The Colcom Foundation is a grantmaking organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that provides funding to advocacy groups that deal with causes related to immigration restriction, family policy, and environmental conservation. The foundation frames these issues as part of a larger global crisis which it describes as a “sixth mass extinction” caused by overpopulation, world demographic shifts, and mismanagement of natural resources. Colcom also maintains that individuals and governments across the globe must “do their part” to counteract these trends by “gradually shrinking the population” through controlled family planning and selective immigration policies. The foundation also rejects the idea that advances in technology will alleviate the strain on the planet. According to Colcom, the “overwhelming historical trend” shows that technological progress leads to increased consumption. ¹

The Colcom Foundation has historical and contemporary ties to “family planning.” Cordelia Scaife May, the founder of the Colcom Foundation, was a proponent of expanding abortion access, particularly in developing countries. According to the New York Times, May maintained her stance even as other segments of the population control movement distanced themselves from abortion and instead focused on increasing the availability of contraception starting in the 1970s. ² The main recipients of Colcom family-policy grants claim to be working towards fewer abortions, though they openly support artificial contraception in addition to natural family planning methods. ³ At the same time, both Colcom and its subordinate Laurel Foundation provided funding to the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, a chapter of the pro-abortion League of Women Voters, as recently as 2020. ⁴

Colcom also funds a Pennsylvania-based organization that advocates for allowing hospital patients at the end of their lives to turn down care or accelerate their death. ⁵

History and Background

The Colcom Foundation was launched in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May, the sister of Richard Scaife, who was a founding member of the Sarah Scaife Foundation, a leading right-of-center grantmaking organization. Richard Scaife, who passed away in 2014, supported a variety of right-of-center policy advocacy groups such the Heritage Foundation and the Center for Security Policy, as well as numerous educational institutions including Pepperdine University and Georgetown University. ^{6 7}

Since the 1970s, May worked extensively with John Tanton, a prominent advocate for more selective immigration policies, as well as reduced immigration into the United States and other Western nations. In 1978, May provided Tanton with a $50,000 grant to start up the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). In 1998, the two worked together to fund a campaign which would make English the only language authorized for government business in the state of Arizona. Throughout her career as a philanthropist, May acknowledged that some found her views and choice of causes objectionable, and argued that the controversy surrounding her and her associates showed that her work was challenging “unexamined opinions” in American society. ²

Major Initiatives

The Colcom Foundation provides funding for a broad variety of causes, which it selects based on their perceived relevance to the issues of rapid population expansion, environmental conservation, and general societal wellbeing. ⁵

Population Growth

Colcom advances the view that ongoing growth of the world population will strain what it calls the planet’s “carrying capacity”—its natural resources and environmental health. The foundation separates its philanthropic work on this issue into two lines of effort: family planning and immigration. To reduce what it describes as “unplanned and unwanted” births, as well as to “reduce birth rates” around the world, Colcom funds the Population Media Center, which creates entertainment and educational content designed to convince people of the benefits of family planning and birth control. The center promotes what it calls “family planning” and “reproductive health” primarily in developing countries, but also in the United States, and it claims that it only advocates for “safe and effective” family planning methods which result in lowered rates of infant mortality and underage pregnancy. ⁸

The organization does not explicitly endorse or condemn abortion, only stating that reducing the need for abortions is one its objectives. The center’s “reproductive health” resources also avoid mentioning abortion, instead prioritizing “information about sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, contraception, and childbearing.” In regions where the practice of female genital mutilation is common or ingrained in the culture, the organization funds radio programming and other media that emphasizes the dangers of the practice and aims to dissuade its practitioners. ^{9 3} Colcom has also funded the International Services Assistance Fund, an organization which specifically promotes chemical birth control around the world. ²

Immigration groups which receive ongoing support from the foundation include Numbers USA, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). According to Colcom, its work helps reduce the negative effects of mass immigration on America’s national security, economic system, natural environment, and welfare programs. ⁹ Colcom has also supported more controversial anti-immigration organizations: These include the American Immigration Control Foundation, which argues that importing large numbers of immigrants results in replacement of the native population, and the controversial publication VDare, which discusses immigration and race. ²

Numbers USA was founded in 1996, the same year as the Colcom Foundation, which provided the organization with a startup grant. Formally known as the Numbers USA Education and Research Foundation, the organization primarily focuses on the volume of immigrants entering the United States, arguing that current rates are too high. According to Numbers USA, the American immigration system should prioritize spouses and children of foreign-born residents, asylum seekers, and individuals with “extraordinary skills” rather than extended family members and unskilled workers. The organization also supports implementing new methods of preventing illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer-funded benefits, cracking down on visa overstays and other violations of immigration law, and ending birthright citizenship. Numbers USA claims to have more than eight million people who participate in its campaigns or are otherwise involved in its work. ^{10 2} In 2019, the organization received a total of nearly $10 million from Colcom. ⁴

