Our Partners

The Coalition welcomes affiliate members who are aligned with our mission. We work closely with the Allegheny County Bar Association and all its affinity groups — the Homer S. Brown Division, the Asian Attorneys Committee, the Committee on Law & Disability, the Hispanic Attorneys Committee, the LGBT Rights Committee, and the Women in the Law Division. Pittsburgh’s two law schools — the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Duquesne University School of Law — are also affiliate members and the deans of both law schools have served or are currently serving on the Coalition’s Board of Directors.

Also an affiliate member, Vibrant Pittsburgh was founded in 2015 “to build a thriving and inclusive Pittsburgh region by attracting, retaining and elevating a diversity of talent.” It works with employers and diverse community groups to organize, promote and implement initiatives designed to welcome and retain more diverse talent. Vibrant Pittsburgh was instrumental in the founding of the Coalition and continues to encourage and support its efforts to this day.

A City and Region-Wide Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Equity.

Pittsburgh’s political, business and foundation leaders also have come together to affirm that a diverse and welcoming community is essential to the ongoing economic vitality of the Pittsburgh Region.

The Heinz Endowments is one of the leading foundations in the United States, making grants averaging almost $70 million annually, most of them in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Endowments has played a leading role in sparking a larger discussion of diversity, inclusion and equity in Pittsburgh, introducing in 2016 the concept of a “Just Pittsburgh,” “where everyone has an equitable opportunity to reach her or his fullest potential and to thrive.”

Together, The Heinz Endowments and the City of Pittsburgh have collaborated on a major effort “to forge a new model of urban growth and development that is innovative, inclusive and sustainable.” Dubbed “p4: People, Planet, Place and Performance,” it stands for the proposition that “Cities such as Pittsburgh that are at the center of the innovation economy have the opportunity to become not just economically successful, but also inclusive and just.”

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development brings together public and private sector leaders across the Pittsburgh region. Its 2018-2019 agenda, entitled “Creating a Next Generation Economy for All,” recognizes that, although by many measures Southwestern Pennsylvania is a region in its prime, individual opportunity is not as diverse as the economy. The Conference, like the Coalition, seeks to create a culture that celebrates inclusiveness and diversity and assures everyone who wants it, a place to shine.

And, of course, the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, in one of Pittsburgh’s most diverse neighborhoods, reminded us all that we must take action every day if we want a region that celebrates diversity, embraces our differences, and works not for a few, but for the many.