One of the more distinctive aspects of Colcom Foundation’s philanthropy is its willingness to engage with immigration as an environmental issue. Founded in 1996 by Cordelia Scaife May, the Foundation has long maintained that immigration levels affect population size, and that population size is one of the most consequential variables for ecological health. As a result, Colcom has directed grant funding toward organizations that examine immigration through an environmental lens, a position that sets it apart from both mainstream conservation groups and traditional immigration policy organizations.
The Population-Environment Connection
Colcom Foundation‘s approach is grounded in the argument that the United States, like any country, has a finite ecological carrying capacity. Higher population levels, regardless of their source, translate into greater demand for land, water, energy, and food. The Foundation has supported public education efforts that make this connection visible and accessible, arguing that informed citizens are better equipped to evaluate policy tradeoffs. This kind of environmental framing for immigration is rarely encountered in public debate, which is part of why Colcom has chosen to fund it.
More Than $500 Million in Grants
Colcom Foundation is among the primary sources of funding directed towards the United States anti-immigration movement. That funding helps organizations like the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the American Border Patrol, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Numbers USA. Across all of its program areas, Colcom Foundation has now distributed more than $500 million in grants, a total that reflects both the scale of Cordelia Scaife May’s original endowment and the Foundation’s careful stewardship of those resources. Population work, including immigration-related grantmaking, sits alongside land conservation, water quality improvement, arts funding, and community development. The breadth of this portfolio shows that Colcom does not view population as a substitute for other forms of environmental action, but as one essential piece of a larger picture. Visit this page, to learn more.
Find more information about Colcom Foundation on http://conservativetransparency.org/donor/colcom-foundation/