A 21st century community development intermediary in Pittsburgh.
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Purpose: A citywide network of community organizations to improve the lives of low-income Pittsburgh residents.
Lead Stakeholders: Business, Community
Process: In 2014, Neighborhood Allies re-launched as a community development intermediary in Pittsburgh’s under-served neighborhoods. The group aims to move 100,000 low-income Pittsburghers up the socio-economic ladder over the next 10 years.
For the 30 years prior, the entity operated as the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development (PPND), which was a citywide network of community development corporations (CDCs). In the 1980s, local and national funders of CDCs created the PPND with board members that included corporate and public sector leaders.
For CDCs, the Partnership provided an expanded pool of funding and a shared forum for problem solving. The Partnership funding allowed CDCs to create their own networks for training residents and connecting them to jobs. The PPND also facilitated connections among CDCs—and between those CDCs and private sector leadership in the city—in a “peer-to-peer” network.
Outcomes:
- From 2014-2024, invested $35 million in equitable development, supported 6,200 clients in attaining better jobs, and 1,500 small businesses.
- Built/rehabilitated 817 housing units and developed 640,000 sf of commercial and industrial space from 1983-1995.
View or download PDF of the Neighborhood Allies case study.
