Advancing Economic Mobility in Times of Uncertainty

2025 Impact Report

a letter from leadership

2025 was a year of both meaningful progress and real challenges. In an evolving economic landscape, Neighborhood Allies remained focused on expanding opportunity for people and strengthening the communities they call home. Across our work, we delivered strategic programs that created real-life impact, advancing financial stability and upward mobility for individuals and families across our region.

Advancing Economic Mobility in Times of Uncertainty

2025 Impact Report

a letter from leadership

In 2025, we mobilized more than $6.2 million of investments into neighborhoods.

Our work leveraged an additional $6.63 million for community-driven development projects.

Over half of our yearly expenditures were paid to minority-led entities.

We entered the year guided by a new, three-year strategic plan with an ambitious goal: to move 100,000 low-to-moderate income Pittsburghers up the socio-economic ladder by 2030. That goal continues to shape how we invest, partner, and measure success, grounding our work in outcomes that improve lives and bringing us closer to our vision of vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods where every resident has the opportunity to thrive.

Our Economic Mobility initiatives are at the center of this effort. In 2025, the Allegheny County Financial Empowerment Center served 383 people in over 2,200 sessions, helping clients reach 1,000 significant outcomes including improved credit scores, decreased debt, and increased savings. This year, the FEC also surpassed a major milestone – $10 million in total client debt reduced. Additionally, we expanded FEC services to include legacy and estate planning, further positioning residents to not only stabilize financially, but build and protect wealth across generations.

Together, these efforts are part of a comprehensive Economic Mobility strategy—one that meets people where they are and supports long-term upward mobility .

In 2025, we:

Launched programs like Fund My Future Academy and Getting Good with Money, equipping residents, especially Black and Brown women and families, with tools to plan, save, and build financial security.

Deployed $103,000 in HomeBase grants to 31 small businesses, supporting entrepreneurship, income growth, and pathways to wealth-building.

Expanded financial education into the Allegheny County Jail, reaching 40 individuals and extending access to financial tools at critical moments of transition.

We also advanced complementary strategies that strengthen the conditions for upward mobility across communities. Through Neighborhood Capital, we invested over $300,000 in community-driven developers, delivered nearly 1,300 hours of technical assistance, and helped leverage over $6.63 million in additional capital, expanding access to opportunity and supporting long-term community wealth-building.

Here are a few other notable achievements:

Through our RISE HIGH Grant Partnership Program, we invested $75,000 in five nonprofit organizations rooted in the communities we serve.

Advanced Digital Inclusion efforts by delivering digital skills classes, convening 36 cross-sector leaders for Pittsburgh’s first Digital Divide Simulation, and completing a formal program evaluation resulting in a comprehensive impact report.

Provided over 2,500 hours of custom advisory services to key partners, spanning grant writing, strategic planning, and implementation support.

Released our first policy position paper, Capital for Community Growth, advancing alignment across policy, funding, and community development priorities.

Steel Smiling secured a two-year, $600,000 investment from the Hillman Foundation that will ensure the growth and stability of core initiatives, Beams to Bridges and Steel Healing, as well as help to launch Wellspring, a Black Mental Health Ecosystem Asset Map.

Our work continues to evolve. We must listen closely to community voice, remain resilient in the face of uncertainty, and stay grounded in our mission and values. We believe that our collective effort and shared leadership are what make enduring progress possible.

None of this work would be possible without the dedication of our staff, the leadership of our board, and the trust and partnership of funders, partners and supporters. Thank you for believing in our mission and standing with us as we move into the next decade of impact.

With Gratitude,