The Richard King Mellon Foundation is a Pittsburgh-based family foundation that funds conservation across the United States and supports economic opportunity initiatives in Southwestern Pennsylvania
RKMF funds visionaries with bold ideas that strengthen the long-term vitality of Southwestern Pennsylvania and help protect and restore environmentally sensitive lands and habitats across the United States.
The Richard King Mellon Foundation was established in 1947 by Richard King Mellon, a Pittsburgh banker and philanthropist. Mellon created the foundation to support charitable and civic initiatives. In its early years, the foundation focused on philanthropy connected to the Mellon family’s longstanding civic involvement in Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania, including support for regional institutions and conservation-related efforts.
RKMF funds work through grants and program-related investments (PRIs) aligned to its funding programs. It accepts applications throughout the year and also uses Requests for Proposals to solicit proposals on specific strategic-plan topics. Applicants are expected to be U.S not consider requests on behalf the United States. In Conservation, applications are submitted via a General Application and may be submitted on a rolling basis; program geographies vary by funding program.
Since its establishment, the Richard King Mellon Foundation has directed sustained philanthropic capital toward land conservation and community-focused initiatives. Cumulatively, the Foundation has distributed several billion dollars in grants and program-related investments since 1947. Its conservation funding has contributed to the protection and stewardship of millions of acres of environmentally sensitive land across the United States. Regionally, the Foundation has played a long-term role in supporting economic development, workforce opportunity, and community well-being in Southwestern Pennsylvania through multi-year and place-based investments.
The Foundation works with nonprofit organizations, public-sector entities, and mission-aligned partners to advance its funding priorities. It emphasizes collaboration, co-investment, and learning-oriented partnerships, and periodically convenes grantees and stakeholders to support shared outcomes. The Foundation also partners with other funders on selected initiatives when aligned with strategic objectives.