message Barry Lavery
By Teresa Heinz Chairman, The Heinz Endowments 2 will never forget the night 14 years ago when Heinz Hall, rejuvenated and newly outfitted after a $7 million make- over, was reintroduced to Pittsburgh. I told the audience that, whatever the cosmetic changes through the decades, it is remarkable how well the hall still anchors one of the most powerful economic and arts development ideas in the country — the Cultural District and its nurturing organization, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
But there was some bitter with the sweet: I was willing to let the community dream it with you and representing dearly loved family members who bestow it on itself, you can expect returns that outlast dreamed the idea and rolled up their sleeves to realize you and continue into the future. it for the community, but who were no longer with us Jack Heinz was an expert practitioner of this to celebrate its milestones of success. strategy long before he dreamed of an arts district I pointed out that when my father-in-law, Jack under the care of the Cultural Trust. He followed his Heinz, saw past seedy downtown blocks and tired father, Howard, one of the founders of the Community buildings with his dream of a vibrant cultural district, Chest in the United States, the precursor of the United he was fulfilling a charge handed down from his Way, as a board member. He was the chief salesman grandfather, H. J. Heinz, the founder of the prepared in convincing this community to dream of a region foods business that produced the family fortune: where all basic human service needs were met and that To those who have been given much, there is a special pooling charitable donations could make that dream responsibility to lead efforts to make the community a reality. The region’s Community Chest fundraising Ia better place and to entrust the benefits to future drives were so successful that, in 1947, President generations. Harry Truman named him national chairman of This issue’s cover story relates how the Heinz family the annual campaign. principle of trusting in the community — believing My late husband, John Heinz, embraced the that future generations would be worthy stewards of trust-in-community strategy as well in taking over a philanthropic gift — was translated nearly literally in stewardship of the family philanthropy immediately the creation of the Cultural Trust. As the organization after his father’s death. At the opening of another marks its 25th year as a premier performing arts Cultural District anchor, the Benedum Center in 1987, presenter and economic development generator for he used his father’s affectionate name for the small downtown, it is rightly judged to be one of the most group of community leaders and expert advisors to successful projects to have been undertaken by private, encourage more public ownership of an expanding regional philanthropy. The key reason, in my view, is Cultural District: “My father and his band of dreamers another part of the family’s generations-deep calling have unleashed a great idea. What we need to do now to improve the quality of community life. It is a primer as a community is have the wisdom to understand it for how to go about the work of bettering the com- and the courage to see it through.” munity in which we live, and it is rooted in the family’s Certainly, one of the reasons I decided to earliest acts of private charity for the public good. concentrate on leading the Endowments is that I have Here is how I have interpreted it in my leadership experienced firsthand the ability of well-planned, of the Endowments: If you bestow your dream on strategic giving to improve lives and better entire com- a community in completed form, you might expect munities. But what has kept me engaged in the work some modest benefit for a little while. But if you are is the foundation’s higher-level power to “dream big.”
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What I have learned from those who have come 30 students each year to become philanthropists for before me, though, is how important it is to recruit the benefit of young people in their own communities. into the creative process those who stand to benefit. After meeting with those interns at the beginning If we engage them as the dream weavers, they are of the summer, I gave them each a copy of the more apt to stay with us through the long, hard work best-selling book, “Three Cups of Tea,” a wonderful of turning one of those big dreams into reality. recounting by journalist David Oliver Relin of the At the Endowments, we have our band of dream heroic campaign by professional mountain climber– weavers for most community projects or programs turned humanitarian Greg Mortenson to build schools that we initiate, and the organizations featured in the for girls in some of the most impoverished villages in other two articles in this issue are excellent examples. Pakistan and Afghanistan. From my reading, Mortenson’s “Salvage Sells” tells the story of the creation of success — 90 schools completed to date — is tied to his Construction Junction, which specializes in recycling willingness to immerse himself in the cultures of the hundreds of tons of building materials, furnishings and communities he sets out to serve and to his effort to cast-off decorative pieces to eager customers instead turn likely opponents into co-owners of his dream. of into landfills. Community ownership of the idea of In listening to these young people react to the book donating and purchasing rather than burying has been and to their foundation work, I am convinced that the lynchpin of the nonprofit’s remarkable success. our best hopes for the future depend on a community In “What I Did On My Summer Vacation,” scores of of young dreamers who, as with the generations that nonprofit organizations, school districts and local have come before them, are encouraged to dream foundations have been the dream weavers who have big and recruit their own band of dream weavers to helped turn a small internship for several high school make them happen. h graduates into a rare formative opportunity for Culture of trust: A family’s legacy of embracing community in the arts and civic philanthropy
“Our library, museum, parks, “We, the women of the United and improvements in our economic base; people … the wholesale rebirth of its conservancy and orchestra States, have the sacred job city’s quality of life will surely who create a climate where riverfront. … The Pittsburgh have caused the world to of helping build a good carry on for generations to local, grassroots leadership Cultural Trust’s construc- place a truer estimate upon community in which to live come.” H. J. “Jack” Heinz and enterprise … can be tion of Allegheny Riverfront the spirit of our community; and grow, and through many II, 1983 (from an address nurtured and encouraged. Park, a first step in the we cannot afford to lose local communities, to join in at the annual dinner meeting If there is a secret recipe for heart of Downtown, is at the cultural influence of any an international community of the Allegheny Conference success, it is in recognizing that level, and it has given one of them.” H. J. Heinz, of a better, cleaner and on Community Development) and rewarding those who us a glimpse of the possi- 1910 (commenting on a more peaceful world.” roll up their sleeves and get bilities that lie ahead when family gift to the Pittsburgh Vira I. Heinz, 1944 (from “One can’t simply bottle the job done.” Sen. H. John community forces come Symphony Orchestra) her acceptance speech after Pittsburgh’s success as Heinz IV, 1988 (from an together to act on a single being awarded an honorary if it were horseradish. address at the Remaking vision.” Teresa Heinz, “Pittsburgh is not perfect; degree from Beaver College) It’s not just the right Cities Conference at the 1999 (from “At River’s Edge,” it has the imperfection of ingredients, like public and Benedum Center) an essay on riverfront all human beings. But for “I am a third-generation private money and historic development, published in us, it ought to be the best Pittsburgher who inherited a buildings; nor is it just a “In my experience, places the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) city on earth. … So let us love of this community and beautiful setting framed by become what people dream. support each other in a the charge to serve it from three intersecting rivers. … And in the absence of great community effort to a grandfather and father It is the people — people dreams, they very often help our city become what who carried out their civic who place the public good become what people fear. we would like to see it be.” responsibilities in a serious over politics and private Bold dreams, then, are the Howard Heinz, 1923 fashion. … I believe that gain; people seeing through hallmark of great places. (at the dedication ceremony encouraging the urban new ideas to transform our There could be no grander of the 16th Street Bridge, development momentum vision for Pittsburgh than on Pittsburgh’s North Side)