West Mt Airy Neighbors

What West Mt Airy Neighbors does

West Mt Airy Neighbors (WMAN) is a member-supported nonprofit civic organization founded in 1953 in the West Mount Airy neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia. Its primary constituents are residents and property owners of a single, geographically bounded neighborhood, whom it serves through zoning advocacy, historic preservation, environmental programs, and community engagement. As the city's designated Registered Community Organization (RCO) for West Mount Airy, WMAN holds statutory standing in zoning review, organizing monthly public meetings and formally documenting community input for the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment.

WMAN's portfolio of community programs spans three stewardship pillars: natural environment (Mt. Airy EcoLab, Cool Down Northwest Philly tree equity initiative, Water & Rain stewardship), built environment (Zoning services, Historic Preservation Initiative, Zoning Remapping Task Force, Traffic Calming Committee), and social environment (Mt. Airy Neighborhood Diversity Initiative, Breaking Bread Building Bridges, Race Still Matters). The organization has secured three Philadelphia Register of Historic Places designations since 2022 and operates Old House Care workshops in partnership with Cliveden of the National Trust.

The business model is a nonprofit dues-and-donation structure with three primary revenue streams: annual membership dues (student, individual, family, and business tiers), donations processed through GiveLively, and modest workshop fees ($10-$30 per Old House Care session). Grants from AARP, the National Park Service, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and Clean Air Council supplement program-specific funding. The organization operates with one full-time Executive Director (Josephine Gasiewski Winter, since December 2022) and a volunteer board of approximately 11 members led by President Steve Kendall. The core technology stack is a WordPress website, email newsletter, and social media; there is no proprietary software product.

Name

West Mt Airy Neighbors

Legal name

West Mount Airy Neighbors

Website

https://wman.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West Mt Airy Neighbors (WMAN) is a member-supported nonprofit civic organization founded in 1953 that serves residents and property owners of the West Mount Airy neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia with zoning advocacy, historic preservation, environmental programs, and community engagement as the city's designated Registered Community Organization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community and Civic Association Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Civic association services
• Community advocacy programs
• Historic preservation initiatives
• Urban tree planting
• Zoning oversight services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: WMAN operates as a member-supported nonprofit organization. Membership fees are collected yearly from individuals, families, students, and businesses to support the organization's operations and community programs.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations from supporters to fund various initiatives including tree planting, EcoLab development, historic preservation, and general operations.
3. Workshop Fees: Fees charged for educational workshops such as Old House Care workshops ($10-$30 per session) to fund historic preservation initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West Mt Airy Neighbors is a member-supported nonprofit civic organization that delivers community advocacy, zoning oversight as a Registered Community Organization, historic preservation programs, environmental and tree equity initiatives, traffic safety advocacy, and community diversity programs to residents and property owners of West Mount Airy in Northwest Philadelphia. Its core offerings are organized around Natural Environment, Built Environment, and Social Environment stewardship portfolios funded by membership dues, donations, and workshop fees.

