What we do

A Home and Voice for the Community

WHAT DOES IT COST TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY?

For over a century, the Kingsley Association has served the diverse needs of East End Pittsburgh by providing essential programs, services, and a space for civic engagement and community gathering. The cost of maintaining our facilities is nothing compared to the value we provide to the communities we serve.

Maintaining and investing in the Kingsley Association facilities is not just about preserving a building. It’s about ensuring all residents, regardless of their economic status or tenure in the neighborhood, have a place to come together and learn from each other. It’s about creating a sense of shared community where the benefits of neighborhood development are equitably shared, and residents have a voice in where the community is heading.

Our building is a unique and critical asset to East End Pittsburgh. As Kingsley works to meet the challenges of a growing and diversifying community, investing in our building is just as critical as investing in the services, partnerships, and programs it houses. The Kingsley Association is shouldering the operating costs of numerous community groups, coalitions, and programs, but support for our facilities has declined or remained stagnant.

For this reason, we are seeking long-term foundation partnerships to ensure this critical piece of Pittsburgh’s civic infrastructure remains available to everyone.

An unmatched location for meeting community needs

Kingsley is centrally located to the neighboring communities of Garfield, Homewood, East Liberty, and the East Hills. The facility is easily accessible by multiple Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus lines and has ample free parking.
U.S. Census data shows the communities of Larimer, Garfield, Homewood, East Liberty, & the East Hills are predominantly Black and low-income. Across these neighborhoods, the average racial breakdown is: Black 53.06%, White 23.23%, Asian 10.1%, and Hispanic/Latino 4.4%. The median household income average is $57,909, lower than the state average of $61,744; the poverty rate ranges from 14.0%-18.28%, significantly higher than the state average of 12.3%; and the unemployment rate ranges from 6.2%-9.3%, the same or higher than the state average of 6.4%.

Our Approach

To be responsive to the needs of the communities we serve in the East End of Pittsburgh, The Kingsley Association offers programs and services that embody a holistic approach to social change, recognizing that economic justice, social justice, and community convening are interconnected and essential components of creating a more equitable and inclusive society.

Economic Justice

Convening the community

Social
Justice

Economic Justice: Kingsley offers resources, support, and programs for economic empowerment. This might include job training, financial literacy classes, access to affordable housing, or support for small businesses, all of which contribute to addressing economic disparities within the community.
Social Justice: The Kingsley Association addresses systemic injustices and discrimination. It advocates for policies and initiatives that promote equality and inclusivity, ensuring that all community members have equal rights and opportunities regardless of their background or identity.
Community Convening: The Kingsley Association is a central community engagement and collaboration hub. It organizes events, facilitates discussions on important issues, and fosters partnerships among community members, strengthening social bonds and amplifying the community’s collective voice.

The Kingsley Association sits at the center of these three critical needs and stands out as one of the only
physical spaces where all three components to change are addressed and have a permanent home.

The Need

Through The Kingsley Association’s commitment to civic engagement, we are bearing the cost and rewards of convening the community. Our 47,000-square-foot facility offers meeting rooms and spaces, a large common area, a Resource Navigation Desk provided through our Family Support program, and a growing Digital Innovation Center. Local community organizations, City of Pittsburgh officials, Allegheny County officials, mental health providers, veterans’ groups, community education organizations, and other non-profit organizations hold community meetings in the facility due to our accessibility to the center of the East End neighborhoods.
The ability to host such meetings is driving our mission to be a catalyst that fosters youth and community
leaders through integral programs and services. However, most of these events require additional staff
to manage or participate in the events, prepare the space, and support the respective organization’s
needs, which consistently results in increased operational costs for Kingsley.

Call to Action

The Kingsley Association is more than just a building; it is a lifeline for the residents of Larimer and a testament to the power of community engagement and collective action. With your support, we can continue empowering individuals, strengthening families, fostering collaboration, and amplifying community voices. Together, we can make a difference.

Donate
Refer organizations to The Kingsley Association
Contact local legislators to provide assistance for The Kingsley Association and write Letters of Support