Colcom Foundation
Formation1996
Typeprivate foundation
Headquarters Pittsburgh, PA, United States
President
John S. Barsotti
Revenue (2014)
$36,529,725[1]
Expenses (2014)$30,016,575[1]
Websitecolcomfdn.org

Colcom Foundation is an anti-immigration private foundation established in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May, a Mellon family heiress.[2][3][4] The Foundation is one of the main sources of funding for the anti-immigration movement in the United States.[5][6][7] Several of the groups funded by the Colcom Foundation have been designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), including American Border Patrol, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).[7][8][6][9][10]

The foundation also focuses on population control, environmental conservation, and civic and environmental projects, especially in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area where it is based.[2][11][12][13]

Anti-immigration advocacy

The Colcom Foundation is one of the main financial supporters of the anti-immigration movement in the United States, providing more than $150 million to such groups since 2005.[2][5][14][7][6] According to IRS documents, in 2016 58% of the money that Colcom gave went to anti-immigrant groups.[7][8] In 2017, more than 80% went to anti-immigrant groups.[15] Several of the groups funded by the Colcom Foundation have been designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), including American Border Patrol, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).[7][6][8][9]

In 2020, immigrant rights activists launched a campaign to discourage Pittsburgh-area civic and environmental groups from accepting money from the Colcom Foundation.[16] Several organizations, including Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, and American Rivers, subsequently severed their ties to the foundation.[15]

Civic and environmental projects

Grants have supported projects such as the planters throughout Downtown Pittsburgh,[17] recycling hard-to-dispose waste,[18] conservation of Sycamore Island in the Allegheny River,[19] matching funds to activate Pittsburgh’s downtown streets in the Paris to Pittsburgh Project,[20] water quality studies in the Monongahela River,[21] revolving loan fund enabling land trusts to rapidly consummate vital land conservancy projects,[22][23] Marcellus Environmental Fund to assess and address risks of shale drilling,[24][25] Mt. Washington land conservation,[26] Tribute to Children monument honoring Mister Rogers,[27][28][29] Kids Zone at the Three Rivers Regatta,[30] support for the 2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit,[31] completing a bridge for bicyclists on the Great Allegheny Passage near Pittsburgh,[32] curatorial salaries for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History,[33] and matching funds to renovate the fountain at historic Point State Park.[34]

References

  1. 1 2 "Colcom Foundation" (PDF). Foundation Center. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Kulish, Nicholas; McIntire, Mike (14 August 2019). "Why an Heiress Spent Her Fortune Trying to Keep Immigrants Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-18 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ↑ Brown, Abram (July 21, 2014). "175 Years Later, The Mellons Have Never Been Richer. How'd They Do It?". Forbes.
  4. ↑ "Colcom Foundation, rooted in environmentalism, increasingly focuses on anti-immigration groups". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  5. 1 2 Tanfani, Joseph (July 25, 2013). "Late heiress' anti-immigration efforts live on". Los Angeles Times.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "After donations to anti-immigrant groups, Colcom signs removed from Downtown holiday market". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Elk, Mike (27 November 2018). "Anti-Immigrant Group Sponsors Pittsburgh's Official Holiday Celebration". Payday Report. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 Deto, Ryan (29 November 2018). "Anti-immigrant group Colcom Foundation's sponsorship of Holiday Market draws criticism". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. 1 2 Beirich, Heidi (14 July 2009). "Pittsburgh Foundation Funded Hate Groups". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  10. ↑ Beirich, Heidi (July 14, 2009). "Pittsburgh Foundation Funded Hate Groups".
  11. ↑ "Funding Interests". Colcom Foundation. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Impact". Colcom Foundation. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  13. ↑ "Extinction Crisis". Colcom Foundation. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  14. ↑ "Pittsburgh's Colcom Foundation plays major role in immigration-control debate". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  15. 1 2 Deto, Ryan (11 March 2020). "How Pittsburgh's Colcom Foundation is 'greenwashing' its anti-immigrant message". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  16. ↑ Wimbley, Lacretia (5 March 2020). "Activists launch campaign against Colcom Foundation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Downtown Planters". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  18. ↑ Ranii, Mary Kate (4 May 2017). "E-Waste Recycling Milestone". Pennsylvania Resource Council.
  19. ↑ "Sycamore Island". Allegheny Land Trust. January 28, 2008. Archived from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Paris to Pittsburgh". Downtownpittsburgh.com. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Carnegie Mellon's Jean VanBriesen leads research team on Monongahela River". Eurekalert.org. August 6, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Colcom Revolving Fund for Local Land Trusts". Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Colcom Foundation fund to provide loans for land conservation". Postgazette.com. December 30, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  24. ↑ Litvak, Anya (December 20, 2010). "Colcom Foundation launches Marcellus fund". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Grant to educate public on Marcellus Shale issues". Postgazette.com. December 22, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Mount Washington park continues expansion". Postgazette.com. November 29, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  27. ↑ "$4M Colcom Foundation grant to support overlook on Pittsburgh's North Shore". Popcitymedia.com. March 26, 2008. Archived from the original on December 7, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Fred Rogers – A Tribute to Children". Fci.org. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  29. ↑ Sostek, Anya (5 November 2009). "Sculpture of Fred Rogers unveiled on North Side". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  30. ↑ Archived February 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ "Cleaning Up. Greening Up. And New Web Sites". Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  32. ↑ Walsh, Lawrence (26 September 2008). "Bridge over Mon fills bike trail's missing link". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  33. ↑ "Carnegie Online". Carnegiemuseums.org. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  34. ↑ Turnbull, Jessica (October 15, 2009). "Pittsburgh News, Sports, and Events – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review". Pittsburghlive.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
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