THE MAGAZINE OF THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS Issue 1 2021 CELEBRATING AMERICA’S CULTURAL TREASURES: HOW A NATIONAL INITIATIVE IS ELEVATING LOCAL CULTURAL LEGACIES INSIDEISSUE 1 2021 2 HIDDEN TREASURES The Heinz Endowments is among the regional foundation partners participating in the Ford Foundation’s America’s Cultural Treasures initiative. The innovative effort in arts funding focuses on providing significant support to arts groups representing historically marginalized populations. Board of Directors The Heinz Endowments was formed from the Howard Heinz Endowment, established in 1941, and the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, established in 1986. It is the product of a deep family commitment André T. Heinz to community and the common good that began with H.J. Heinz, and that continues to this day. Chairman The Endowments is based in Pittsburgh, where we use our region as a laboratory for the development of solutions to challenges that are national in scope. Although the majority of our Teresa Heinz giving is concentrated within southwestern Pennsylvania, we work wherever necessary, including Chair Emeritus state wide and nationally, to fulfill our mission. John Heinz That mission is to help our region become a just and equitable community in which all of its Sasha L. Heinz citizens thrive economically, ecologically, educationally, socially and culturally. We also seek to María Marteinsdóttir advance knowledge and practice in the field of philanthropy through strategies that focus on our Damon Aherne priorities of Creativity, Learning and Sustainability. In life, Howard Heinz and Vira I. Heinz set high expectations for their philanthropy. Today, the Carol R. Brown Endowments is committed to doing the same. Our charge is to be diligent, thoughtful and creative Jared L. Cohon in continually working to set new standards of philanthropic excellence. Recognizing that none of Judith M. Davenport our work would be possible without a sound financial base, we also are committed to pr eserving Carolyn Duronio and enhancing the Endowments’ assets through prudent investment management. Franco Harris Nick Hoffman h magazine is a publication of The Heinz Endowments. At the Endowments, we are committed Wendy Mackenzie to promoting learning in philanthropy and in the specific fields represented by our grantmaking Shirley M. Malcom programs. As an expression of that commitment, this publication is intended to share information James E. Rohr about significant lessons and insights we are deriving from our work. Editorial team Linda Braund, John Ellis, Donna Evans Sebastian, Carmen Lee, Grant Oliphant, Scott Roller, Courtney Tolmer. Design: Landesberg Design About the cover The violinist illustration on the cover by Kagan McCleod represents the artistic groups who will receive new attention and investment through the Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures initiative. 10 24 8 23 MARKING THIS MOMENT DIVERSIFYING TALENT IN MEDIA A new program supports Pittsburgh artists Foundation support for local journalism who are developing creative responses includes investment in efforts to increase to the turbulent year of global health crisis diverse talent and voices. and racial justice protests. 24 10 CHILD CARE INGENUITY THE FAILURES OF FRACKING Child care challenges during the pandemic A recent report challenges Pennsylvania, gave birth to child care innovation in the Ohio and West Virginia to take a second Pittsburgh region. look at the promises touting hundreds of thousands of jobs from natural gas fracking that never materialized. 30 OUR BEST SHOT 30 16 Despite the speed in developing COVID-19 vaccines, getting people vaccinated was THE GROWING IMPACT OF a time-consuming marathon. NONPROFIT JOURNALISM Philanthropic support for journalism is on the rise to shore up local news coverage 36 HERE AND THERE and preserve democracy. 2 TreasuresHIDDEN The Heinz Endowments Beginning the search 15 percent. It would not have been smart to has joined a national ast summer, Ford Foundation start selling out of the endowment at that time.” “cultural treasures” President Darren Walker found So, he did some innovative, creative and initiative created by the himself between a rock and a hard disruptive thinking, and came up with an Ford Foundation to elevate place. The rapid contraction of idea: Borrow money to give it away. and celebrate the talent, the economy had left many of the The idea became a plan, and in June last innovation and contribu­ Lnonprofit organizations that relied on Ford’s year, the foundation, one of America’s largest tions of arts organizations support gasping for air and in danger of being charitable organizations, took a page from the representing historically forced to close their doors. They needed relief playbook of for-profit corporations, and issued marginalized populations— and quickly. $1 billion in bonds — $300 million worth set and to back up the praise At the same time, the foundation’s own to mature in 30 years, and the remainder to with cash investment. endowment had already shrunk and was