Past Initiatives

Coffee & Conversations with Pittsburgh's Public Source

This capacity-building opportunity brought together nonprofit professionals who provide services across our footprint that are working to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. The event provided an opportunity for nonprofit staff to engage directly with Pittsburgh’s Public Source journalists and editors, share insights from their work on the ground, and explore ways to strengthen storytelling and media engagement in an effort to promote the communities served.

Participants discussed the power of elevating community voices, the importance of transparency in reporting, and how nonprofit organizations can better connect with the media to highlight strengths, challenges, and impact. Attendees also had the opportunity to network with fellow grantees.

We’re grateful to Pittsburgh’s Public Source for their time and partnership and for nonprofit partners who joined us to share stories, spark ideas, and build stronger connections across our nonprofit network.

Cultivating Inclusive Leadership: Strategies for Nonprofits

This series provided practical steps and resources for nonprofit organizations to engage in practices that include all voices, eliminate barriers to resources, and ensure accessibility. Workshops were held at the Jefferson Regional Foundation offices and were open to current and past grantees of the Jefferson Regional Foundation.

The Cultivating Inclusive Leadership Series included the following workshops:

  • Microaggressions 101: A Thousand Cuts took place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. This workshop focused on core concepts such as identifying microaggressions, evaluating their presence in everyday life and the workplace, and understanding the impact of microaggressions.
  • Spheres of Influence took place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. This training encouraged participants to recognize and understand their spheres of influence—both personal and professional—and the effects these spheres can have.
  • Institutional Racism took place on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. This workshop examined the history of racism in the U.S. to raise awareness of the different levels of racism, their systematic impacts, and how they are sustained. Participants also reviewed organizational behaviors, policies, and practices that contributed to the dismantling of racism.

"Creating Job Descriptions" Training

“Creating Job Descriptions,” a training session led by Acuity Human Resources, was held on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at the Foundation offices. This in-person session focused on creating job descriptions, and 13 grantee partners attended the training.

The training session focused on: 

  • Recognizing the importance of job descriptions
  • Understanding the fundamentals of job description creation
  • Determining the best uses of the job descriptions
  • Learning various methods for implementing the final job descriptions in an organization
  • Incorporating interactive exercises that included the creation of a job description during the training session

The participating organizations were also given the option for a 30-minute follow-up phone or video conference consultation session with a staff member from Acuity to answer questions or request further discussion. 

Legislative Breakfast

Legislative Breakfast was an initiative of the Civic and Policy Engagement Action Team on Friday, March 22, 2024, from 9:00-10:30 am at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. This event encouraged interaction between nonprofit partners and local legislators and provided a space to elevate community voices and discuss shared priorities. The agenda featured introductions from attending legislators, followed by a Q&A session and table conversations. The Legislative Breakfast offered nonprofit partners and local legislators an opportunity to connect, exchange insights, and explore collaborative solutions to pressing community challenges.

Legislators in attendance included:

  • Senator Jay Costa (District 43)
  • Brandon Forbes (District Director for Representative Summer Lee, District 12)
  • Representative Matthew Gergely (District 35)
  • Councilperson Robert J. Macey (Allegheny County District 9)
  • Representative Nick Pisciottano (District 38)
  • Senator Devlin J. Robinson (District 37)
  • Representative Abigail Salisbury (District 34)