In response to a troubled city, and what appears to be a desire to consolidate governance, the Heinz Endowments announced last month that they were refocusing their giving strategy in Pittsburgh, and shifting their significant resources into fewer causes.
The three ”big bets” that will receive 30 percent of Endowment giving over the next five years are public school reform, downtown real estate development, and economic development projects combining technological innovation with a concern for the environment. The new focus will inevitably mean that many annual grantees will see lower checks in the next five years, or no checks at all.
Pittsburgh literary critic Bob Hoover flags the fact that the arts are not directly listed among the ”big bets,” despite a history of significant giving from the Endowments to the arts downtown. He worries that the loss of contributed support will compound the population loss and audience exodus already underway:
Our major writers took their inspiration from a city that encouraged their imagination with its crowded streets of people from different cultures, its classical educational system, its pride in the Carnegie Institute and Library and the industrial wealth that supported the arts….
We’re at a crossroads, and it seems to lead out of town. The third piece of bad news might be that our artists will be taking the next bus to somewhere else.
Pittsburgh and the Heinz Endowments have spent serious resources over the past decades on building and sustaining the city’s vitality through the arts. The new focus suggests that the emerging ”theory of change” doesn’t directly include the arts in the top three levers to be pulled.
ADDENDUM (4/19/07): The thoughtful comments to this post by John Federico and the Heinz Endowment’s Janet Sarbaugh underscore that this is a complex issue, and that Heinz giving to the arts, especially downtown, advances at least two of the three new ”big bets” identified by the Endowments. That said, redirecting 30 percent of resources means that some traditional recipients of Heinz support will be left with an empty hat next year. It will be interesting to see who that is.
I think that today’s post reflects a bit of an oversimplification of the Heinz Endowments’ position vis-a-vis the arts. First, a big chunk of the downtown development projects that they are expected to support are being built by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which has already added significant theatre capacity by building/renovation performing arts spaces, and is now making a transition to a new phase of development by building residences in the Cultural District.
Moreover, a look at the Endowments’ website and program guidelines indicates that they will continue to have the largest arts grantmaking program in Pittsburgh, committing $9 million annually to grants in the arts. While it’s likely that the biggest grants in the arts will go to downtown organizations that are able to address one or all of the “big bets,” there will still be money for well-managed, artistically sound arts organizations in and around Pittsburgh.
The Heinz Endowments is just as committed to the arts as we have ever been. The article that this blog entry is based on was written by a reporter who never had a conversation with anyone at the Heinz Endowments, most especially me (The Director of the Arts and Culture Program!).
Anyone who takes a close look at the Endowments’ Website (www.heinz.org), as John Federico notes, will see that our level of arts funding is remaining steady. We will continue to be the largest arts funder in Pittsburgh’s foundation community. Our important core programs, including general operating support to major institutions and the Small Arts Initiative will continue at their current levels.
Our new strategic plan does concentrate a third of our giving in three strategic initiatives, at least two of which will take on more arts related giving, not less. The downtown cultural district and cultural organizations, which we view as critical to downtown revitalization, are key elements of our downtown strategy. Our long-term goal to promote arts learning and participation will continue, only now with a special focus on Pittsburgh.
As this plan unfolds, it will be come apparent that the arts remain central to the Endowments’ grantmaking. We recognize it as one of the unique strengths of the region and one that will continue to play a major role in the region’s revitalization.