Business Details
Your Trusted Partner for Equity & Inclusion Initiatives
Fisa Foundation is a dedicated charitable grantmaking organization committed to advancing equity and justice for women, girls, and people with disabilities across southwestern Pennsylvania. Since our inception, we have prioritized partnerships with local nonprofits that drive systemic change through advocacy, education, and community empowerment. Our strategic focus on combating systemic racism and promoting inclusion has positioned us as a trusted leader in addressing disparities in healthcare access, disability rights, and gender equity. With decades of collective experience in philanthropy and social justice, our team leverages deep regional expertise to identify and fund innovative solutions that address root causes of inequality.We maintain rigorous standards of accountability through transparent grantmaking processes, measurable impact assessments, and active collaboration with stakeholders. As a fiscally responsible organization, we ensure every dollar maximizes community benefit while maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements. Our commitment to ethical practices extends to fostering inclusive workplaces through policy toolkits and technical assistance for employers. By amplifying marginalized voices and supporting grassroots initiatives, we strive to create lasting systemic change that improves quality of life for underserved populations.
Services
Grantmaking
Advocacy
Policy Development
Educational Programming
Disability Rights
Healthcare Access
Equity Training
Highlights and features
- We specialize in advancing equity for women, girls, and people with disabilities
- Our grantmaking prioritizes systemic change over temporary solutions
- We provide policy toolkits for inclusive workplace development
- Decades of experience in combating systemic racism through philanthropy
- Active advocacy and educational programming complement our grantmaking
What people say
Strong advocacy
Effective grantmaking
Systemic change focus
Community empowerment
Services
Grantmaking
We provide strategic grants to nonprofits advancing equity for women, girls, and people with disabilities. Our funding prioritizes systemic change initiatives that address root causes of inequality. Through rigorous evaluation processes, we identify and support high-impact projects that align with our mission of combating systemic racism and promoting inclusion.
Policy Development
Our policy initiatives focus on creating inclusive workplace environments through reasonable accommodations toolkits. We develop comprehensive resources that help employers implement equitable practices and comply with disability rights legislation. These materials combine legal requirements with practical implementation strategies for diverse workplaces.
Advocacy
We actively advocate for systemic changes that improve access to healthcare and disability rights. Our advocacy efforts include coalition building, legislative engagement, and public awareness campaigns. We work directly with policymakers to shape laws and regulations that promote equity and inclusion across southwestern Pennsylvania.
People
Jamie Upshaw
Founder
Jamie Upshaw founded Autism Urban Connection after facing challenges securing timely diagnosis for her autistic son. As a Black woman, she recognized systemic disparities in autism diagnosis for African American children and created Pennsylvania's first African American-led autism nonprofit to address these inequities.
Questions
What geographic areas do you serve?
We focus our efforts on southwestern Pennsylvania, working with local nonprofits and community organizations across the region.
What populations do you support?
Our primary focus areas include women, girls, and people with disabilities, with particular attention to addressing systemic racism affecting these populations.
How can organizations apply for grants?
Organizations can find application details and current grant priorities on our website under the 'Apply for Funding' section.
What types of initiatives do you fund?
We prioritize initiatives that address systemic inequality in healthcare access, disability rights, and gender equity through sustainable, community-driven solutions.
Do you offer workplace inclusion resources?
Yes, we provide comprehensive reasonable accommodations policy toolkits for employers seeking to create more inclusive workplaces.
