Tides Foundation Statement Regarding Planned News Conference by Florida Congress Members

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2004--According to a news advisory, three members of the United States Congress are planning to hold a news conference today claiming that money from the Heinz Endowments granted to Tides Foundation or Tides Center projects has gone to support internet connections to Cuba. These claims are entirely false.

No one from the offices of these Congress members has contacted Tides Foundation or Tides Center in an attempt to verify these false claims. These claims are also clearly refuted by a statement on our website clarifying our relationship with the Heinz Endowments--a relationship that has been repeatedly mischaracterized.

Specifically, claims that money from the Heinz Endowments granted to Tides Foundation or Tides Center projects has gone to support the Institute for Global Communications (IGC) or any of its associate organizations are entirely false. IGC is a Tides Center project. IGC has also received funding support from Tides Foundation--exactly $12,700 between 1993 and 2002.

None of these transactions have anything to do with the Heinz Endowments whatsoever.

A detailed statement about the relationship between Tides and the Heinz Endowments can be found at www.tides.org.

A complete list of all Heinz Endowment grants to Tides Foundation and Tides Center projects can be found at www.heinz.org; specifically at www.heinz.org/files/HP_Digit.pdf.