Colcom Foundation
| File:Colcom Foundation logo.png | |
| Formation | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Type | private foundation |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, PA, United States |
President | John S. Barsotti |
Revenue (2014) | $36,529,725[1] |
| Expenses (2014) | $30,016,575[1] |
| Website | colcomfdn.org |
Colcom Foundation is an anti-immigration private foundation established in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May, a Mellon family heiress.[2][3][4] It is a major funding source for the anti-immigration movement in the United States, supporting several organizations designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).[5][6]
The foundation also focuses on population control, environmental conservation, and civic and environmental projects, especially in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area where it is based.[7][8][9]
History and activities
The Colcom Foundation was founded in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May, an heiress to the Mellon family.[2][4] When May died in 2005, she left close to half of her fortune to the foundation, which totaled over $400 million.[5]
The Colcom Foundation has stated that their mission is "to promote sustainable immigration that won’t overwhelm the environment or the economy".[5] It has played a significant role in shaping immigration policy in the United States through its extensive funding of organizations that advocate for reduced immigration levels.[10][11][12][13] Since the early 2000s, the foundation has provided tens of millions of dollars to groups such as the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and NumbersUSA—organizations that were originally part of a network established by the anti-immigration activist and white nationalist John Tanton.[4][10][14] According to a 2019 report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette', Colcom contributed $33.8 million to immigration-focused organizations between June 30, 2017, and June 30, 2018.[4]
Several of the groups funded by the Colcom Foundation have been designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), including CIS, FAIR, and Californians for Population Stabilization.[1][15][16][17] Some of the groups have also promoted white nationalist views.[2][17] In 2018, Colcom's sponsorship of Pittsburgh's Holiday Market drew criticism from immigrant rights advocates.[11][15] Due to the controversy, signage mentioning the Colcom Foundation was removed from the market.[16] In 2020, immigrant rights activists launched a campaign to discourage Pittsburgh-area civic and environmental groups from accepting money from the Colcom Foundation.[18] Several organizations subsequently severed their ties to the foundation.[12]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Colcom Foundation" (PDF). Foundation Center. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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.
- ↑ Brown, Abram (July 21, 2014). "175 Years Later, The Mellons Have Never Been Richer. How'd They Do It?". Forbes.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Routh, Julian; Lord, Rich (24 June 2019). "Colcom Foundation, rooted in environmentalism, increasingly focuses on anti-immigration groups". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tanfani, Joseph; McIntire, Mike (July 25, 2013). "Late heiress' anti-immigration efforts live on". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-08-18. More than one of
|work=and|newspaper=specified (help) - ↑ Beirich, Heidi (14 July 2009). "Pittsburgh Foundation Funded Hate Groups". Southern Poverty Law Center.
- ↑ "Funding Interests". Colcom Foundation. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Impact". Colcom Foundation. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ↑ "Extinction Crisis". Colcom Foundation. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Potter, Chris; Roth, Mark (15 February 2015). "Pittsburgh's Colcom Foundation plays major role in immigration-control debate". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Deto, Ryan (29 November 2018). "Anti-immigrant group Colcom Foundation's sponsorship of Holiday Market draws criticism". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Deto, Ryan (11 March 2020). "How Pittsburgh's Colcom Foundation is 'greenwashing' its anti-immigrant message". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ↑ Rendon, Jim (11 February 2020). "Bankrolling a Force on Immigration". The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
- ↑ Ellis, Emma Grey (24 January 2017). "Fake Think Tanks Fuel Fake News—And the President's Tweets". Wired. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Elk, Mike (27 November 2018). "Anti-Immigrant Group Sponsors Pittsburgh's Official Holiday Celebration". Payday Report. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "After donations to anti-immigrant groups, Colcom signs removed from Downtown holiday market". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 12 December 2018.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Beirich, Heidi (14 July 2009). "Pittsburgh Foundation Funded Hate Groups". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ↑ Wimbley, Lacretia (5 March 2020). "Activists launch campaign against Colcom Foundation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
External links
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