Public Knowledge
Knowledge should be accessible to all.
Mellon’s Public Knowledge program supports the creation and preservation of the cultural and scholarly record—vast and ever-expanding—that documents society’s complex, intertwined humanity. The program works with archives, presses, and a range of university, public, and other local, national, and global libraries that are foundational to knowledge production and distribution in culture and the humanities. The program’s goal is to increase equitable access to deep knowledge that helps to build an informed, heterogeneous, and civically engaged society. We aspire to cultivate networks and maintainable infrastructure, expand digital inclusion, and ensure that more authentic, reflective, and nuanced stories are revealed, preserved, and told.
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Public Knowledge
Guiding strategies
Three interconnected strategies guide Mellon’s Public Knowledge grantmaking.
Preserving original source materials in all formats, including web-based content, with focus on materials from historically underrepresented cultures and populations
Building on the historic work of the Public Knowledge program, we prioritize the preservation and use of primary sources, which are akin to laboratory materials for the humanities. In all our work, we honor the commitment of leaders and organizations who challenge dominant narratives and structures to promote the histories and stories of people unjustly pushed to the periphery of society. To this end, we elevate materials from cultures and populations that have had limited opportunities to share their intricate and rich multivocal heritage.
Supporting the innovative maintenance and sustainability of technology, tools, and infrastructure for content related to the Foundation’s social justice orientation
In today’s technology landscape and work environment, there is an increased need for digital access, digitization of original sources, and digital inclusion. To help close these gaps, we fund efforts that foster equity in access to the cultural and scholarly record and ensure continuity for research and learning. We believe in building financial resilience and digital strategy planning for the long-term sustainability of infrastructure—tools, platforms, leaders, and organizations—that is critical to libraries, archives, and presses.
Creating and strengthening networks for the interdependent sharing of resources, services, and collections
Even when libraries, archives, and presses are successful in preserving source material and producing new information, progress is only as impactful as the information is accessible. A systems-level, partnership-building approach is often needed. From creating opportunities for knowledge sharing about the ethical documentation of student activism to connecting digital repositories for the remediation of digitized texts for the print disabled—our aim is to bolster the networks that bring resources, services, and collections to the communities and institutions that seek access to them.
How to apply
The Public Knowledge grantmaking program makes grants to institutions and organizations. Mellon does not make grants directly to individuals, although we do support regranting programs that benefit individuals. We welcome inquiries, which can be submitted via our Grants Portal.
Please do not send inquiries about possibilities for support to more than one Mellon grantmaking area. If you already have an account on Fluxx, please contact program staff directly.
Grantmaking in focus
Patricia Hswe
Program Director, Public Knowledge
Program Director, Public Knowledge
“For me, public knowledge means ensuring that knowledge access and production are treated as public and social goods ... for purposes that matter to people.”
We’d like to hear from knowledge bearers who are working to create an informed and engaged society.
About our grantmaking process