Grant Oliphant

Grant Oliphant "is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Pittsburgh Foundation, one of the largest and oldest community foundations in the United States. He moved to the region’s community foundation in March 2008 from The Heinz Endowments, one of the nation’s leading private family foundations.

"Grant, who is the Foundation’s fourth head in its 64-year history, serves extensively on the boards of local nonprofit and national sector organizations, including Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and the Council on Foundations’ Community Foundation Leadership Team (CFLT) which focuses on developing leadership in the sector.

"He is Chair of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania where he is a past member of the Public Policy Committee and a past Chair of its Communications Committee and he is Chair Emeritus of the Board of the Communications Network, a nonprofit membership organization that promotes strategic use of communications as part of effective philanthropy.

"He also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Riverlife, which is working to transform Pittsburgh’s riverfronts, and as a member of the boards of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which oversees Pittsburgh’s celebrated Cultural District, and The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In addition, Grant has served on the boards of Grantmakers Evaluation Network, Pennsylvania Partnership for Children and the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance.

"Grant joined The Heinz Endowments in 1993 as Director of Communications for the organization, together with the Heinz Family Philanthropies and Teresa Heinz. He held a number of senior positions with the organization, latterly as Vice President of Programs and Planning, responsible for managing the Endowments’ $70 million annual grantmaking portfolio, and undertaking a leadership role in guiding special task forces promoting civic design, school reform and stronger links between environmental stewardship and economic development.

"He was also responsible for strategic planning, and led the organization’s Board and staff through a major review and refocus of its strategic orientation and grantmaking priorities. As a corporate officer, he served on The Heinz Endowments’ Investment and Budget committees, which guided management of the organization’s assets and expenditures.

"Previously, he served as Press Secretary to U.S. Sen. John Heinz from 1988 until the senator’s untimely death in 1991. Prior to his service with Sen. Heinz, Grant was founding editor of American Politics, a monthly political magazine. "Grant received a Masters of Science Degree in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College. He lectures frequently on communications, leadership and organizational dynamics."


 * Director, Center for Effective Philanthropy