Our Social Impact Design Team facilitated 60+ hours of pro-bono technical assistance to Black-led businesses by local architecture firms through their Equity-Centered Designer Network in addition to providing 140+ hours of staff time. Additionally, they engaged over 700 residents in community-led design engagement – making architectural and urban design accessible to historically disinvested communities and centering community vision in every way. Check out some of their past projects.

Our Real Estate Team and consultants provided over 1,900 technical assistance hours to developers engaging in equitable development projects.

Our Get Online Grow Online program supported 45 new small businesses in implementing new, creative ways to reach their customers through online interaction. Of those 45 businesses, 96% were minority or woman owned.

In addition to funding, we supported each of our RISE HIGH Grantee-Partners by connecting them with internal and external resources that aid them in creating lasting, high-impact projects and programs.

The Public Art and Communities program (PAC) supports artists and communities in working together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its intersecting public health crises. From 2021-2023, four artists – Jason McKoy, Noa Mims, Rell Rushin, and Lindsey Peck Scherloum –worked in collaboration with their community-based partners to develop and implement four works of temporary public art in Pittsburgh communities. These artworks addressed not only the immediate impact of COVID-19 on these communities, but also intersecting crises such as racism, food insecurity, social isolation, and mental health.

Between staff and programmatic consultants, Steel Smiling’s work contributed over 6,700 hours towards promoting positive change of the Black Mental Health ecosystem. Additionally, they served 1,237 residents and organized nearly 80 community-building events, primarily through their regular peer support groups. Finally, their Beams to Bridges Program engaged 45 participants and trained 11 Community Mental Health Advocates.

As a Neighborhood Allies Organization-In-Residence, Steel Smiling has heightened capacity to meet the needs of those they serve by accessing Neighborhood Allies’ organizational infrastructure. The Organization-in-Residence initiative is an innovative pilot program co-created by Neighborhood Allies and Steel Smiling designed to nurture the organizational growth, capacity building and sustainability of Steel Smiling so that they can continue to serve community members to their highest potential.

In 2023, we enhanced the capacity of over 100 organizations, spanning CDCs/CBOs, small-scale developers, designers/architects, small businesses, for-profit entities, and artists. We recognize the importance of tackling problems from all angles and in weaving connections between and across communities, bringing resources to those working to create greater community well-being. This responsive approach addresses evolving market needs and the changing landscape of the community development system. We believe that our collective partnerships directly influence and extend organizations’ capacity to serve communities through collaboration and resource allocation.

We also merged and integrated Omicelo Cares, a Black-led nonprofit, into Neighborhood Allies’ portfolio of services. Combining organizational resources creates stronger and more impactful results and significantly expands our collective reach and influence on equitable real estate development.

Collectively, our staff engaged in over 1,700 hours of training and volunteer service in 2023 in areas such as mental health, equity, and community support. We held 4 all-staff trainings and participated in 2 community support days.

63% of our staff provided board or advisory services to other nonprofit or governmental organizations, representing added capacity for a diverse mix of over 30 local, regional, and national entities.

We prided ourselves on connecting people to resources and bringing together the right people at the right time, sharing knowledge and lessons learned with collaborators. We led or participated in 6 networks in 2023 — the Preservation Working Group, The Asset Building Network, The Partnership Network, the Greater Pittsburgh Digital Inclusion Alliance (GPDIA) Affordable Connectivity Program Working Group, the Pittsburgh Digital Equity Coalition (PDEC), and the Alliance for Access and Assets.