Heinz Family Foundation
The Heinz Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1984 and incorporated in 1992. Founded by the late U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III and Teresa Heinz-Kerry, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since September 1998. The foundation is designated for religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, and philanthropic purposes.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$111.4M
+0.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.3M
-9.9% YoY
Grant Count
98
-8.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$44K
-1.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary giving focuses on:
- Environmental organizations
- Arts and cultural organizations
- Museums
- Education and higher education
- Women's health
- Pension-related initiatives
The foundation also administers the Heinz Awards program, which from 1993 to 2025 recognized 186 individuals for outstanding contributions to the arts, the economy, and the environment. The Awards program was established to honor the memory of U.S. Senator John Heinz and celebrated the belief that individuals have the power and responsibility to create lasting, meaningful change.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests. All grants are made through trustee discretion rather than a public application process. The foundation has announced a transition to next-generation leadership, with Teresa Heinz noting that "the next generation of the Heinz family will bring fresh perspectives to our philanthropy."
Grant Range
$500 to $500,000
Average Grant
amount: $44,294
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary funding focus:
- Pennsylvania (primary)
- Idaho
- New York
The foundation also supports projects across a wide range of cities and states in the United States, including major urban centers such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, as well as smaller communities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $111,444,853
- Total revenue: $7,386,408
- Total expenses: $6,584,416
- Net income: $801,992
- Total liabilities: $4,570,000
Historical Context: The foundation maintains substantial assets and distributes approximately $4.2 to $4.5 million annually in grants, with expenses exceeding $6.5 million in 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $111,444,853 | $110,767,257 | $115,232,489 |
| Revenue | $7,386,408 | $2,802,015 | $3,388,175 |
| Expenses | $6,584,416 | $7,126,036 | $8,434,571 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $6,097,865 | $6,758,213 | $7,837,145 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,352,862 | $1,480,070 | $2,440,577 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,384,677 | $5,915,065 | $5,917,531 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Teresa Heinz-Kerry: Chair and CEO. She is the wife of Senator John Kerry, heir to the H.J. Heinz company, and a noted philanthropist. She also serves as Chair of The Heinz Endowments and is a recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Gold Medal for Humanitarianism.
- Caroline Older: Interim Director of the Heinz Awards program
The foundation's leadership team includes directors and officers who contribute their expertise.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCCALL CRAVENS | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 8 | — |
| MICHELE BATTLE | TREASURER | 4 | — |
| WENDY MACKENZIE | SECRETARY AND TERM DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TERESA HEINZ | CHAIR/CEO | 2 | — |
| ANDRE HEINZ | CLASS B PERMANENT DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER HEINZ | CLASS B PERMANENT DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RONALD DAVENPORT | TERM DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ARIE KOPELMAN | TERM DIRECTOR (EXIT 10/24) | 1 | — |
| LINDA K SMITH ESQ | TERM DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| THEODORE H STEBBINS JR | TERM DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALISON BYERS | TERM DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ELISSA BROWN | TERM DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Heinz Family Foundation announced the 2025 Heinz Award recipients, continuing its three-decade tradition of recognizing individuals for outstanding contributions. The foundation awarded a Pittsburgh-area artist $250,000 through the Heinz Awards program. The Heinz Awards program concluded on December 31, 2025, after 32 years of operation recognizing exceptional individuals across multiple disciplines.
Heinz Family Foundation awards an artist with Pittsburgh ties $250000Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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