Mayor Ed Gainey secures commitment from Highmark to make a financial contribution to City

The written commitment comes as a result of conversations between the Gainey Administration and the ‘Big 4’ nonprofits, in which Highmark has consistently verbalized its willingness to participate, so long as all non-profits agree, and the terms of the agreement reflect proportionality between them. The ‘Big 4’ also include the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). 

In a statement provided to the Mayor to memorialize the commitment, Highmark characterizes its commitment to Pittsburgh as “deeply rooted” and “demonstrable... through substantial investments in building healthier communities” in the city. As part of that commitment, Highmark pledges that it is “ready to make a financial commitment as soon as all of the large nonprofits participate in a financial contribution that is proportional” to its impact on the City relative to the other members of the ‘Big 4’. 

Proportionality has been a core negotiating position of the Gainey Administration in the talks with major non-profits. While all of the ‘Big 4’ are large landowners and employers, the size and value of their holdings and payrolls vary substantially. The Administration has proposed an agreement structure to the institutions in which they would make a payment corresponding to the size of their presence within the City. 

This announcement underscores the ongoing collaboration between Highmark and the Gainey Administration. Highmark was among the leading entities to secure an agreement with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to reinvest a total $600M in Downtown Pittsburgh to manage the central business district’s transition to a post-COVID real estate market. 

“Since day one of my Administration, Highmark has been open and committed to improving the lives of Pittsburghers,” said Mayor Gainey. “I’m proud of the strong working relationship we’ve been able to build, and grateful to them for going first among the ‘Big 4’ in making a public commitment to paying their fair share.”  

Reiterating a call that he first made last week on the KDKA Morning Show with Larry Richert, the Mayor said “In light of this major advance in our efforts to secure financial contributions from our region’s largest charities, I’m calling on the leaders of the ‘Big 4’ to meet with me before the end of the month to finalize an agreement for predictable, proportional financial support for the core services provided by city government.”  

The full text of Highmark’s statement to the Mayor is below: 

Statement to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey from Highmark 

“Highmark's commitment to the city of Pittsburgh is multifaceted and deeply rooted. It's not just about our headquarters being located here; it's a demonstrable commitment through substantial investments in building healthier communities, encompassing an array of initiatives. 

As we have said in the past, Highmark is prepared to meet to discuss financial contributions to the city of Pittsburgh, if the large nonprofits – including UPMC – are part of the meeting. Highmark is ready to make a financial commitment as soon as all of the large nonprofits participate in a financial contribution that is proportional, within the city, to its status as a purely public charity.”