The RK Mellon Family Foundation appears focused on land and natural resource conservation, providing substantial operational support to established conservation organizations. Their single recorded grant is a large unrestricted/operations award to The Conservation Fund, indicating a preference for funding organizations that protect land, waterways, and open space rather than program-level or social services work.
A $450,000 operating grant to The Conservation Fund is the clearest marker of how Rk Mellon Family Foundation gives: it backs established organizations with large unrestricted support, especially when land and natural resource protection is at stake. Across the recent grants list, conservation sits beside a small set of recurring civic, cultural, education, and health awards, but the conservation grant is the largest single award on record here and points to a preference for institutional support rather than project-only funding. The foundation’s recent recipients also show a close connection to the Ligonier area. Loyalhanna Association appears multiple times for operations and local safety, while Fort Ligonier Association and Valley School of Ligonier each received support tied to community institutions. Outside Pennsylvania, the grant list reaches organizations such as National Gallery of Art, Cape Cod Healthcare Inc, and Special Operations Care Fund Inc, showing a portfolio that extends beyond conservation while still favoring operating support. Its grantmaking is not built around many small, one-off project checks. Instead, the pattern centers on meaningful awards to organizations that already have an operational footprint, with conservation, community protection, and place-based institutions appearing repeatedly in the recent record.
Conservation is the strongest theme in the recent grant list. The foundation gave $450,000 to The Conservation Fund for operations, matching its stated conservation program area and its emphasis on protecting land, biodiversity, and stewardship. Place-based community support appears as well. Loyalhanna Association Inc. received $130,000 for fire relief and food distribution, and another $130,000 for operating support for community safety and protection for the greater Ligonier area. That same local orientation shows up in the $50,000 grant to Fort Ligonier Association for operations. Education and youth support also surface through named grants. Valley School of Ligonier received $75,000 for the Prosser Mellon Scholarship and $80,000 for an AC project in the auditorium. In health care, the foundation awarded $50,000 to Weiser Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc. for orthopedic surgery equipment and $50,000 to Eastern Long Island Hospital Foundation for trauma training.
$2.8M
$37.2M
$4.8M
$3.5M
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Rk Mellon Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 799 | $12.2M | 99.9% |
| 2 | Antigua and Barbuda |
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Highly concentrated — a single large grant to a national conservation organization; appears to favor substantial, possibly one-time operational awards over many small grants.
Notable grantees: The Conservation Fund
Typical grant size is modest to mid-sized, with a p25 of $5,000, median of $10,000, and p75 of $20,000. The recent grants list also includes several larger awards at $50,000 to $450,000, suggesting a split between smaller support and a narrower set of higher-dollar commitments. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Loyalhanna Association, National Gallery of Art, Cape Cod Healthcare Inc, and Swp Inc, which indicates repeat funding rather than isolated one-time gifts. Rk Mellon Family Foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it also funds individuals.
The foundation gives nationally, but Pennsylvania is the clear center of gravity: 42% of grants go to recipients in PA, and the top giving city in the recent list is Ligonier. Other Pennsylvania recipients include Greensburg, Philadelphia, and Latrobe. Outside the state, grants land in places such as Arlington, VA; Landover, MD; Greenport, NY; Hyannis, MA; Wilmington, NC; and Monument, CO. The recipient-country mix is overwhelmingly U.S.-based, with one grant listed to AC.
The recent record points most strongly to conservation and place-based institutions. The largest grant went to The Conservation Fund for operations, and other named recipients include Loyalhanna Association, Fort Ligonier Association, Valley School of Ligonier, and several hospitals and cultural organizations. The foundation also has active program areas in conservation, economic development, economic mobility, health & well-being, and organizational effectiveness.
The stated distribution is p25 at $5,000, median at $10,000, and p75 at $20,000. That means many awards cluster in the low five-figure range, even though the recent grants list also includes a few much larger grants such as $130,000 and $450,000.
Yes. Several recipients show up in multiple years, including Loyalhanna Association, National Gallery of Art, Cape Cod Healthcare Inc, and Swp Inc. That pattern suggests repeat support for selected organizations rather than a strictly one-time grant approach.
Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, with 42% of grants going to recipients in PA. Recent Pennsylvania recipients include Ligonier, Greensburg, Philadelphia, and Latrobe, indicating a strong in-state presence even though the foundation’s geographic scope is national.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals. The structured data does not list an individual award in the recent grants table, but the classification confirms that individuals are eligible in addition to organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $20K |
0.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Current and upcoming funding from Rk Mellon Family Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofit and public sector organizations may submit proposals. Organizations outside Allegheny and Westmoreland counties may apply when the proposed work benefits those counties; conservation activities may have national impact.
Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations and public sector organizations may apply. Proposals should serve adults in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties and align with the Employment Opportunities investment area. Priority may be given to collaborative proposals and projects serving populations experiencing poverty or systemic barriers.
