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Person

Harriet Heyman

Nationality:

American
Occupation(s):

Writer, Author, Sculptor

Director, Crankstart Foundation

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Harriet Heyman is a writer, author, sculptor, and philanthropist as well as the wife of venture capitalist and former head of Sequoia Capital Michael Moritz. Harriet Heyman serves as a director of the Crankstart Foundation, a private family foundation that funds education scholarships and opportunities but also gives to left-of-center organizations, while Moritz serves as its president. The Crankstart Foundation has provided donations to organizations that advocate providing noncitizens with government assistance, prevent the deportation of illegal immigrants, and universal government-run health care for citizens and noncitizens. 1

Through the Crankstart Foundation, Heyman and Moritz fund groups specializing in abortion, advocate for gun control, espouse left-of-center policies on global warming, and assist political efforts to get Democrats elected. 2 Heyman and Moritz’s endowment gift to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the largest in that organization’s history. 3

History

Harriet Heyman grew up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago. 4 Heyman graduated from South Shore High School in 1965 and has a master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s Division of Humanities. 5 Heyman previously worked at the New York Times and Life magazine. 6 Heyman is the author of two books: Between Two Rains, a novel, and Private Acts: The Acrobat Sublime, a photography/essay book about acrobats. 7 In recent years, Heyman has devoted her life to sculpting. 8

Heyman is married to Michael Moritz, a venture capitalist and former head of Sequoia Capital, and has two children. 9 As of June 2024, Moritz is estimated to be worth $6.1 billion. 10 In 2012, Heyman and Moritz signed the Giving Pledge to donate at least half their wealth to charitable causes. 11

Heyman serves as a director of the grantmaking organization Crankstart Foundation, while Moritz serves as its president. The Crankstart Foundation provides funding towards areas including the environment, immigration, economic and racial justice, education, and civic engagement. 12

Charitable Donations

The Crankstart Foundation has provided grant funding to the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office; San Francisco Public Defender’s Office; the Alameda Health Consortium, an organization advocating for universal health coverage including illegal immigrants; the American Immigration Council that advocates for increased citizenship and government benefits for noncitizens; the left-leaning Anti-Recidivism Coalition; the California Immigrant Policy Center that defends illegal immigrants; Immigrant Legal Resource Center to defend against deportation; and the International Rescue Committee, which bas been a supporter of illegal immigrants. 13

The Crankstart Foundation has donated to Access Reproductive Justice, an advocacy and support organization specializing in supporting abortions; the Environmental Defense Fund; the Equal Justice Initiative; the National Redistricting Foundation, the nonprofit affiliate of the Democratic Party-aligned National Democratic Redistricting Committee; and the gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. 14

In 2018, through the Crankstart Foundation, Harriet Heyman and her husband Michael Moritz made a $20 million endowment gift to the ACLU, the largest endowment gift ever given to the organization. 15 Through a $5 million gift and $15 million matching legacy challenge, the ACLU estimates $300 million in new bequest gifts to the organization. 16

In 2012, Heyman and Moritz gave $116.8 million for scholarship at Oxford University. 17 Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman formed the University of California, San Francisco’s largest endowed program for Ph.D. students with a $60 million gift in 2013. 18 In 2016, Heyman and Moritz gave a $50 million gift for low-income students to the University of Chicago. 19

Political Donations

Harriet Heyman donated at least $2,300 to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, $28,500 to the DNC Services Corp., and $11,000 to moderate Republican John Kasich’s campaign for Ohio governor. 20

