A transformative gift has the ability to change the course of an organization to make an exponential impact. In 2011, the Community Foundation received a transformative gift from the estate of Arthur (Art) E. Heinz.
Heinz was born and raised in Chicago. He retired to Stevens Point in 1995 and was fond of Central Wisconsin. He worked on a farm in Buena Vista as a young adult and befriended some neighbors and made a few close friends, but was a private person. He enjoyed gardening, animals, history, classical music, the stock market, and watching sports and old movies. He was a fiscal conservative and lived very modestly.
When Heinz passed away in May 2011, he left his entire estate (nearly $4 million) to the Community Foundation to help meet its mission of helping people, enhancing education, enriching arts and culture, contributing to wellness, and improving the environment. This generous gift significantly increased the Foundation’s ability to meet its mission and will have a profound impact on the community he loved for many generations to come.
Cindy Solinsky, who lived next to Heinz for 15 years, said he was a very caring and loving man. “He totally believed in helping people out,” Solinsky said. Solinsky said Heinz told her one day, “Cindy, I’m giving my money to the poor,” knowing it would help people in Central Wisconsin.
The Community Foundation created the Heinz Living Legacy Circle in memory of Arthur (Art) E. Heinz. The Heinz Living Legacy Circle recognizes donors who have made arrangements through their estate planning (such as a bequest, a trust, a retirement plan, insurance policy or some other form of deferred gift) to support their charitable giving dreams through the Community Foundation.
Since estate gifts are often made after the donor’s death, the Heinz Living Legacy Circle allows the Community Foundation to recognize those individuals now who are planning to make a difference in future of this community.
It’s easy to become a member of the Heinz Living Legacy Circle. Learn more here.