Allegheny Underground members say they need people to produce income.

The student-organized online mobile application’s members received a $25,000 grant from the Youth Philanthropy Internship Program by Heinz Endowments.

Once the grant ran out, sophomore program director Dan Klein said, the plan was always to recruit more people.

“We are becoming self-sustaining and need the manpower to help with advertising to generate revenue,” Klein said.

The grant was given to the organization in August of 2014 and ended in October of 2015. The app launched in May of 2015.

Klein played an imperative part in Allegheny Underground being offered the grant, as he was an intern for Community Foundation for the Alleghenies during the summer of 2014.

According to the foundation’s website, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies employees are to attend to the best interests of the organization’s donors that have philanthropic interest in financially supporting the communities in Bedford, Cambria and Indiana counties, as well as Somerset County.

Along with Klein, the Allegheny executive officers include communication coordinator Alex Wess and junior curation director Claire Letts.

Wess graduated last semester, but is still involved.

Two of six positions are currently open, not including executive offices, according to Klein.

Filled positions include one of two possible event ambassadors, an event curation assistant and a budget and merchandise manager, along with one of two possible social media team members.

Event ambassador and social media team positions are still available.

Event ambassadors are to travel to local events or business as representatives of the organization, trying to spread the word about the app, or provide promotional support for an event, which is one of the app’s services.

According to Klein, the group is looking for one more person to make a two-person social media team for the app. The team is to be accountable for managing the brand’s Web presence on its website and social media.

The event curation assistant is responsible for finding events that resonate with the Allegheny Underground audience, and for observing and tracking how they have responded to prior events in the community.

The budget and merchandise manager is to oversee the finances, making sure the organization is spending money the most effective way possible, as well as communicating with local business owners to sell advertisements.

“We could always use more help positions could be added further down the line if it’s needed because there is a not finite amount of credit,” Klein said.

“If someone can make a contribution, and it is needed, we can work with the business office to get credit work out, and make sure their contributions are worthwhile.”

Klein said the group usually meets once a week unless members have a large workload.

“Everyone puts time in on their own,” he said.

“What we do is send people out into the wild in our area, as well as businesses coming to us by now, to get a comprehensive list of what’s going on in the area.”

The app relies significantly on feedback from community members, Klein said.

“We look through and see what our audience or students are going to like,” he said.

“We then relay that through the app, acting as a searchlight and letting people know what’s going on in area.”

Klein also said he never would have expected the culture and art events that take place off-campus.

“I was shocked about how many things are actually going on; we specialize in delivering this experience,” he said.

Klein said they hope to fill the positions within the next few weeks. He also said that running the app has given him a priceless opportunity.

“It is a uniquely rewarding experience because you get to walk into a growing organization and take some kind of ownership of it because everything we do is run by students,” he said.

“(I am) being trusted to run a real part of a real business, an invaluable experience that has set me apart from everything that I have applied to since.”