References

  1. “Access Reproductive Justice.” Access Reproductive Justice. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://accessrj.org; “Policy Agenda.” Alameda Health Consortium. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.alamedahealthconsortium.org/policy-advocacy/policy-agenda/; “Immigration Reform.” American Immigration Council. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/immigration-reform; “Policy and Advocacy.” International Rescue Committee. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.rescue.org/policy; Crankstart Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022. Part XIV.
  2. Crankstart Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022. Part XIV; “Solutions.” Everytown for Gun Safety. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.everytown.org/solutions/; “Tech Philanthropists.” Inside Philanthropy. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/tech-philanthropists/michael-moritz-and-harriet-heyman.
  3. “Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman Announce $20 Million Endowment Gift and Bequest Challenge for ACLU.” ACLU. May 15, 2018. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/michael-moritz-and-harriet-heyman-announce-20-million-endowment-gift-and-bequest.
  4. “$100 Million Initiative Enhances UChicago’s Commitment to Lower-Income Students.” UChicago News. February 17, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/100-million-initiative-enhances-uchicagos-commitment-lower-income-students.
  5. “$100 Million Initiative Enhances UChicago’s Commitment to Lower-Income Students.” UChicago News. February 17, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/100-million-initiative-enhances-uchicagos-commitment-lower-income-students; “Harriet Heyman (Moritz).” South Shore High School Class of 1965. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.classcreator.com/Chicago-Illinois-South-Shore-1965/class_profile_empty.cfm?member_id=6687858.
  6. “$100 Million Initiative Enhances UChicago’s Commitment to Lower-Income Students.” UChicago News. February 17, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/100-million-initiative-enhances-uchicagos-commitment-lower-income-students.
  7. “$100 Million Initiative Enhances UChicago’s Commitment to Lower-Income Students.” UChicago News. February 17, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/100-million-initiative-enhances-uchicagos-commitment-lower-income-students.
  8. “Works.” Harriet Heyman. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://harrietheyman.com/bronzes.
  9. Wightwick, Abbie. “The Richest Welshman Who Ever Lived Who You Rarely See in the Headlines.” Wales Online. May 26, 2024. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/richest-welshman-who-ever-lived-29225713; “Tech Philanthropists.” Inside Philanthropy. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/tech-philanthropists/michael-moritz-and-harriet-heyman.
  10. “Michael Moritz.” Forbes. Accessed June 24, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-moritz/
  11. “Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman.” The Giving Pledge. April 12, 2012. Accessed June 24, 2024. https://givingpledge.org/pledger?pledgerId=251.
  12. “Crankstart.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/crankstart/; Crankstart Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022.
  13. “Access Reproductive Justice.” Access Reproductive Justice. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://accessrj.org; “Policy Agenda.” Alameda Health Consortium. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.alamedahealthconsortium.org/policy-advocacy/policy-agenda/; “Immigration Reform.” American Immigration Council. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/immigration-reform; “Policy and Advocacy.” International Rescue Committee. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.rescue.org/policy; Crankstart Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022. Part XIV.
  14. Crankstart Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022. Part XIV; “Solutions.” Everytown for Gun Safety. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.everytown.org/solutions/; “Tech Philanthropists.” Inside Philanthropy. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/tech-philanthropists/michael-moritz-and-harriet-heyman.
  15. “Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman Announce $20 Million Endowment Gift and Bequest Challenge for ACLU.” ACLU. May 15, 2018. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/michael-moritz-and-harriet-heyman-announce-20-million-endowment-gift-and-bequest.
  16. “Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman Announce $20 Million Endowment Gift and Bequest Challenge for ACLU.” ACLU. May 15, 2018. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/michael-moritz-and-harriet-heyman-announce-20-million-endowment-gift-and-bequest.
  17. Bermudez, Caroline. “Venture Capitalist and Spouse Give $116.8 Million for Scholarships at Oxford.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy. July 22, 2012. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/venture-capitalist-and-spouse-give-116-8-million-for-scholarships-at-oxford/.
  18. Kurtzman, Laura. “Michael Moritz, Harriet Heyman Form UC’s Largest Endowed Program for PhD Students.” University of California San Francisco. September 24, 2013. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/09/109031/michael-moritz-harriet-heyman-form-ucs-largest-endowed-program-phd-students.
  19. “$100 Million Initiative Enhances UChicago’s Commitment to Lower-Income Students.” UChicago News. February 17, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/100-million-initiative-enhances-uchicagos-commitment-lower-income-students.
  20. Center for Responsive Politics. “Harriet Heyman.” Opensecrets.org. March 22, 2021. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=harriet+heyman.
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