SWAN (Strategic Workforce & Arts Network) Blog

Image Caption: A cartoon dog wearing a small hat sits calmly at a table holding a yellow coffee mug while flames engulf the room around him. Smoke hangs from the ceiling, and the dog says, "This is fine." The image is widely used as a metaphor for remaining outwardly calm while facing uncertainty or a difficult situation. The iconic "This Is Fine" meme illustrates the uncertainty many people in the disability community felt following the DOJ's announcement.  Yesterday, something happened that understandably raised concerns throughout the disability community. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it will no longer rely on its 2011 Olmstead Guidance when enforcing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For many people, the headlines were alarming. Social media quickly filled with questions, speculation, and understandable concern about what this means for the future of disability rights. As someone who lives with a lifelong disability, ...

Have you ever played the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon ? It’s a simple but fascinating concept: you try to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon through a chain of shared movie roles. Actor A worked with Actor B, who worked with Actor C, and so on—until you reach Kevin Bacon. The surprising part is that you can usually make that connection in six steps or fewer. In other words, the game reminds us that people are far more connected than we might initially think—even when those connections aren’t immediately obvious. The nonprofit and business world often works the same way. Last week, I attended the launch open house for the Mon Valley Business Alliance , and I'm happy to share that the Strategic Workforce & Arts Network (SWAN) is now an official member. It was a wonderful evening filled with conversations among business owners, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, municipal officials, and community partners who all share a common goal: building a stronger Mon Valley. As I headed ho...

This week, I had the opportunity to virtually participate in several sessions as part of Disability Advocacy Week in Washington, D.C. As a new volunteer advisor with Disability Belongs , it was an excellent opportunity to learn from advocates, nonprofit leaders, and fellow advisors from across the country. One session in particular focused on conflict resolution and its role in creating effective, mission-driven boards. One of the things I enjoy most about serving on multiple boards and advisory groups is that the lessons I learn in one organization often have value far beyond that organization. I am constantly asking myself how an idea or best practice can make the other organizations I serve stronger. And because it's Funding Friday, I naturally found myself asking another question: What does this have to do with fundraising? When people think about fundraising, they often picture grant proposals, donor meetings, or special events. Those things matter, but one of the most importa...

Last week, I participated in a series of briefings hosted by The Pittsburgh Foundation , the Nonprofit Federal Policy Response Network , and PANO that examined how recent and proposed federal policy changes could affect nonprofits and the communities we serve. The presentations covered everything from changes to Medicaid and SNAP to proposed revisions to federal grant regulations and their potential implications for organizations of all sizes. It would be easy to walk away from those conversations feeling overwhelmed. Instead, I walked away feeling that this is exactly why nonprofit leaders plan. Whether every projection comes to pass is almost beside the point. Good governance has never been about predicting the future with certainty. It is about preparing your organization to succeed under a range of possible futures. For small- and mid-sized nonprofits in Southwestern Pennsylvania, several themes are worth paying attention to. First, community needs may continue to grow. Organ...

One of my favorite quotes comes from writer Aaron Sorkin: "Decisions are made by the people in the room." I've thought about those words often throughout my nonprofit journey because they remind us of a simple truth. If we want to influence the future of our communities, our organizations, or the causes we care about, we have to be willing to be in the room where those conversations are taking place. If you've followed my work for any length of time, you know that I serve a number of nonprofit organizations in different capacities. From time to time, people ask why I continue to say yes to another board, committee, or advisory opportunity. The answer has very little to do with adding another line to my résumé. Every seat at the table offers a chance to learn. Serving with Mon Valley Academy for the Arts has reinforced the importance of arts education and community partnerships. My work with Mon Valley Performing Arts Academy has deepened my appreciation for the role...

Photos: Meet Yoshi (top/left) and Parker (bottom/right)! I've included a few pictures with today's post so you can see our beautiful girl and the newest addition to our family. Yesterday, our household got a little bigger. Our one-year-old tortoiseshell cat, Yoshimi (better known as Yoshi), became the not-so-thrilled big sister to a three-month-old tortoiseshell kitten named Dorothy Parker, or simply Parker. Parker joined our family thanks to  Cali Cats Rescue , a wonderful nonprofit organization dedicated to finding loving homes for cats in need. If you're a fellow cat lover like me, I encourage you to learn more about their work and consider supporting them or adopting your next furry family member through them. Every adoption changes two lives: the one that finds a home and the one that now has room to be rescued. Parker is named in memory of a dear friend of mine who loved cats. Her full name is also a tribute to the celebrated American writer  Dorothy Parker , whose wi...

Before moving the SWAN blog over to Blogger, we published several posts as Google Docs. We are gathering those former posts here in one place so they remain easy to find, read, and share. Some of these posts were part of our regular Funding Friday and Monday Matters series. Others were special editions or related SWAN updates. Even though these were created before the move to Blogger, there is still good information here for nonprofit leaders, volunteers, artists, educators, fundraisers, board members, and community organizations. Funding Friday May 15, 2026: What One Arts Funder’s 2026 Grants Tell Us About the Future of Arts Funding in Southwestern Pennsylvania This post looks at what recent arts grant announcements may suggest about the future of arts funding in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It highlights themes such as sustainability, collaboration, accessibility, workforce development, and organizational capacity. May 22, 2026: What the Heinz Endowments’ New Funding Priorities Mean ...