FAIR also aims to end illegal immigration and reduce the number of immigrants entering the United States lawfully. Specifically, the organization views the current rate of more than one million per year to what it calls a “very generous” annual limit of 300,000. FAIR also argues that slowing the flow of immigrants into the country would “allow America to manage growth” and “address environmental concerns,” echoing the rhetoric overpopulation and environmental rhetoric of the Colcom Foundation. FAIR claims to have more than 1.9 million members and supporters. ^{11 5} In 2019, the organization received a $7 million unrestricted grant from Colcom, and the Immigration Reform Law Institute, an affiliate of FAIR, received $2.75 million. ⁴

CIS describes itself as “the nation’s only think tank devoted exclusively to the research of U.S. immigration policy.” The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a controversial far-left pressure group which claims to serve as a watchdog against extremist movements, has targeted CIS, as well as FAIR and Numbers USA, for promoting reduced immigration and increased border security. CIS has responded to the SPLC labeling it a “hate group” by pointing out that the organization had seemingly coordinated with the liberal National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS) to smear CIS and other immigration-restrictionist think tanks. ^{12 13} In 2019, CIS received a $1.94 million grant from Colcom. ⁴

Environment

The Colcom Foundation’s environmental initiatives focus on the state of Pennsylvania, particularly its southwestern counties. Colcom funds a variety of local organizations in order to promote education, activism, and research, as well as to conserve nature and provide legal support to environmentalist causes. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy provides zero-interest loans to nonprofit organizations trying to preserve undeveloped landscapes. PennFuture claims to help protect air, water and soil. The National Aviary houses more than 150 species of birds from around the world. The Allegheny Front promotes conservation and related issues through a radio program, and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services claims to help individuals who are negatively affected by hydraulic fracturing and other environmentally sensitive activities. ⁵

In 2019, Colcom gave the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy a total of nearly $1.5 million. This included $400,000 for a watershed conservation project and a small COVID-19 pandemic grant. The foundation also gave Fair Shake a $120,000 grant to launch a campaign promoting its services, as well as $20,000 for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. ⁴

Community

In addition to its international population control initiatives and local environmentalist activities, the Colcom Foundation funds other miscellaneous charitable efforts in southwestern Pennsylvania. These include a history museum, a public garden, and a service providing veterans with service dogs. Colcom also provides financial support to the regional American Red Cross chapter. Colcom has also supported Compassion and Choices, which advances the idea that end-of-life medical care should include the option for patients to commit assisted suicide. ⁵ The group claims that people should be able to preemptively refuse care in case of severe conditions such as dementia, and that patients close to dying should be able to refuse food, drink, and medicine. ¹⁴

In 2020, Colcom gave the American Red Cross $500,000 for COVID-19 pandemic work, and another $150,000 to fund a relief fund for disaster victims. The foundation did not report any grants to Compassion and Choices. ⁴

Laurel Foundation

Cordelia Scaife May founded the Laurel Foundation in 1951 to fund conservation and cultural initiatives in her home state of Pennsylvania. May remained the chairwoman of the foundation until her death in 2005. In 2012, Laurel became a division of Colcom while retaining its independent board of directors and setting its own grantmaking priorities. ¹⁵ In 2015, the pro-life group Radiance Foundation accused the Foundation of supporting the abortion-supporting Women’s Law Project. As of May 2, 2022, the Foundation did not have its grant recipients on its website, and the Radiance Foundation’s link to the Laurel Foundation page went to a non-existent page. ^{16 17}

In the 1980s, however, the Laurel Foundation did provide funding to pro-abortion organizations—most notably, chapters of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Other abortion groups which received grants from Laurel around the same time included Abortion Rights Mobilization and the Religious Coalition for Abortion, now known as the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. ¹⁸

Leadership

John Barsotti is the president of the Colcom Foundation. Previously, he worked as the vice president of investments and has spent close to 15 years in total with the organization. Barsotti attended Duquesne University. ¹⁹ In 2019, he received an annual salary of more than $450,000 including benefits. ⁴

Timothy Inglis was the president of Colcom until he retired in 2019, though he continues to work for the organization on a part-time basis as its treasurer. ¹⁹ His annual salary in 2019 was nearly $150,000 including benefits. ⁴

