Richard King Mellon Foundation
Preselected recipients only
Richard King Mellon Foundation is a private foundation in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. In tax year 2024 it gave $113 million in 296 grants; the typical grant was $220,000 and the largest $10.0 million. It only gives to organizations it selects itself and does not accept unsolicited applications.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$113 million
- Number of grants296
- Typical grant$220,000
- Largest grant$10.0 million
- Assets$3.5 billion
- New grantees57%
Giving in 2024 was up from $112 million the year before.
57% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $112 million | 279 | $3.3 billion |
| 2024 | $113 million | 296 | $3.5 billion |
How to apply
Richard King Mellon Foundation says in its IRS filing that it only makes contributions to preselected organizations, so unsolicited applications are unlikely to be considered. Organizations it funds are usually invited.
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What Richard King Mellon Foundation funds
Where it gives
Its grants went to recipients in 23 states, the most to Pennsylvania.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 227 | $91.7 million |
| Montana | 5 | $5.9 million |
| Virginia | 11 | $3.3 million |
| California | 7 | $2.3 million |
| Georgia | 3 | $2.2 million |
| District of Columbia | 7 | $1.8 million |
| New York | 5 | $1.3 million |
| Illinois | 2 | $1.1 million |
| Texas | 2 | $1.0 million |
| West Virginia | 6 | $897,250 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh | Toward ten-year support of the university's construction and launch of a facility at hazelwood green to catalyze economic development strategy focused on building facilities for manufacturing cell, gene, and antibody-based therapies to treat human diseases | $10.0 million |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Toward ten-year support of construction of a new building for sciences in oakland | $7.5 million |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Toward four-year support to establish a permanent manufacturing futures institute at hazelwood green | $7.0 million |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Toward ten-year support to construct a robotics innovation center at hazelwood green to accelerate robotics discovery and entreprenuership and to strengthen pittsburgh's economic future | $5.5 million |
| American Prairie Foundation | To acquire multiple properties to assemble a short grass prairie ecosystem reserve in northcentral montana | $4.5 million |
| Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation | To conduct research in infection biology and childhood asthma at upmc childrens hospital and retain outstanding scientists in pittsburgh | $2.1 million |
| Phoebe Foundation Inc | Toward construction of a new medical tower to house a level ii trauma center, neonatal intensive care unit, and intensive care facility | $2.0 million |
| The Citizen Science Lab | To expand operations with the creation of the state-of-the-art center for scientific excellence at the historic mlk reading and cultural center in the hill district | $2.0 million |
| African American Cultural Center | Toward support of operations | $1.6 million |
| Three Rivers Communities Inc | To build affordable housing | $1.3 million |
| Rodale Institute | To advance regenerative organic agriculture research | $1.0 million |
| Allegheny College | To launch start-up and redevelopment activities of the meadville community revitalization corporation | $1.0 million |
| County of Allegheny Department of Human Services | Toward support of programs and services designed to help people move to more permanent housing | $1.0 million |
| Homewood Children's Village | Toward support of operations | $1.0 million |
| Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation | To support the production of an imax film and educational outreach to instill conservation values among children and adults with emphasis on the louisiana coastline, marshes, water, and birds | $1.0 million |
| Mutual Aid Ambulance Service Inc | Toward the purchase of ambulances to enhance quality of care | $1.0 million |
| Pittsburgh Glass Center Inc | Toward support of operations and to expand apprentice housing | $1.0 million |
| Valley School of Ligonier | To provide financial aid, employ expert faculty, and maintain the schools buildings and grounds | $1.0 million |
| Community Foundation of Greater Johnstown | To support the economic revitalization of downtown johnstown | $977,000 |
| Franklin & Marshall College | To improve water quality and ecosystem health in the chesapeake bay watershed | $937,500 |
| Allegheny College | To engage in strategic conservation initiatives to conserve and sustain the land, water and cultural resources of the upper allegheny river basin | $934,877 |
| Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania | To protect habitats, restore populations of species of concern and improve water quality | $750,000 |
| Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds | To accelerate watershed restoration and remediate the impacts of abandoned mine lands | $750,000 |
| The Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research | To help support research on brain injuries and toward the brain injury research symposium | $750,000 |
| The Pennsylvania State University - New Kensington | Toward support of operations for the digital foundry | $750,000 |
| Wonderseed Foundation | To partner with freedom house 2.0 to develop four ai coaching scenarios for practicing conflict resolution and job interviewing skills within virtual reality for the workplace | $745,200 |
| Community College of Allegheny County Education Foundation | Toward the reinventing community approaches advanced manufacturing pilot program | $680,000 |
| Catalyst Connection | To create a sector-based partnership with the manufacturing apprenticeship collaborative | $675,000 |
| Ligonier Borough | To update and enhance the town hall | $651,000 |
| Susquehanna University | Toward support of the freshwater research institute | $592,000 |
| Salem Township Volunteer Fire Company #2 | To improve training for volunteer fire fighters in westmoreland county | $582,000 |
| Harvard University | Toward support of project argyle | $575,000 |
| One Mind | To support an employer-led coalition in southwestern pennsylvania that will collaborate to improve the mental health of the local workforce and broader community | $570,000 |
| Heart of the Rockies Initiative | To scale durable conservation of private lands in the central rocky mountain region while connecting habitat | $550,000 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | To restore aquatic and forest habitat in central appalachia | $550,000 |
| Texas A&m University-Kingsville | To create a wildlife health reporting pipeline to facilitate spatial epidemiological analyses of chronic wasting disease for better informed management strategies | $540,000 |
| Allegheny Conference on Community Development | Toward continued support for business investment and job creation | $506,000 |
| A Schools Pittsburgh's Community Alliance for Public Education | To increase student attendance and improve students academic outcomes | $500,000 |
| Aspinwall Riverfront Park Inc | To activate a new expanded park space and upgrade current park facilities | $500,000 |
| Better Block Foundation | To complete four creative placemaking projects in allegheny and westmoreland counties | $500,000 |
Officers and trustees
- Richard A Mellon
- Catharine Mellon Cathey
- Sam Reiman
- Douglas L Sisson
- Edward J Morgan
- Paul A Hannah
- Brian J Hill
- Alison M Byers Psyd
- W Russell G Byers Jr
- Bruce King Mellon Henderson
- Constance Elizabeth Mellon Kapp
- Armour N Mellon
Questions people ask
Does Richard King Mellon Foundation accept grant applications?
No. Its IRS filing says it only makes contributions to preselected organizations.
How much does Richard King Mellon Foundation give?
$113 million in tax year 2024, across 296 grants, with a typical grant of $220,000.
Who runs Richard King Mellon Foundation?
Its 2024 filing lists Richard A Mellon (Trustee/Chairman/Ceo), Catharine Mellon Cathey (Trustee/President), Sam Reiman (Trustee/Director) and Douglas L Sisson (Trustee/Vp/Treasurer) among 12 officers and trustees.
What does Richard King Mellon Foundation fund?
Based on its grants, mainly education, environment and conservation and health.