Sustaining a community space takes a village

To serve our youth, families, artists, local businesses, and to offer our space as a facility for social action and community togetherness, your financial support and labor are needed. Your dollars and labor will go directly to supporting free community programming, beautifying our grounds for all to enjoy, and subsidizing community service organizations.

At Community Forge we provide multiple ways for you get to get involved based on what you are willing to contribute, by way of volunteer hours and financial support, through our Builder and Supporter Programs.

Become a Builder

Builders are individuals who give their time and help make things happen at Community Forge.

Requirements:

10 hrs/month of volunteer time (e.g. building renovations, community event staffing, gardening)
$15/year minimum donation

Become a Supporter

Supporters are individuals who give their professional expertise, in addition to their financial donation, to serve as a resource to community members.

Requirements:

your professional expertise at a discounted rate at least one time a year during a Community Forge program or event
$50/year minimum donation

Builder/Supporter Benefits

Community Forge T-shirt
Membership Card
Builders get the opportunity to join a planning committee (after 3 consecutive months of meeting volunteer hour commitment)
Additional discounts with our partners (such as theater tickets with Pittsburgh Public Theater)
Invitation to special events (i.e. Annual Supporters Night, Builders Mixer)

Join the Community Forge crew today!

Program Choice

Which program would you like to join?

Planning Committee

Which area would you like to help Community Forge plan for?

T-Shirt Size

Preferred Use of Funds

Give us an idea of how you'd like this money to be spent. This will be used to direct our planning, but is not a guarantee of how it will be spent.

Donation Amount

Are you a Wilkinsburg resident?

Yes No

Tell us about your skills and interests

Volunteer Hadley Dean helping out in our first months to paint classrooms with Board Member Travis Alvarez

We rely on volunteers to help make Johnston beautiful. Thanks to Kurt and Mike for putting in the kitchenette floor!

Thanks to Shane Pilster for painting this amazing tag on our building!

Shout out to Wilkinsburg Youth Project who worked with us all summer. Thanks to them, we now have a telescope on the roof!

Ira Cambric went beyond being an amazing dance instructor and helped us out at our annual BBQ in August.

Neighborhood youth helped us write a grant for a day to clean-up the playground and build picnic benches.

Glenn is a regular volunteer helping out with events and construction projects.

Planning Committees

While Community Forge is led by a Board of Directors, our committees are where rubber meets the road to make the community space run. After 3 consecutive months of being involved, community members in our builders program can join one of these committees and help direct the development of our organization.

Programs

Community programs are the heart of our organization and a primary way that we meet our mission towards youth empowerment, organizational incubation, and neighborhood wellbeing. This committee evaluates needs in Wilkinsburg, builds partnerships, and develops and runs new programs.

Renovations

Built in 1922, the Johnston Elementary School is a historical gem in Wilkinsburg. Community Forge aims to rejuvenate the building, bringing in new structural possibilities while preserving the original character. This committee deals with project development, fundraising, and implementation of new building renovations.

Communications

Clear and transparent communication is key in making a lively space and continually changing to meet new needs and interests among community members. This committee runs all communication platforms (website, newsletter, social media) for Community Forge and outreach with community partners and neighbors.

Support Us