Behind every foundation is a story, and behind Colcom Foundation is Cordelia S. May a woman who began thinking seriously about the relationship between population and ecology more than seven decades ago. Her convictions eventually gave rise to an organization that continues to fund environmental work grounded in her original vision.

From Personal Belief to Institutional Mission

In 1952, when Mrs. May was 23 years old, she began supporting family planning causes. This was not a fashionable position at the time; it grew from a personal recognition that human population growth, though nearly invisible in real time, accumulates into an ecological force of enormous consequence. She believed the cumulative weight of that growth could compromise the planet’s capacity to sustain future generations.

Mrs. May quoted in the foundation’s materials: “Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.” She arrived at this conclusion long before it became a subject of mainstream environmental concern.

Building for the Long Term

Colcom Foundation was established in 1996, when Mrs. May was 68. Following her death in 2005, the foundation was substantially funded and positioned to carry out her mission at scale. That mission focuses on fostering a sustainable environment by addressing the major causes and consequences of overpopulation and its effects on natural resources.

Colcom Foundation supports several special programs, including the Conservation Catalyst Fund, which grants conservation organizations working to protect threatened species and habitats. By offering financial support and resources, this foundation allows these groups to make significant strides in conservation efforts. Colcom Foundation also supports conservation, environmental projects, and cultural assets throughout western Pennsylvania. The organization’s grantmaking honors Mrs. May’s humanitarian objectives the foresight, dignity, and compassion that defined a life spent thinking about the long-term health of the natural world. Refer to this article for additional information.

More on: https://www.colcomfdn.org/