01 Welcome

Visionaries Wanted

Since 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation has funded visionaries with bold ideas to advance prosperity in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and environmental conservation across the United States.

What does the Foundation fund?

The Foundation has six funding programs: Conservation; Economic Development; Economic Mobility; Health & Well-Being; Organizational Effectiveness; and Social-Impact Investments. Our Funding Programs

Who has the Foundation funded?

The Foundation has awarded over 8,000 grants to more than 1,800 different organizations since its founding. Grants & Program-Related Investments

How do I apply?

Our application portal is always open. And be sure to review our four pending Requests for Proposals. Learn How to Apply
02 Our Strategic Plan 2021-2030

Look to the future, and tell us what you see.

Our Strategic Plan is our 2021-2030 roadmap to award more than $1.2 billion in grants and program-related investments. Every application is reviewed for its potential to advance our Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan
03 2023 Annual Report

Read our 2023 Annual Report

04 About Us

The History of the Foundation

Go to the History Page
The first pillar of the Foundation’s success is great ideas – yours, not ours. Your great ideas are our lifeblood, the currency of our philanthropy. We crave your great ideas – the bolder the better.
– Sam Reiman, Director & Trustee, Richard King Mellon Foundation
05 Follow Us on LinkedIn

Welcome – and welcome home – to Mario Rossero, the new executive director of The Andy Warhol Museum. This is a homecoming for Rossero, a Pittsburgh native who took his first job at The Warhol back in 1997. Rossero currently leads the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and previously was head of education programs at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In his new role at the Warhol, Rossero’s duties will include overseeing development of the Pop District, an ambitious plan to transform the area around the Warhol into a new center of artistic innovation, creative-economy workforce development and live entertainment. In announcing the Foundation’s $15 million gift in support of the Pop District, back in 2022, Foundation Director Sam Reiman said “The goal of this project is to make sure the next Andy Warhol doesn’t have to leave Pittsburgh to become Andy Warhol.” Or, in the case of Rossero, he can leave and come back. #philanthropy #arts #communitydevelopment #economicdevelopment https://lnkd.in/ebBGvr7j

Hazelwood Green may best be known for its transformational economic developments, such as the University of Pittsburgh BioForge and Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center. But affordable housing always has been part of the master plan for Hazelwood Green, with a special focus on housing for single parents seeking to obtain higher education. Thank you to Mark Belko and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for covering the progression of this important component of Hazelwood Green’s ongoing development. Tishman Speyer, Trek Development Group, Pittsburgh Scholar House, The Heinz Endowments, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, #philanthropy #economicdevelopment #communitydevelopment #affordablehousing #housing https://lnkd.in/e_iJJGzb

Thank you to the Council of Independent Colleges for recognizing the Foundation’s longstanding work in support of higher education. Since our founding in 1947, the Foundation has regarded higher education to be an invaluable pathway to prosperity for people in our region. And thank you to our region’s independent colleges and universities for providing that pathway. #philanthropy #highereducation. Each year CIC honors individuals and organizations that make significant contributions to independent higher education. We are honored to recognize this year’s awardees:   Allen P. Splete Award for Outstanding Service: Joanne Soliday Award for Philanthropy (Organization): The Richard King Mellon Foundation #CICpresidents2025  

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