The North Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) is a voluntary coalition of twenty-one municipalities, in Allegheny County, which comprises a total population of 202,000 persons and a land area of 194 square miles. The organization was initiated as a result of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1972, and is a non-profit corporation under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania.

The annual operating income of the NHCOG is derived from the voluntary payment of annual dues, administrative fees related to implementing State and Federal grants on the behalf of our municipal members, and certain service fees for use of equipment and/or administrative services specific to a line-item project budget. The COG often seeks to form partnerships, coalitions and cooperation agreements with other levels of government and other pre-existing non-profits in order to accomplish shared goals and objectives.

Some of the primary activities of the COG include, but are not limited to the following joint bidding and purchasing, grant administration, and devising methods to ensure that our municipal members remain in compliance with State and Federal mandates which apply to local government. The COG acts as a mutual forum to discuss and bring into focus regional challenges and opportunities, collect and maintain data of a regional interest, strive to improve communication, coordination and intergovernmental cooperation between all levels of government, facilitate cooperative agreements, seek technical assistance, and to coordinate Federal, State and Local programs of regional importance.

The COG Executive Board,is the internal governing that collectively sets policy and approves the annual budget. This board is composed of one elected official delegate representing each member municipality and or alternate delegate. This body meets monthly in order to take new business items under discussion and to take action as needed and recommended by the COG Executive Director.

The Managers Advisory Committee is composed of the municipal manager or, absent a manager, a proxy appointed official designated by the manager, from each member municipality. It is the general charge of this Advisory Board to work closely with the COG Executive Director to identify and develop new projects and programs and to oversee and fine-tune existing projects and programs in order to benefit the collective membership and to create a cost savings in the delivery of municipal services and/or increased efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of those services to the residents of the COG municipalities. In short:to create"economies-of-scale" and to avoid "reinventing the wheel" in order to make local government more efficient, effective, and streamlined.

Day to day activities are administered by an Executive Director. An administrative secretary assists the Executive Director.