Colcom Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization designated as a private independent foundation that provides funding to advocacy groups and organizations addressing environmental conservation, population sustainability, and related policy issues.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$450.8M
+3.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$22.1M
-4.2% YoY
Grant Count
117
-12.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$189K
+9.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary mission is to foster a sustainable environment to ensure quality of life for all Americans by addressing major causes and consequences of overpopulation and its adverse effects on natural resources.
Secondary mission areas include:
- Regional conservation and environmental projects
- Cultural assets in southwestern Pennsylvania
- A meaningful national conversation on the optimal level of immigration in light of jobs, natural habitat, biodiversity, civic society, and economics
The foundation's funding interests include:
- Carrying Capacity — addressing population growth and its environmental impacts
- Local Environment — regional conservation efforts
- Local Community — southwestern Pennsylvania initiatives
- Extinction Crisis
- Access to Nature
- Limits, Tradeoffs, and Balance
- Rebound Effect
- Common Ground
The foundation has stated it has no tolerance for discrimination and operates under the principle that all must be treated with equal dignity.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates two distinct grant programs:
Grant Range
$250 to $2,870,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
- National focus for Carrying Capacity program
- Southwestern Pennsylvania (fourteen-county region) for Local Environment & Community program
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (as of 2024):
- Total assets: $450,773,317
- Total revenues: $41,077,227
- Total expenses: $28,200,920
- Investment income and dividends: $10,968,247
Historical Financial Data:
- 2023 assets: $438,000,000
- 2023 revenues: $23,500,000
- 2023 expenses: $28,900,000
The foundation received substantial funding following Cordelia Scaife May's death in 2005, when she left approximately $400 million to the organization.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $450,773,317 | $437,794,022 | $443,401,783 |
| Revenue | $41,077,227 | $23,457,577 | $64,855,992 |
| Expenses | $28,200,920 | $28,944,155 | $28,077,271 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $24,261,513 | $25,387,041 | $23,701,089 |
| Net Investment Income | $37,579,445 | $20,546,361 | $59,483,740 |
| Distributable Amount | $24,357,852 | $22,754,686 | $26,193,266 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Colcom Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Personnel:
- Ray Lombardi — Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- A Phillips Colcom — Vice President Philanthropy
- D M Napolitano — Vice President Philanthropy / Program Director
- B A Rowan — Office Manager
- John Barsotti — President (as of 2020)
The foundation employs 9 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| J S BARSOTTI COLCOM | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT/CIO | 40 | $441,000 |
| R P LOMBARDI COLCOM | VP & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $271,750 |
| A PHILLIPS COLCOM | VP PHILANTHROPY | 40 | $201,750 |
| T M INGLIS COLCOM | DIRECTOR | 8 | $46,000 |
| M M STRUEBER COLCOM | DIRECTOR | 8 | $46,000 |
| D M PANAZZI COLCOM | DIRECTOR | 8 | $46,000 |
| D E BAKER COLCOM | DIRECTOR | 8 | $46,000 |
| J F ROHE COLCOM | DIRECTOR | 8 | $46,000 |
| T M SCHMIDT LAUREL | EMERITUS DIRECTOR | 2 | $600 |
| N C FALES LAUREL | EMERITUS DIRECTOR | 2 | $600 |
| T M INGLIS LAUREL | DIRECTOR | 2 | $16,500 |
| D M PANAZZI LAUREL | DIRECTOR | 3 | $16,500 |
| D E BAKER LAUREL | DIRECTOR | 3 | $16,500 |
| J F ROHE LAUREL | DIRECTOR | 3 | $16,500 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant announcements and initiatives include:
**Allegheny Riverfront Park** — Downtown Pittsburgh's Allegheny Riverfront Park received funding for a new chapter of development (March 2026)
Downtown Pittsburgh\u2019s Allegheny Riverfront Park Gets a Vibrant New\**Watershed Conservation** — The foundation awarded a $1 million grant to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for Upper Allegheny Watershed Conservation
Colcom Foundation Awards $1 Million Grant to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy**Cascading Conservation Impact** — A 2006 Colcom Foundation grant catalyzed decades of watershed conservation in western Pennsylvania
Colcom Foundation Awards $1 Million Grant to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy**Marcellus Environmental Fund** — The foundation awarded $900,000 in grants through its Marcellus Environmental Fund
Colcom Foundation Awards $900,000 in 'Marcellus Environmental ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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