The Heinz Endowments
/OVERVIEW: The Heinz Endowments broadly fund education, culture, and environmental efforts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and beyond. Its environmental grantmaking focuses on the health and sustainability of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, while it’s arts grantmaking prioritizes small arts outfits and minority artists.
IP TAKE: This large, regional funder predominately views the environment through an urban lens, specifically Pittsburgh, but is also deeply involved in protecting and restoring Pennsylvania’s rivers. Heinz funds work related to coal and fracking pollution. The foundation only funds organizations in Pennsylvania.
This funder does not take notable funding risks or provide extensive grantee support beyond funding. While not very accessible, it’s responsive if you reach out as an organization based in or serving Pennsylvania.
PROFILE: Led by Chair Teresa Heinz Kerry, the Heinz Heinz Endowments represents two separate funds, one founded by Howard Heinz, the other by Vira Heinz. Grantmaking has evolved towards the environment since Teresa’s son, Andre Heinz, became chairman of the board. With formidable combined assets of around $1.5 billion, Heinz is a powerhouse in Pennsylvania and its home base of Pittsburgh. The Endowments seek to “help [its] region thrive as a whole community, economically, ecologically, educationally and culturally, while advancing the state of knowledge and practice in the fields in which [it works].” It supports Creativity, Learning and Sustainability.
Grants for Climate Change
Heinz revamped its environment program, launched in 1994, as a Sustainability program, which incorporates the activities of the foundation’s former Environment & Health and Community & Economic Development program departments. The Sustainability funding area instead “seeks to address underlying threats to Pittsburgh’s quality of life while focusing on opportunities to support the region’s health, safety and prosperity, now and for the future.” Its program centers on climate justice to support all economic levels and marginalized citizens “by advancing a clean economy, protecting the environment and public health and pursuing equitable development.” Its climate change efforts also address reducing air pollution. Indeed, one of the program’s more prominent “initiatives is the Breathe Project, an initiative to vastly improve Pittsburgh’s traditionally dismal air quality.” Climate change investments also fund “efforts to increase clean energy and to reduce pollution and rehab damage from fossil fuel use.” Past grantees include the Clean Water Fund and the Group Against Smog and Pollution.
Grants for Early Childhood, K-12 Education and Economic Opportunity
The Heinz Endowments’ Learning strategic area encompasses the grantmaking efforts of its previous Education and Children, Youth, and Families program areas. It seeks to “create conditions that foster equitable opportunities for all children and their families,” with a focus on family well-being, holistic approaches to education and future workforce development. Grants for Family and Child Well-being focus on maternal health, prenatal health and childhood health by funding education outreach and direct services. Holistic Education grants prioritize individualized learning, technological solutions, arts enrichment, youth leadership and teacher development.
Workforce Readiness grants seek to facilitate students’ transition to the workplace by emphasizing career pathways, collaborating with higher education institutions and aligning the goals of school systems with the needs of businesses. The foundation also offers the Heinz Fellows program, which aims to help educators “effectively understand and respond to students in an urban context” by providing aspiring teachers with an opportunity for learning and development in the Pittsburgh Public School District.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Heinz Endowments’ Creativity strategic area is its oldest program department, primarily aimed at supporting cultural institutions in downtown Pittsburgh and its surroundings. The foundation’s giving is based on the “importance of culture, free expression, and identity in building a healthy and equitable community.” The Creative Learning Initiative overlaps with Heinz’s Learning program and supports organizations that work directly with young people and incorporate the arts and creativity into their youth development work. Heinz also provides direct support for individual artists, artist collaboratives, and arts organizations. The Small Arts Initiative offers funding for groups that have an operating budget of under $300,000. Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh is a collaboration with The Pittsburgh Foundation to support black artists, cultural institutions that promote the work of black artists, and programs that increase awareness of the arts.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range widely from about $30,000 to $500,000, but can go higher or lower. Grantseekers may review its grants database for more insights on previously funded projects and grant amounts.
Grantseekers may apply online after completing a brief eligibility quiz. General inquiries may be submitted through the endowment’s contact page.
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