Foundations often describe their mission in broad terms, but the Colcom Foundation ties its grantmaking to a specific, decades-old philosophy about the relationship between population and the natural environment. Every grant the organization approves, it says, is meant to reflect the humanitarian objectives, foresight, dignity, and compassion of its founder, Cordelia S. May.
A Philosophy Rooted in the 1950s
May began that work in 1952, at age 23, when she started funding family planning initiatives after recognizing that population growth accumulates so gradually it often escapes notice, even as it eventually places serious strain on ecosystems. That outlook shaped her giving for more than four decades before she established the Colcom Foundation in 1996, at 68. The organization received the bulk of its funding after her death in 2005.
Grantmaking as an Extension of Her Values
Since then, the Colcom Foundation has stated its mission as fostering a sustainable environment that protects the quality of life of Americans by addressing the causes and consequences of overpopulation on natural resources. The organization points to current problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, and biodiversity loss, as evidence that the imbalance May identified decades ago has only deepened. Through their grants, they have supported many organizations, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, which works towards protecting endangered species, and the Sierra Club Foundation, which advocates for clean energy and climate solutions. These grants have helped to advance important causes and support organizations that strive to make a difference.
The foundation also frames May among a broader group of reformers whose early views were dismissed, comparing her to Susan B. Anthony’s era of gender equality advocacy and to Galileo’s scientific observations, arguing that history eventually vindicated those figures just as it has begun to vindicate her warnings.
Regionally, the Colcom Foundation extends that same set of values into conservation work and cultural institutions near its Pittsburgh base, treating those grants as one more way of honoring the humanitarian legacy Cordelia S. May established long before her foundation existed in name. That continuity, more than any single grant, is what the organization points to when explaining what sets its giving apart from other environmental funders. Refer to this article for related information.
Additional information about can be found on https://www.colcomfdn.org/