History

Throughout our history, Mellon has held true to our founding commitments, secure in our conviction that the arts and humanities are essential to the health of a multivocal and democratic society. From our earliest days, we have aspired to build partnerships with our grantees, offering expertise and counsel in addition to funding. In this unique way, Mellon enables projects carried out by people, organizations, and institutions that unlock deeper understanding and activate cultural expression, while also learning and evolving with the world around us.

In recent years, Mellon has expanded on these core principles by actively prioritizing social justice across all of our grantmaking. This strategic shift builds on our long history of advocating for and investing in expanded access to higher education, humanities, and the arts, and addressing historical inequities in these fields. Our vision for Mellon’s future includes a focus on justice for all in all that we do—rooted in the Foundation’s long-held historic belief in the impact and power of the arts and humanities.

The Richard King Mellon Foundation, named for Andrew W. Mellon’s nephew, is a separate philanthropic foundation headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.