Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We work with families experiencing homelessness. Goal is to break that cycle by providing services and housing in order for clients to become self-sufficient.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Permanent Housing
This program provides housing to families that have a parent(s) with physical or behavioral health disabilities, where they can enjoy the anonymity that comes with living in a larger development. Participants may remain in Sisters Place permanent housing indefinitely as long as they follow participant guidelines.
Empowerment Housing Program
Empowerment Housing Program
A transitional housing program for families that do not meet U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) homelessness definitions and/or qualify for HUD funded housing.
o Must call Allegheny County Link first before applying 1-866-730-2368 (determined not eligible for housing)
o Family must include a child/children under the age of 24.
o Parent(s)/Gaurdian(s) must be working and/or attending school.
o Parent(s)/Gaurdian(s) may or may not have a disability.
o Family members may have an undocumented status.
o Acceptance into program subject to intake interview.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Best Places To Work 2020
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Work status and occupations, Social and economic status
Related Program
Permanent Housing
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
As long as there is a need for our programming, we want to continue to be able to provide housing and supportive services to families who are homeless. We want all families to have the opportunity to overcome homelessness and receive the resources, education and empowerment that helps them to thrive.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Sisters Place is there when times get tough for these homeless single parents with children. Our model is unique, we provide housing and supportive services for each family to create a plan for success. We accomplish this through one-on-one and group guidance and support. Our plans for each family are customized and might include employment, education, life skills, and learning to drive. To achieve this we partner with other nonprofits that are experts in mental health, job readiness, and health & human services.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Close to 20 years ago Jill learned about Sisters Place when she was fleeing domestic violence with her two young sons. They were one of the first families at Sisters Place. Jill took advantage of every opportunity she could while she was with us and eventually she transitioned her family into their own housing. Today, her sons Eric and Eddy have their own families and Jill works for a local nonprofit and sits on our Board of Directors. Jill and her family are not an exception, we are very proud of the fact that 90% of our families transition safely into independent housing.
We have proven that the homeless need more than just a house, they benefit from the support of a caring case manager, the resources to take the next steps in their journey and the knowledge and empowerment to move forward with their lives. We do not triage families by addressing symptoms. Homelessness is a symptom that can be relieved by a shelter. At Sisters Place we look at the causes of homelessness so that we can help to end it for good. Our model of supportive services changes the lives of families. We surround them with the resources and opportunities that help them to succeed.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Accomplishments
1992- 1995 - The groundwork was laid as described in previous section.
1997 – Property renovations were completed. The first family moved into Sisters Place permanent housing in April. In May a Dedication Ceremony was conducted to celebrate new residents. Sisters Place held its first annual Setting a Place for My Sister Breakfast as its major fund raising event.
1999 – Allegheny County asked Sisters Place to submit a new HUD proposal to establish a transitional housing program for eight homeless, single, young moms and their children. The agency was successful in obtaining this transitional grant.
2000 – The Transitional Housing program began providing two year transitional housing and services to the targeted population. The agency was successful in obtaining its third HUD grant, Children Climbing Higher, addressing the needs of the children of Sisters Place.
2002 – Sisters Place moved into a new stage of development. A new Program Center opened in the fall designed to support the children's activities in the After-School program. The Center also provides the space for support groups, educational seminars for the women, and GED preparation.
2003 - Sisters Place received its fourth HUD grant, HEADS-UP, which supported a Life-Skills worker and a licensed Social Worker.
2005 – Program capacity peaked with HUD grants at their highest level since Sisters Place welcomed its first family.
2007 – 2008 - In the wake of huge budget cuts from HUD we envisioned ways to maintain the level of services to our formerly homeless families with less revenue available. In 2007 an Ad Hoc Board Committee studied our financial situation and recommended staff reduction. We reconfigured the programming staff and followed the board recommendations. We also began to strategize how we could find funding from other sources so we could continue to offer the same level of service
2009-2010 - $100,000 Capacity Building Grant from R.K. Mellon Foundation supports our hiring a full time Development Director.
2010 – As a pro bono gift, several contractors under the direction of Architect Louis Astorino and Mistick Construction renovated a Sisters Place unit to make it more accommodating for a woman with disabilities.
2010-2012 - Sisters Place joined the Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF), the Homeless Education Network (HEN), and the Clairton public schools in the Clairton Collaborative, whose goal is to support the education of homeless children by improving communication and cooperation among the critical partners – especially the parents and teachers of the children we serve.
2011-2012 – The board decides to expand programming to support an additional five homeless families on a daily basis. We write a third HUD grant for the Day Light Permanent Housing Program and begin serving families in October 2011.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Sisters Place, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 10/14/2021
Sr. Althea Anne Spencer
Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God
Term: 2019 - 2022
Ken Service
University of Pittsburgh
Robin Kelly
Wesley Spectrum Services
John Bachkay
St. Sylvester Parish
Joseph Cvitkovic
Private Practice
Debra Donley
Hertz Gateway Center, LP
Betty Sundry
Sisters of Divine Providence
Jill Harding
Action Housing
April Witkowski
Children's Hospital Foundation
Bette Nelson
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
Althea Anne Spencer
Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God
Susan Clay
Holy Family Institute
Kathleen McGrady
Seton Hill University
Joan Munns
UPMC Mercy
Lisa D'Onofrio
Alcoa
Judy Brennan
Treasurer
Nicole Bielick
Amelia Brett
Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky
Fred Cappelli
Retired
Candice Moore
M. Diane Smith
Convent of Mercy
Cindy Zwergel
Vinyl Answer
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data