Mission Expansion Initiatives ↘

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh desires to become a model nonprofit workplace for a diverse workforce. The organization began performing a holistic review of its current compensation packages, ensuring that all staff members are paid a living wage and offered competitive benefits, and meaningful opportunities for professional development and career advancement. This strategic pay equity campaign also includes instituting a $15/hour or more starting pay rate.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh further advanced racial justice and gender equity through advocacy training and a communications strategy aimed at amplifying the voices of women, especially women of color. Through partnership with the Pennsylvania Zone of YWCA Associations, the organization created a collaborative initiative to address racial trauma resulting from disparities and injustice. This initiative is now called Unite to Heal PA.

Through a strategic partnership with the Poise Foundation, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh began supporting organizations focused specifically on the intersectionality of race and gender equity through the Mission in Action Grant Program.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh used funds to help women-owned and minority women-owned businesses recovering from the COVID crisis, in partnership with the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania (AACCWP), Asian American Chamber of Commerce Pittsburgh (AACCPittsburgh), Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (PMAHCC), Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council (EMSDC), and Catapult Greater Pittsburgh. YWCA’s collaboration with PMAHCC resulted in a successful Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day Awareness event and a new $500 grant opportunity for small Latino-owned businesses, the ESTRELLA Small Business Grant. In partnership with Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, YWCA used funds to create a $5,000 Sustainability Mini-Grant, which was awarded to eleven women and minority women-led small businesses serving Allegheny County that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. YWCA also awarded funds to EMSDC to support their creation of the Business Navigator Accelerator Program, which offers assistance and $2,500 mini-grants to women and minority-owned small manufacturing businesses in Allegheny County.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh immediately began using funds to expand its capacity to meet women and families’ basic needs through an enriched Resource Center, which provides food, housing, transportation, and other urgently needed support services. Prior to the pandemic, many families were living paycheck-to-paycheck and lacked sufficient savings to cover a financial setback. The pandemic further challenged already financially vulnerable families and greatly increased the demand for support with basic needs.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh used funds to begin building partnerships to support those pursuing wage-sustaining careers who were re-entering the workforce or who had to leave due to COVID-19. In addition, through the creation of a new YWCA Fellowship program, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh began offering six- to 12-month paid internships so participants could develop professional skills, build networks, and gain tangible work experience.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s ongoing effort to empower women was further supported by using funds to expand the impact of the Liz Prine Memorial Fund, which honors the memory of a former YWCA Board Member by offering one-time grants to women that help them improve their circumstances and move towards financial stability and safety.