Both longtime residents of Pittsburgh, Alvin and Sheila Catz founded the Catz Family Fund as a testament to their belief that charitable giving is a very important component of the success of the nonprofit community. Alvin and Sheila have been married for over 50 years. They met on a blind date during their time at Peabody High School. Alvin was born on March 22, 1939, and grew up in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh with one older brother. Sheila, who was born on June 4, 1940, lived with her parents and two siblings in a two-bedroom rented home. Both Alvin and Sheila attended the University of Pittsburgh. Alvin graduated in 1960 with a BBA in Accounting, and Sheila graduated in 1962 with a BS in Mathematics. The couple was married in 1961.
After passing the CPA exam, Alvin joined Peat, Marwick, and Mitchell as a Junior Accountant. Sheila took a full-time position with the Graduate School of Public Health, where she had worked as a Programmer during college. After 1 ½ years, she took a position that involved designing, programming, and installing business systems for a wholesale distributor. In 1967, Alvin became an Accounting Manager at a Fortune 500 in Cincinnati, during which time he pursued an MBA from Xavier University. Sheila worked at United Data Processing for 7 years and was promoted to management.
In 1973, the couple returned to Pittsburgh. Alvin joined HJ Heinz Company as an Accounting Manager, later becoming Corporate Controller. Sheila took a position with Rockwell International as a Consultant, but stayed on as a Systems Manager. In 1976 her department was eliminated, and after a brief period of time at another position Sheila decided to start her own consulting practice. Alvin left Heinz in 1985 to join and expand the practice, which became Catz Consulting Associates, Inc.
Alvin and Sheila have two children and one granddaughter. After rewarding careers working for Pittsburgh corporations, the couple is now enjoying their retirement in the area. With this fund they will support lesser-known and smaller charities where funds are most needed, as well as cultural organizations, which they believe are extremely important to the life and vibrancy of the community.