Colcom Foundation

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]

Colcom Foundation

Formation	1996
Type	private foundation
Headquarters	Pittsburgh, PA, United States
President	John S. Barsotti
Revenue	$36,529,725[1] (2014)
Expenses	$30,016,575[1] (2014)
Website	colcomfdn.org

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]