet ($7,500) to support three main stage dance shows, three interactive children’s performances, two mini dance festivals, one choreography project, and several individual community based performances.

The Mattress Factory ($7,500) to support the development and growth of programming and materials relating to upcoming Mattress Factory exhibitions, including “2019 Factory Installed,” the Greer Lankton Archive, and “2020 Factory Installed.”

Thomas Merton Center ($5,000) to support Book ’Em: Books to Prisoners Project in implementing electrical, shelving, and workspace renovations. Book ‘Em is a volunteer organization that that reading and educational materials to prisoners across Pennsylvania.

Thomas Merton Center ($15,000) to support Pittsburghers for Public Transit’s campaigns detailed in the Riders’ Vision for Public Transit, calling for achievable and effective measures to grow transit ridership and equity in the region.

Touchstone Center for Crafts ($10,000) to support general operations of this three-seasons craft school located in the Laurel Highlands, PA. Touchstone’s programming includes contemporary and experimental techniques—in addition to traditional and historical methods—in disciplines such as blacksmithing, ceramics, metals, jewelry, glass, mosaics, fiber arts, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support continued development of essential social services for Somali Bantu refugees in Pittsburgh.

University of Pittsburgh / Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences ($15,000) to support the Skilled Employment for Re-entry and Reintegration in Western Pennsylvania program that will provide job training and job apprenticeship opportunities, along with wraparound case management and housing, for parolees discharged from Department of Corrections penitentiaries.

View ($25,000) to support debt reduction and operational expenses for this arts and community center dedicated to enriching, educating and inspiring residents and visitors to the Adirondacks.

Westend POWER ($5,000) to support support space, materials, stipends, and food for 10 community educational Civic Series events across Allegheny County.

Women and Girls Foundation ($10,000) to support WGF’s GirlGov program, which provides a justice-based advocacy, civic engagement, and leadership training to a diverse group of 135 young women representing 60 high schools and 6 counties in Southwest PA.

Women’s Law Project (WLP) ($15,000) to provide general operating support for WLP’s western Pennsylvania office. WLP works to create a more just and equitable society by advancing the rights and status of all women throughout their lives via high-impact litigation, advocacy, and education.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh ($3,500) to support the Black & White Reunion and the 2020 Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit, a flagship event for Pittsburgh organizers. The Summit creates opportunities for attendees to learn, connect, and act on behalf of racial justice.

Zellous Hope Project ($15,000) to support rent and general operations for this organization that offers a hands-on, strength-based approach to helping individuals experiencing poverty that have been relying on ‘alternative’ means of surviving and generating income.

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