Product overview

West Mt Airy Neighbors (WMAN) is a member-supported nonprofit civic organization that offers a portfolio of community programs and services rather than commercial technology products. The organization's offerings include: the Cool Down Northwest Philly tree equity initiative for environmental stewardship; zoning facilitation services as a Registered Community Organization (RCO); the Historic Preservation Initiative (HPI) for protecting neighborhood heritage; the Traffic Calming Committee for pedestrian and cyclist safety; the Mt. Airy EcoLab for urban greening; the Mt. Airy Neighborhood Diversity Initiative (MANDI) for community inclusivity; Quality of Life Committee programs including Breaking Bread Building Bridges and Race Still Matters discussions; and Water & Rain stewardship resources. These programs collectively support WMAN's mission to advocate for community needs and protect the physical and natural environments of West Mount Airy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cool Down Northwest Philly (Tree Equity Initiative) A tree planting and equity initiative that combats urban heat islands by engaging residents in planting and maintaining trees, particularly in areas of Northwest Philadelphia with less canopy cover, while providing education on environmental benefits.
• Zoning Services (Registered Community Organization) As a Registered Community Organization (RCO), WMAN ensures residents and businesses have opportunities to learn about and provide feedback on nearby developments, organizing monthly public meetings and documenting community input for the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
• Historic Preservation Initiative (HPI) A committee dedicated to identifying and protecting West Mt Airy's historic built heritage through preparing nominations for historic designation, organizing house care workshops, house tours, and community conversations on preservation.
• Traffic Calming Committee Programs A committee focused on identifying and implementing actions that prioritize pedestrian and bicyclist safety in Mt Airy, advocating for daylighting projects, speed camera programs, and integrated transportation systems.
• Mt. Airy EcoLab A community greening project at a formerly vacant lot near SEPTA's Carpenter Regional Rail station, creating a resource hub for nature-based play, food cultivation, and urban ecosystem support, including edible hedgerows, raised beds, and native plant propagation.
• Mt. Airy Neighborhood Diversity Initiative (MANDI) A neighborhood diversity initiative focused on preserving racial and economic diversity by identifying strategies to support current African American residents and attract new African American families while encouraging racially just community practices.
• Quality of Life Committee Programs Programs focused on improving physical and emotional wellbeing, health, and safety of residents, including Breaking Bread Building Bridges (community dining experience) and Race Still Matters (community discussion series on racial equity).
• Water & Rain Stewardship Resources Educational resources and partnership with Philadelphia Water Department's Rain Check program, providing information on rain barrels, stormwater management, and environmental conservation for property owners.
• Old House Care Workshops Educational workshops on historic home maintenance topics such as window repair, interior/exterior historic painting, masonry, roofing, and electrical systems, held in partnership with Cliveden of the National Trust. Offered as $10 lecture demonstrations and $30 hands-on sessions.
• WMAN Membership Program Annual membership tiers (student, individual, family, business) that fund WMAN's operations and community programs and provide members with access to neighborhood news, events, and the ability to vote on community matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully prevented blockbusting in West Mt Airy through community organizing and real estate practice monitoring
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SEPTAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEPTA is a partner in the Mt. Airy EcoLab project. The EcoLab site is located adjacent to SEPTA's Carpenter Regional Rail station. WMAN is reclaiming a formerly fallow lot at the back of the station for environmental and community purposes.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHS is a long-time partner in environmental education programs. WMAN participates in PHS's city-wide tree program through Mt. Airy Tree Tenders, which provides tree planting, pruning support, volunteer coordination, and tree equity advocacy.
• Cliveden of the National TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCliveden partners with WMAN's Historic Preservation Initiative to organize the annual Old House Care workshop series. Workshops are held at the Cliveden barn and cover topics like window repair, masonry, roofing, and electrical systems in historic houses.
• Mt. Airy Community Development CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided letter of support for the EcoLab project and is a key partner in community development initiatives in Northwest Philadelphia.
• East Mt. Airy Neighbors (EMAN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMAN is a sister organization that cooperates with WMAN on joint initiatives including Breaking Bread Building Bridges program, historic preservation, and community events. The two organizations jointly serve the Mt. Airy community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• East Mt. Airy Neighbors (EMAN): WMAN's sister civic organization serving East Mt Airy; jointly runs Breaking Bread Building Bridges, historic preservation events, and cross-neighborhood initiatives, sharing the same RCO-style mission and member-supported nonprofit model.
• South Street West Civic Association: Philadelphia neighborhood civic association with formal RCO status providing zoning input and quality-of-life programming, structurally analogous to WMAN.
• Manayunk Neighborhood Council: Philadelphia RCO and neighborhood civic association that carries out the same zoning review, community events, and quality-of-life committee work as WMAN, just in a different neighborhood.
• Mt. Airy USA: Community development corporation jointly created by WMAN and East Mt Airy Neighbors; comparable mission of neighborhood stabilization, economic opportunity, and housing-related programs in the same Mt Airy footprint.
• Chestnut Hill Community Association: Long-standing Philadelphia Registered Community Organization covering the Chestnut Hill neighborhood with the same zoning review, historic preservation, and community events structure as WMAN.
• Germantown United Community Development Corporation: Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood-based civic and economic development organization that, like WMAN, focuses on community stabilization, zoning, and local economic initiatives in adjacent Germantown.

Others

• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS): Long-time WMAN partner running the city-wide tree program through Mt. Airy Tree Tenders; broader environmental steward with overlapping urban canopy and tree equity programming.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation (local partners): National preservation organization whose Cliveden property partners with WMAN's Historic Preservation Initiative; comparable preservation advocacy mission at a much larger scope.

Broad incumbents

• Urban League of Philadelphia: Larger regional civic and equity organization whose work on racial integration, neighborhood stabilization, and community programs overlaps thematically with WMAN's MANDI and historic anti-blockbusting efforts.

Emerging players

• Point Breeze Community Development Corporation: Philadelphia neighborhood-based civic and development organization doing comparable member-supported community advocacy and built-environment programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WestMtAiryNeighbors
• Instagraminstagram.com/westmtairyneighbors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-mt-airy-neighbors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West Mt Airy Neighbors