The problems we face are far too complex for one entity to solve on its own. By leveraging fiduciary, human resource, and legal stewardship, our business model provides stability and continuity to our nonprofits partners. The Power of Coalition means that, together, we can do what no one organization can do alone.

The Partner Experience Squad Lead is responsible for being the primary point of contact with our clients, known as Program Partners, to ensure the smooth delivery of UAC services. This individual will be responsible for leading a team of professionals to help our nonprofit partners prosper and to improve their fiscal and human resource capabilities. They will also direct other cross functional teams and will troubleshoot partner issues, provide support, collect feedback, and manage partner communication.

Learn more and apply here.

Questions? Contact Louisa Mfum-Mensa at LMfumMensa@uac.org.

In 2025, Black homeownership rates remained stubbornly below their early-2000s peak, reflecting both longstanding structural barriers and ongoing economic insecurity faced by African Americans.

On Wednesday, March 4 from 10:30am to 12pm via Zoom, join CONVERGENCE Philadelphia, the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the Philadelphia Metropolitan Board of Realtist (PMBR), and Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) for a virtual roundtable on the State of Housing in Black America: Philadelphia Edition.

Panelists will discuss the differences in national and Philadelphia data on Black homeownership applications, denials, and rates, overview NAREB’s policy priorities and recommendations, what barriers still exist in Philadelphia, and how to support and/or attend the upcoming Affordable Homeownership Tour.

Registration is free, though required.

Informational flyer.

Who Can Participate:

• Must be 18+
• Must live in an eligible neighborhood
• Men ages 18-35 encouraged, but all residents considered
• Interviews held in the afternoon/evening with multiple dates available

Sign up – select your neighborhood:

• North Philly (zip codes 19121, 19122, 19132)
• Eastern North Philly (zip codes 19133, 19134, 19140)
• West Philly (zip codes 19139)
• Southwest Philly (zip codes 19142, 19143)

If you have any questions, please reach out to Monica Rodriguez by email at mrodriguez2@uac.org or call 215-851-1937.

The Youth Outreach Adolescent Community Awareness Program (YOACAP), is a program partner of the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC). Our agency’s mission is to enhance the quality of life and health for Philadelphians through community-based and culturally competent interventions. Since 1989, we have addressed health concerns, workforce development, and life skills in low-income, underserved communities. Today, our mission has expanded to help youth and young adults learn job readiness skills, academic achievement, and experience using technology.

Position Summary

The Site Director will be responsible for the implementation and general management of YOACAP’s OST program (after-school and summer camp) for students at Tilden Middle School. Responsibilities include program planning, coordinating daily activities, working directly with students, managing the Activities Leaders, and written evaluation of staff on a regular basis.

Project BUILD is designed to provide middle school youth with a diverse range of age-appropriate experiences, which assists in the development of personal competencies and skills through specific program content. Contextualizing program content through STEM and other interest areas will enhance youth engagement and program success. The program operates after school during the academic year and hosts a summer camp.

Learn more and apply.

About the Coalition

The Urban Affairs Coalition unites government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiative to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities, and solve emerging issues. Our network of 70+ partner organizations and programs reaches more than 150,000 children, youth, and adults. We work in the areas of positive youth development, adult education and job training, health-related services, economic education, housing support, advocacy, and economic inclusion.

Learn more and register here.

CONVERGENCE Philadelphia, a Mortgage Bankers Association initiative, is a cross-sector partnership focused on increasing minority homeownership in Philadelphia. This collective-action approach promotes more sustainable, affordable homes for purchase and rental for underserved people and communities, especially minorities and low-to-moderate income Americans.

Homeownership enables financial security for families, however maintenance can be expensive. There are a myriad of organizations in the City working to bridge the information and resource gaps among these underserved communities, especially when maintenance cost is prohibitive for individuals and families living paycheck to paycheck. Our panelists will discuss resources available, as well as ongoing challenges, toward achieving equality and sustainability in home repairs. This conversation will be followed by a moderated Q&A and attendees will be able to ask questions.

CONVERGENCE Philadelphia encourages any professional working on affordable housing initiatives, bridging the homeownership gap, and/or anyone passionate for housing equality to attend.

Learn more and register.

This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow DEIB leaders, share experiences, and discuss the latest strategies in diversity and inclusion.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, September 18
• Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm (Optional lunch from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
• Location: Annenberg Conference Center, Lankenau Medical Center, 100 E Lancaster Avenue, Wynnewood, PA
• Parking: Free (Lot A – provided by Main Line Health)
• Registration link

We invite you to participate in the Philadelphia Streetlight Improvement Project (PSIP) Focus Group. PSIP aims to enhance urban energy conservation and community safety by upgrading streetlights to modern LEDs. Your feedback is vital to understanding the impact of these upgrades on crime perception, gun violence, and community unity.

Details:

• Date and Time: Thursday, June 27, 2024 | 5:00PM – 6:30PM
• Location: Near 60th and Market Street (location will be disclosed to final participants)
• Eligibility: Must be 18 and over and a resident or business owner in Dunlap, Haddington area (primarily the 19139 zip code).
• Incentive: $25 VISA Gift Card for all focus group participants.