As of 2022, John Rohe was the vice president of philanthropy at Colcom. He is also a member of the Council on Foundations, a leadership and networking entity for grantmaking organizations and private corporations engaged in philanthropy. ²⁰ Rohe received an annual salary of nearly $250,000, including benefits, in 2019. ⁴

Criticisms

Pro-immigration and other left-of-center groups in Pennsylvania have frequently criticized Colcom for its support of immigration-restriction advocacy organizations. In February 2022, a collective of more than 70 local activist groups issued a statement demanding that the foundation stop funding anti-immigration causes. ²¹ The Thomas Merton Center, a local activist group, has circulated a petition called “Drop Colcom” which cited the Southern Poverty Law Center and its controversial decision to label Colcom grant recipients such as Numbers USA, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and the Federation for American Immigration Reform as “hate groups.” ²²

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a left-leaning national Jewish organization which focuses on countering antisemitism, has also targeted Colcom for supporting these organizations. ²³ The pro-life Radiance Foundation likewise criticized May, Colcom, and Laurel for supporting legalized abortion, alignments with abortion supporters like Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, and financial support for abortion-supporting organizations. ¹⁶

Funding

In 2019, the Colcom Foundation’s net assets totaled to more than $384 million. That year, Colcom distributed more than $38 million in grants to international population-control advocates, American immigration-restriction groups, local environmental projects, and other causes. Its subordinate entity, the Laurel Foundation, gave out just over $1.3 million, mostly to Pennsylvania-based environmental and community initiatives. ⁴

1. “Ending the Sixth Mass Extinction.” Colcom Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.colcomfdn.org/extinction-crisis/
2. Nicholas Kulish and Mike McIntire. “The New Nativists.” The New York Times. August 14, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/us/anti-immigration-cordelia-scaife-may.html
3. “Improving the Lives of Women and Girls.” Population Media Center. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.populationmedia.org/issue/human-rights/
4. Colcom Foundation 2019 Internal Revenue Service Form 990-PF. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311479839/download990pdf_10_2021_prefixes_26-35%2F311479839_202006_990PF_2021101219096834
5.  “Our Impact.” Colcom Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.colcomfdn.org/impact/
6. “Our History.” Colcom Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.colcomfdn.org/about/
7. Craig Smith. “Dick Scaife helped nurture the region he so dearly loved.” TribLive. July 5, 2014. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://archive.triblive.com/news/dick-scaife-helped-nurture-the-region-he-so-dearly-loved/
8. ^[1] “Carrying Capacity.” Colcom Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.colcomfdn.org/impact/#carrying-capacity
9. “Carrying Capacity.” Colcom Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.colcomfdn.org/impact/#carrying-capacity
10. “About Us.” Numbers USA. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.numbersusa.com/about
11. “About FAIR.” Foundation for American Immigration Reform. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.fairus.org/about-fair
12.  “About the Center for Immigration Studies.” Center for Immigration Studies. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://cis.org/Center-For-Immigration-Studies-Background
13. Jerry Kammer. “Immigration and the SPLC.” Center for Immigration Studies. March 11, 2010. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://cis.org/Immigration-and-SPLC
14. “Pennsylvania.” Compassion & Choices. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.compassionandchoices.org/in-your-state/pennsylvania/
15. Laurel Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://laurelfdn.org/
16. Ryan Scott Bomberger, “Smithsonian determined to celebrate anti-human Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger.” Radiance Foundation, October 19, 2015. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://www.theradiancefoundation.org/smithsonian-determined-to-celebrate-anti-human-planned-parenthood-founder-margaret-sanger/
17. “Public Society Benefit.” Laurel Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://laurelfdn.org/grants/category/public-society-benefit/
18. Immigration Act of 1989 House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration hearing, September 27, 1989. Accessed May 2, 2022. Immigration Act of 1989: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Immigration … – United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and International Law – Google Books
19. “Leadership Transition At Colcom Foundation.” Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania. June 5, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://gwpa.org/news/leadership-transition-colcom-foundation
20. “John Rohe.” Council on Foundations. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.cof.org/content/john-rohe
21. Jordana Rosenfeld. “Over 70 organizations demand Colcom Foundation stop funding anti-immigrant groups.” Pittsburgh City Paper. February 28, 2022. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/over-70-organizations-demand-colcom-foundation-stop-funding-anti-immigrant-groups/Content?oid=21201599
22. “Drop Colcom.” Thomas Merton Center. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.thomasmertoncenter.org/about-1
23. “Funders of the Anti-immigrant movement.” Anti-Defamation League. January 27, 2014. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.adl.org/news/article/funders-of-the-anti-immigrant-movement