In The News

UpPrize—the social innovation challenge created by The Forbes Funds—is back after making its stellar debut last year.

Thirty years have turned what seemed like a good idea into the steadiest jazz program in the area. Back in 1987, a newbie named Marty Ashby put together his first few jazz programs at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild on the North Side. Early visits by stars such as Ahmad Jamal led to a series that, year after year, has brought in Branford Marsalis, Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Taylor. As it celebrates its 30th season, the guild is staying true to its heritage with concerts that open Sept. 23 and 24 by Grammy-nominated singer, composer and pianist Michael Feinstein.

Marcel Walker has completed two issues so far. This year, he received an Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grant to make the third, which is scheduled to come out in January.

Foundation officials are hoping a do-over from 8 a.m. to midnight on Wednesday won’t result in any technical difficulties. Listen to the audio version here.

For Pittsburgh Public School students who earn the full $30,000 award available under the Pittsburgh Promise, the maximum extra $28,000 Raise.me award could go a long way toward financing a degree at Pitt's Oakland campus, where base undergraduate tuition is $17,688 a year.

A portion of each entry fee for the Sept. 25 Great Race in Pittsburgh (www.rungreatrace.com) benefits the Richard S. Caliguiri Amyloidosis Fund., a fund held by the Pittsburgh Foundation that is dedicated to supporting medical research. To make a donation, go to pittsburghfoundation.org.  

UpPrize, the social innovation challenge created by The Forbes Funds, returns this year to once again challenge our community to find new solutions to critical social issues.

 “If 30 to 40 percent of the population really isn’t getting an opportunity to participate in [the new Pittsburgh], then it’s not a success,” says Maxwell King, president of The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Elaine Harris-Fulton is a volunteer with the Wilkinsburg Family Support Center, one of the nonprofits  participating in a Western-Pennsylvania wide effort to get people representing minority populations to register and vote. The Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership (GPNP) with funding from The Pittsburgh Foundation and the national group called Nonprofit Vote is organizing the effort, which aims to get at least 4,250 people—250 from 17 nonprofits each—registered and to the polls.

A magical place inside the August Wilson Center for African American Culture holds the work of Tony Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell until Nov. 30.