Stories
D.S. Kinsel: Forging creativity and elevating the role of Black artists in Westmoreland County
D.S. Kinsel is an artist, art educator and co-founder of BOOM Concepts, a gallery, art and activist hub.
D.S. Kinsel is an artist, art educator and co-founder of BOOM Concepts, a gallery, art and activist hub.
Statewide survey most comprehensive to date on lost revenue and extra costs
2020 Census outreach efforts shift dramatically amid COVID-19 pandemic.
When the COVID-19 pandemic led to stay-at-home orders and business closures in southwestern Pennsylvania, larger cities, such as Pittsburgh, were able to quickly mobilize resources and ensure basic needs from food to transportation were met. In small rural communities, the safety net infrastructure is often not as robust. The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County (CFWC) worked to reinforce that safety net in the 65 municipalities that it serves through community calls.
On March 16, the Emergency Action Fund was setup by The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County and its regional partners to accept donations from individuals, foundations and businesses so that funds could be allocated rapidly to nonprofits on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Learn more about the fund, the grants distributed from it and the nonprofits it helped.
Staff at The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County knew that a lack of emergency shelter beds was a significant issue, but it wasn’t until they began checking in with nonprofits and community advocates that the full scope of the problem became clear.
FUELED BY AN ABUNDANCE OF TEAMWORK, a group of about 30 high school– and college-age students took part in a seven-week program meant to encourage next generation philanthropy. The Youth Philanthropy Internship — a partnership of The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, The Heinz Endowments and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies — brings together young people from across western Pennsylvania to address the most pressing issues in their communities.
The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County convinced 20 nonprofits to look past daily work demands and band together to build relationships. This year, membership is growing and joint projects have launched.
Giving now while the market is up makes it possible to take an income tax deduction for the full fair market value of shares — and avoid long-term capital gains tax on the appreciation.