Deadline: General Application: rolling basis. Specific RFPs in the scraped content included deadlines in 2023 and an upcoming/next cycle for 2026.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOYALHANNA ASSOCIATION | LIGONIER, PA | $130,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART | LANDOVER, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS & PHOTOGRAPHY INITI |
| WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF ART | GREENSBURG, PA | $62,500 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CAPE COD HEALTHCARE INC | HYANNIS, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS AT FALMOUTH HOSPITA |
| LATROBE AREA HOSPITAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | LATROBE, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS AT LATROBE HOSPITAL |
| CAPE COD HEALTHCARE INC | HYANNIS, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS AT FALMOUTH HOSPITA |
| EASTERN LONG ISLAND HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | GREENPORT, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | TRAUMA TRAINING |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE INDEPENDENCE FOUNDATION | HILLSDALE, MI | $40,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS & SPORTS PROGRAM |
| SKIDMORE COLLEGE | SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | ENDOWMENT AND FACULTY SUPPORT |
| PASSION WORKS | ATHENS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CHUBB INTERNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS INC | ELIZABETHVILLE, PA | $30,000 | 2025 | PRIZES FOR YOUTH COMPETETIONS |
| ST MICHAEL'S OF THE VALLEY EPISCOPAL CHURCH | LIGONIER, PA | $30,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| WOODS HOLE PUBLIC LIBRARY | WOODS HOLE, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $26,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| ST MICHAEL'S OF THE VALLEY EPISCOPAL CHURCH | LIGONIER, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| PITTSBURGH ACTION AGAINST RAPE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| WOODMERE ART MUSEUM INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| VALLEY SCHOOL OF LIGONIER | LIGONIER, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | 75TH ANNIVERSARY |
| MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM INC | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS AT MA GENERAL HOSPI |
| ST ANNE'S BELFIELD INC | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | RANDOLPH HALL RENOVATIONS |
| STEPHEN SILLER TUNNELL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $25,000 | 2025 | STUDY IMPACT OF SERVICE DOGS F |
| WILLOWIND THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC | BAR HARBOR, ME | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION | TUSCON, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | PTSD STUDY |
| FALMOUTH ACADEMY INC | FALMOUTH, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| USA SHOOTING | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | USA SHOOTING TEAM |
| WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF ART | GREENSBURG, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| FRIENDS OF THE WASHINGTON STATUE | MCLEAN, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | STATUE RENOVATIONS |
| QUALITAS OF LIFE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| EAST END FOOD INSTITUTE | SOUTHAMPTON, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | RENOVATIONS AT EAST END FOOD H |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | NZCBI GIANT PANDAS |
| PAWS4PEOPLE INC | WILMINGTON, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | MARKETING & PROFESSIONAL VIDEO |
| VALLEY SCHOOL OF LIGONIER | LIGONIER, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| NATIONAL MARINE LIFE CENTER INC | BUZZARDS BAY, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CATALYST CONNECTION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | EXPANSION OF INDUSTRY 4.0 TEAC |
| TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH INC | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | ALBANY QUAIL PROJECT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | CONSTRUCTION OF ALBEMARLE CAMP |
| SOUTH GEORGIA YOUTH SHOOTING CLUB | HARTSFIELD, GA | $20,000 | 2025 | COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH & OPERA |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES NEW YORK METRO | NEW HYDE PARK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | NEW R. MCDONALD HOUSE AT STONY |
| AMERICAN SAILBOAT RACING FOUNDATION INC | OYSTER BAY, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| THE LIVING DESERT | PALM DESERT, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| FALMOUTH ACADEMY INC | FALMOUTH, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| WEISER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC | WEISER, ID | $20,000 | 2025 | EXPAND SURGICAL CLINIC |
| VALLEY SCHOOL OF LIGONIER | LIGONIER, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART | LANDOVER, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL INC | AVON, CT | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS & TEACHERS FUND |
| CONVOY OF HOPE | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| STUDENT AIR RIFLE PROGRAM | OAK RIDGE, MO | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| ST PAUL'S SCHOOL | CONCORD, NH | $20,000 | 2025 | ENDOWMENT |
| INDIANHEAD FLY FISHERS | WEISER, ID | $20,000 | 2025 | POND MAINTENANCE |
CAPE COD HEALTHCARE INC
$50,000OPERATIONS AT FALMOUTH HOSPITA
LATROBE AREA HOSPITAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$50,000OPERATIONS AT LATROBE HOSPITAL
CAPE COD HEALTHCARE INC
OPERATIONS AT FALMOUTH HOSPITA
EASTERN LONG ISLAND HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$50,000TRAUMA TRAINING
HILLSDALE COLLEGE INDEPENDENCE FOUNDATION
$40,000OPERATIONS & SPORTS PROGRAM
CHUBB INTERNATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS INC
$30,000PRIZES FOR YOUTH COMPETETIONS
ST MICHAEL'S OF THE VALLEY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$30,000OPERATIONS
WOODS HOLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
$30,000OPERATIONS
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$26,000OPERATIONS
ST MICHAEL'S OF THE VALLEY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$25,000OPERATIONS
MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM INC
$25,000OPERATIONS AT MA GENERAL HOSPI
WILLOWIND THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC
$25,000OPERATIONS
FALMOUTH ACADEMY INC
$25,000OPERATIONS
FRIENDS OF THE WASHINGTON STATUE
$25,000STATUE RENOVATIONS
QUALITAS OF LIFE FOUNDATION
$25,000OPERATIONS
SOUTH GEORGIA YOUTH SHOOTING CLUB
$20,000COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH & OPERA
NEW R. MCDONALD HOUSE AT STONY
AMERICAN SAILBOAT RACING FOUNDATION INC
$20,000OPERATIONS
FALMOUTH ACADEMY INC
$20,000OPERATIONS
WEISER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC
$20,000EXPAND SURGICAL CLINIC
AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL INC
$20,000OPERATIONS & TEACHERS FUND
CONVOY OF HOPE
$20,000OPERATIONS
STUDENT AIR RIFLE PROGRAM
$20,000OPERATIONS
INDIANHEAD FLY FISHERS
$20,000POND MAINTENANCE