still mature in 50 years. By Elwin Green subject to whatever financial market shocks It was the first time that any foundation Illustrated portraits by might be around the next bend. It was not had issued a “social bond” — a bond requiring Kagan McLeod a good time to make previously unplanned that the money raised would be used for social expenditures. good — to the for-profit market. “We were in an unprecedented moment But this story is not about the Ford Foun- and had to think innovatively and creatively dation making history last summer. It is about and disruptively as to how we could respond the history yet to be made with part of that to the moment of COVID-19 and the moment $1 billion. of a racial reckoning in America that was The bond offering “made possible an idea unprecedented in my lifetime,” Mr. Walker said. that had been simmering in my head for some “We needed to raise more capital, and time,” Mr. Walker said — namely, to change we couldn’t take it out of our endowment the foundation’s paradigm for funding arts because at the time our endowment was down organizations. Elwin Green is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer. His last story for h ran in Issue 2, 2020, and explored the creative ways local businesses have tried to stay afloat during the pandemic. 3 “I’ve always lamented the fact that we talk about our cultural treasures and often left out are organizations that are Black, indigenous and people of color — culturally specific — and also led by people of color.” Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation 4 In September, the Ford Foundation support of one year or less that has been the For the Pittsburgh region, the founda- announced a new program for doing that: more traditional form of funding. tion tapped The Heinz Endowments to be America’s Cultural Treasures. “We recognize that general operating sup- its partner. Arts & Culture Program Officer America’s Cultural Treasures changes the port is the rarest and yet the most important Shaunda McDill and Creativity Vice President paradigm for arts funding in two ways, and it capital a nonprofit can receive,” Mr. Walker Janet Sarbaugh are leading the development of is a response to long-standing challenges in the said. “It’s our position that for too long we have a program for distributing $10 million to local arts community that have been exacerbated project-supported to death our grantees. So, Black arts organizations over the next four years. by the pandemic. First, it focuses on providing the reason that the match is a general support Nine other foundations were on board at support to arts organizations representing match is that we want these organizations to the program’s launch: the Barr Foundation historically marginalized populations: African- have the opportunity to deploy the capital (Boston), Getty Foundation (Los Angeles), American, Latinx, Asian and Indigenous flexibly, based on their needs.” Houston Endowment (Houston), John communities. D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation “I’ve always lamented the fact that we talk Enlisting the teams (Chicago), Joyce Foundation (Chicago), about our cultural treasures and often left out he program is divided into two seg- McKnight Foundation (Minneapolis), The are organizations that are Black, indigenous ments, national and regional. For the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation (Los Angeles), and people of color — culturally specific — Tnational portion, Ford put up $80 Terra Foundation for American Art (Chicago) and also led by people of color,” Mr. Walker million of the proceeds from the bond sale to and William Penn Foundation (Philadelphia). said. “What are often discussed in cultural support a select group of arts organizations At the Endowments, the focus is consistent circles as our treasures … are the larger, legacy that were deemed national cultural treasures. with the years-long work of supporting Black cultural organizations. In fact, we have many Almost immediately, a host of other founda- artists and arts organizations through its treasures that represent the experiences of tions joined in with matching grants to bring Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh program, African American people, or Asian American, the total to $165 million. Ms. McDill said, and can help the Endowments Pacific Islander people, et cetera.” For the Regional Cultural Treasures pro- explore ways to expand its support of work Second, the paradigm shift focuses on gram, Ford has announced partnerships with by other artists of color in the future. long-term support through a matching-grant 10 local foundations in seven cities to support For the new initiative, Ms. Sarbaugh approach that includes other foundations organizations in their regions. In each region, and Ms. McDill have opened up the term rather than the project-based or short-term Ford is contributing $5 million to be matched by its regional partner. 10 Foundations: 1 mission The regional component 1 Los Angeles, CA of the America’s Cultural Getty Foundation Treasures initiative created The Ralph M.