Colcom Foundation Puts Overpopulation at the Center of Environmental Giving
Many environmental funders focus on clean energy, climate policy, or land conservation. Colcom Foundation occupies a different and less commonly funded niche: the relationship between human population size and ecological sustainability. Based in Pittsburgh, the foundation was created by Cordelia S. May in 1996 and has consistently argued that overpopulation is an underappreciated driver of environmental decline.
From Personal Conviction to Institutional Mission
May’s engagement with population issues predates the foundation by more than four decades. In 1952, at age 23, she began supporting family planning, driven by concern for natural systems and their connection to human well-being. Her insight was that slow, incremental population increases compound over time into an overwhelming force. Cordelia S. May once noted that 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. Colcom Foundation’s work has also facilitated proactive environmental advocacy and protection by groups, including the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, WeConservePA, Westmoreland Land Trust, Protect PT, and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services.
After her death in 2005, the foundation she created at age 68 was substantially funded and charged with continuing that work. Its mission centers on fostering a sustainable environment to ensure quality of life for all Americans by addressing the causes and consequences of overpopulation and its adverse effects on natural resources.
Reformers Ahead of Their Time
Colcom Foundation draws a deliberate parallel between Mrs. May and historical reformers whose ideas were initially unwelcome. Like advocates for gender equality in Susan B. Anthony’s era or civil rights supporters in Lincoln’s age, May’s perspective on population was ahead of its time. The Colcom Foundation holds that vindication awaits in the judgment of future historians. Regionally, the foundation also funds conservation, environmental projects, and cultural assets. See related link for additional information.
Learn more about Colcom Foundation about Colcom on https://www.colcomfdn.org/