If interested, please complete the pre-screening questionnaire here. Feel free to share this invitation with anyone you know who lives in West Philadelphia.

If you have any questions, please call 215-851-1937 or communications@uac.org.

To explore volunteer opportunities, we invite you to connect with our Program Partner, Global Citizen, which uses their volunteer portal to link volunteers with opportunities in the community. Our Program Partners Directory is another way to learn about all the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) partners whose initiatives serve our most vulnerable citizens and might provide an opportunity to become a volunteer.

The report was designed to discover and organize the issues most important to our City to help inform the new mayoral administration. The issues identified as the highest priorities through the discovery process align with the new administration’s focus areas for Philadelphia’s safer, cleaner, greener future. While aligned, these issues are not new or easy to remedy; they require all sectors to collaborate boldly, creating new pathways for everyone struggling to make a better life.

Especially as we enter Black History Month and reflect on challenges of equality and access throughout history that these issues are not the sole property of the Black community.

They span communities and require shared work, innovation, and perseverance to impact peoples’ life experiences. We are at a critical moment where our lessons from the past can inform our choices for the future, so let us unify our voices and our efforts across our region to impact all people in tangible ways.

Read the full the report.

The forum will provide a platform for Philadelphians to learn about the candidates’ perspectives, policies, and visions for the city’s future by interacting directly with the Mayoral candidates. Topics will include gun violence, education and the arts, housing, jobs and the economy, public health, and city management and operations.

We will reserve time for Q&A with each candidate. Space is limited to 200 attendees, so we recommend that you reserve your seat today.

Register here.

The survey will allow you to share your opinions on issues that impact our city, including crime, education & the arts, housing, jobs & the economy, public health, city management & operations, and policy priorities.

• The survey takes less than 12 minutes to complete.
• Your responses are anonymous and will inform a dialogue with the Mayoral candidates.
• The survey be available in Spanish and Chinese in the coming days.

By sharing your opinions, you can help shape the future of our city. Together, let’s make our voices heard for our community, our children, and our future.

Take the survey.

Our forum will focus on issues that are top of mind for Philadelphians, including education, youth development, health equity, substance abuse recovery, housing, equitable economic development, and gun violence. Attending this forum will allow you to hear directly from the candidates on how they plan to address these critical issues.

Philadelphia voters will submit their questions when they register for the forum or through a survey.

Date and Time: Monday, April 17, 2023, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Location: Columbia North YMCA, 1400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19121

Learn more and register.

Read more.

We often hear that voter nonparticipation is a result of apathy. We ask you to reconsider the notion. In fact, there is significant research that suggests the presumed gap between voters’ and nonvoters’ concern about the issues is very narrow or even nonexistent. This is important for many reasons, not least of which is that it has implications for how we engage people in exercising their right. Shaming is not the answer. Empowerment—with information—is a better strategy.

The organizations dedicated to voter empowerment in our region are too numerous to list. They include our partners at Better Civics and PA Youth Vote, two nonpartisan nonprofit organizations that provide individuals, educators, and communities with a variety of educational resources about how to be civically engaged, how the levels of government function, and how to learn more about our candidates’ stances on the issues. They include the Committee of Seventy, which works tirelessly to inform and engage citizens, and assure that every vote counts equally.

If you’re interested in learning more about work like this, join us on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at 5:00 PM for a virtual panel discussion hosted by the Forum of Executive Women. We will explore the research on nuanced reasons people do or don’t vote and the strategies for engaging non-voters in the process.

Learn more and register.

As UAC gears up to celebrate our 53rd anniversary breakfast, we are pleased to unveil the honorees who will be recognized at this year’s event. These honorees are Doers and Dreamers in the community, who empower through their dedication, service, and accomplishments, leaving an undeniable stamp on our region.

Learn more and register.

1. Exploring how public policy can enable classroom practices that fight systemic racism in early childhood education.
2. Creating equitable learning opportunities for all children that will allow them to achieve their full potential as engaged learners and value members of society.
3. Developing meaningful, ongoing opportunities for multiple voices with diverse perspectives to engage in leadership and decision making.
4. Making a commitment to achieving racial equity in the early childhood sector.

Early Childhood Professionals will receive Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) credit for their attendance.

Date and Time: Saturday, October 1, 2022, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: PHMC, 1500 Market Street, East Building, Philadelphia, PA 19103 or virtually

Register.

This year’s event theme is: Empowering Dreamers & Doers. Our Home for Dreamers and Doers has been working hard to improve the quality of life serving generations. UAC will honor Doers and Dreamers in the community, who empower through their dedication, service, and accomplishments, leaving an undeniable stamp on our region. Together, we work to empower and light the path for Doers and Dreamers to change the world…. And we’re just getting started!

Learn more and register.

You can check out the full list of films here.

If you know someone who is an ACCESS card holder, please let them know that they can buy individual tickets to virtual and in-person BlackStar Festival events for $2.00!

Visit the FAQ section (scroll down) of BlackStar’s ticketing page to learn more about this opportunity.

UAC has been a leader and critical partner to WorkReady Philadelphia, providing Philadelphia teens with their first job, career exposure, resume preparation, interview experience, on-the-job mentoring, and paid, part-time opportunity each summer for more than 30 years.

Learn more about this year’s program here.