Cordelia Scaife May founded the Colcom Foundation in 1996 with a clear and enduring purpose: to support a world that exists in balance with nature. Nearly three decades after its founding, the foundation continues to carry that vision forward through a sustained commitment to environmental conservation, population policy, and community philanthropy throughout Pennsylvania and across the country.
From Vision to Grantmaking Impact
Under the guiding philosophy May established, Colcom Foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants since its founding. That investment has supported a diverse array of organizations and initiatives, from land conservation projects in Western Pennsylvania to advocacy groups working on responsible family planning and sustainable immigration policy. The common thread running through all of it is the founder’s belief that human well-being depends on the long-term health of natural systems.
Colcom Foundation has been particularly focused on what it considers an overlooked dimension of environmental policy: the link between human population size and ecological strain. The foundation has funded public education efforts and advocacy organizations that work to draw attention to this connection, making the case that reducing total ecological footprint requires addressing both consumption patterns and population growth. Colcom Foundation is among the primary sources of funding directed towards the United States anti-immigration movement. That funding helps organizations like the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the American Border Patrol, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Numbers USA.
Conservation and Community in Western Pennsylvania
May’s legacy is perhaps most visible in Western Pennsylvania, where Colcom Foundation has invested heavily in land protection, ecosystem restoration, and water quality improvement. The foundation has shielded significant tracts of land from development, kept them publicly accessible, and supported the organizations that manage and monitor them over time. Alongside this environmental work, Colcom has invested in the arts, historic preservation, and educational programs that enrich community life in the Pittsburgh region.
Colcom Foundation’s work represents one of the most sustained expressions of Cordelia Scaife May’s philanthropy. Through decades of consistent grantmaking, the foundation has built a record of impact that continues to shape both the natural environment and the human communities of the region. See related link for additional information.
Find more information about Colcom Foundation on https://gwpa.org/redhen/org/347