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The Heinz Family Philanthropies are a vigorous, forward-thinking group of foundations that include:
The Heinz Family Philanthropies focus on issues involving:
The Philanthropies maintain offices in Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our chairperson is Teresa Heinz. Each of the three foundations operates as a separate fiscal entity, yet their activities converge in a single purpose: to take a leadership position in demonstrating to foundations across America how to use philanthropy as venture capital. The "Challenge" of Giving As a fundraising technique, the "challenge grant" is growing in popularity across the nonprofit spectrum. The Philanthropies, however, have championed the concept for years. From the beginning we have seen it as a clear financial reflection of our philosophy that collaboration is key to creating change that works. Money is critical—but the belief that giving is only about dollars is a misconception. Like many other foundations, we see that the open hand of charity, while honorable in every respect, is generally less effective than the helping hand of strategy. We believe you accomplish more by thinking through problems, reaching out, and finding partners than by simply reacting to proposals. A Heinz Family Philanthropy challenge grant is considered seed money. It is used to stimulate giving from other donors, and is paid only on the condition that the recipient organization raises additional funds. The technique requires accountability, collaboration, leveraging, and—strange as it may seem—risk-taking. These are the four elements that offer the opportunity for success. Accountability We see accountability as tough love. Our goal is not to micro-manage, but recipient organizations must be stable and self-sustaining. Funds are considered risk capital, and philanthropy is seen as a kind of social investment. Collaboration and Risk Our second success factor is collaboration. Good philanthropy is the art of thinking broadly and openly about challenges—then forming diverse coalitions of approaches and capabilities in response. We believe that complex challenges require collaborative responses. We also see risk taking as essential. Philanthropies have a tremendous opportunity, often in collaboration with corporate and civic leaders, to test new ideas. (This is something that government generally cannot afford to do these days.) In a sense, philanthropies have become today's labs of societal change. Leveraging Resources The Heinz Family Philanthropies believe that, where truly practical philanthropy is concerned, the opportunity to leverage resources is profound. Therefore, giving need not be expensive. Some of the most exciting grants that we have ever made involved small amounts of money, but great creativity and thought. Mrs. Heinz has observed that American democracy is built on the belief that each citizen has the capacity to make a difference—and the almost magical notion, therefore, that we should try. We believe in people who see beyond the labels of liberal and conservative. These are people who make our world better, in ways both great and small. We strive to do the same. Honoring Our Legacy H.J. Heinz's approach to work was "to do a common thing uncommonly well." The various Heinz Family Philanthropies have always taken that philosophy to heart. We recognize that foundations are uniquely positioned to advance the search for solutions to the compelling challenges of our times. We welcome the opportunity. Back to Top |
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