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{{Infobox organization
|name = Colcom Foundation
|image = Colcom Foundation logo.png
|size =
|abbreviation =
|formation = 1996
|type = [[private foundation]]
|headquarters = [[Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA]], [[United States]]
|leader_title = President
|leader_name = John S. Barsotti
|key_people =
| revenue = $36,529,725<ref name="Ratings">{{cite web | url= http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/311/311479839/311479839_201506_990PF.pdf | title=Colcom Foundation | date=19 May 2016 | website=Foundation Center | accessdate=11 July 2017 }}</ref>
| revenue_year = 2014
| expenses = $30,016,575<ref name="Ratings" />
| expenses_year = 2014
|website = [http://www.colcomfdn.org colcomfdn.org]
}}
'''Colcom Foundation''' is an [[Opposition to immigration|anti-immigration]] [[private foundation]] established in 1996 by [[Cordelia Scaife May]], a [[Mellon family]] heiress.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|first1=Nicholas|last1=Kulish|first2=Mike|last2=McIntire|accessdate=2019-08-18|title=Why an Heiress Spent Her Fortune Trying to Keep Immigrants Out|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/us/anti-immigration-cordelia-scaife-may.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=14 August 2019|issn=0362-4331|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2014/07/08/175-years-later-the-mellons-have-never-been-richer-howd-they-do-it/#f5ed1c374893|title=175 Years Later, The Mellons Have Never Been Richer. How'd They Do It?|last=Brown|first=Abram|date=July 21, 2014|website=Forbes|access-date=}}</ref><ref name="postgazette">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-07-18|last1=Routh|first1=Julian|last2=Lord|first2=Rich|date=24 June 2019|title=Colcom Foundation, rooted in environmentalism, increasingly focuses on anti-immigration groups|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2019/06/24/colcom-foundation-anti-immigration-grants-scaife-pittsburgh-trump-SPLC-hate-group/stories/201906230015|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref> 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).<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2013-jul-25-la-na-immigration-birdlady-20130725-story.html
| work=Los Angeles Times | first=Joseph | last=Tanfani
| title=Late heiress' anti-immigration efforts live on
| date=July 25, 2013}}</ref><ref name="SPLC">{{Cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2009/07/14/pittsburgh-foundation-funded-hate-groups|title=Pittsburgh Foundation Funded Hate Groups|last=Beirich|first=Heidi|date=14 July 2009|website=Southern Poverty Law Center}}</ref>

The foundation also focuses on [[human population planning|population control]], [[environmental protection|environmental conservation]], and civic and environmental projects, especially in the [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] area where it is based.<ref>{{cite web |title=Funding Interests |url=https://colcomfdn.org/grants/funding-interests/ |website=Colcom Foundation |accessdate=13 September 2020 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124161818/https://colcomfdn.org/grants/funding-interests/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Impact |url=https://www.colcomfdn.org/impact/ |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=Colcom Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Extinction Crisis |url=https://www.colcomfdn.org/extinction-crisis/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Colcom Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History and activities==
The Colcom Foundation was founded in 1996 by [[Cordelia Scaife May]], an heiress to the [[Mellon family]].<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="postgazette"/> When May died in 2005, she left close to half of her fortune to the foundation, which totaled over $400 million.<ref name="LATimes"/>

The Colcom Foundation has stated that their mission is "to promote sustainable immigration that won’t overwhelm the environment or the economy".<ref name="LATimes"/> 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.<ref name="PostGazette">{{Cite news|first1=Chris|last1=Potter|first2=Mark|last2=Roth|date=15 February 2015|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2015/02/15/Pittsburgh-s-Colcom-Foundation-plays-major-role-in-immigration-control-debate/stories/201502150072|title=Pittsburgh's Colcom Foundation plays major role in immigration-control debate|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=2018-11-20|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Deto">{{cite news |last1=Deto |first1=Ryan|title=Anti-immigrant group Colcom Foundation's sponsorship of Holiday Market draws criticism|url=https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/anti-immigrant-group-colcom-foundations-sponsorship-of-holiday-market-draws-criticism/Content?oid=12412328 |accessdate=29 November 2018|work=Pittsburgh City Paper |date=29 November 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="greenwashing">{{cite news |last1=Deto |first1=Ryan |title=How Pittsburgh's Colcom Foundation is 'greenwashing' its anti-immigrant message |url=https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/how-pittsburghs-colcom-foundation-is-greenwashing-its-anti-immigrant-message/Content?oid=16919993 |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Pittsburgh City Paper |date=11 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Rendon">{{cite journal |last1=Rendon |first1=Jim |title=Bankrolling a Force on Immigration |journal=The Chronicle of Philanthropy |date=11 February 2020 |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/bankrolling-a-force-on-immigration/ |language=en}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="postgazette"/><ref name="PostGazette"/><ref name="wired">{{cite magazine |last1=Ellis |first1=Emma Grey |title=Fake Think Tanks Fuel Fake News—And the President's Tweets |url=https://www.wired.com/2017/01/fake-think-tanks-fuel-fake-news-presidents-tweets/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=11 June 2025 |date=24 January 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref name="postgazette"/>

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]].<ref name="Ratings" /><ref name="Elk">{{cite web |last1=Elk |first1=Mike
|title=Anti-Immigrant Group Sponsors Pittsburgh's Official Holiday Celebration
|url=http://paydayreport.com/anti-immigrant-group-sponsors-pittsburghs-official-holiday-celebration/
|website=[[Payday Report]] |accessdate=29 November 2018 |date=27 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="PostGazetteRemoved">{{cite news |title=After donations to anti-immigrant groups, Colcom signs removed from Downtown holiday market
|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2018/12/12/After-donations-to-anti-immigrant-groups-Colcom-signs-removed-from-Downtown-holiday-market/stories/201812120183 |accessdate=28 February 2019
|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=12 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Beirich">{{cite web |last1=Beirich |first1=Heidi
|title=Pittsburgh Foundation Funded Hate Groups |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2009/07/14/pittsburgh-foundation-funded-hate-groups |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |accessdate=29 November 2018 |date=14 July 2009}}</ref> Some of the groups have also promoted [[white nationalism|white nationalist]] views.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="Beirich"/> In 2018, Colcom's sponsorship of Pittsburgh's Holiday Market drew criticism from immigrant rights advocates.<ref name="Deto"/><ref name="Elk"/> Due to the controversy, signage mentioning the Colcom Foundation was removed from the market.<ref name="PostGazetteRemoved"/> In 2020, immigrant rights activists launched a campaign to discourage Pittsburgh-area civic and environmental groups from accepting money from the Colcom Foundation.<ref name="Wimbley2020">{{cite news |last1=Wimbley |first1=Lacretia |title=Activists launch campaign against Colcom Foundation |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2020/03/05/immigrant-rights-activists-protest-Colcom-Foundation/stories/202003050139 |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=5 March 2020}}</ref> Several organizations subsequently severed their ties to the foundation.<ref name="greenwashing"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.colcomfdn.org Colcom Foundation]

{{Pittsburgh}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Conservation and environmental foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1996]]
[[Category:Anti-immigration politics in the United States]]

Colcom Foundation - Revision history

imported>Malinaccier: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Colcom Foundation closed as keep (XFDcloser)