---
id: "https://www.chngmkr.org/mellon-foundation#entity"
name: "Mellon Foundation"
type: Organization
url: "https://www.chngmkr.org/mellon-foundation"
location: "New York, United States"
city: "New York"
country: "United States"
coordinates: [40.7128, -74.006]
recommended_by: ["Florian Guillaume"]
collections: ["Arts & Culture", "Co-Being", "Education & Work"]
website: "https://www.mellon.org/"
image: "https://www.chngmkr.org/photo/og/chngmkr-mellon-foundation-new-york-c28d1c.jpg"
sameAs: ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4758812", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_W._Mellon_Foundation"]
languages: ["en", "fr", "it", "es", "zh"]
date_added: "May 2026"
---

# Mellon Foundation

New York, United States

## Why Florian Guillaume recommends Mellon Foundation

> “They put the arts and the humanities first in what they fund. It takes some nerve, and I respect it.”
>
> Florian Guillaume, founder of CHNGMKR, May 2026

## About Mellon Foundation

The largest funder of arts and humanities in the United States, with $8 billion in assets. Founded by the Mellon banking family, led since 2018 by poet and scholar Elizabeth Alexander. Mellon funds universities, museums, orchestras, libraries and public cultural institutions, with a sharp focus on equity, diversity and the diversification of cultural leadership. Signature programs: Historically Black Colleges and Universities arts funding, Monument Lab (rethinking public monuments in America), Just Tech (human rights technology). A rare major foundation that explicitly foregrounds humanistic values against technocratic philanthropy.

## About this card

- Recommended by: [Florian Guillaume](https://www.chngmkr.org/correspondents/florian-guillaume.md)
- Collections: [Arts & Culture](https://www.chngmkr.org/directory/arts-culture.md), [Co-Being](https://www.chngmkr.org/directory/co-being.md), [Education & Work](https://www.chngmkr.org/directory/education-work.md)
- Website: https://www.mellon.org/
- Page: https://www.chngmkr.org/mellon-foundation
- Français: https://www.chngmkr.org/fr/mellon-foundation
- Italiano: https://www.chngmkr.org/it/mellon-foundation
- Español: https://www.chngmkr.org/es/mellon-foundation
- 中文: https://www.chngmkr.org/zh/mellon-foundation

## Français

> “Ils mettent les arts et les humanités en premier dans ce qu'ils financent. Il faut un certain culot, et je le respecte.”

Le premier financeur des arts et des humanités aux États-Unis, avec 8 milliards de dollars d'actifs. Fondée par la famille de banquiers Mellon, dirigée depuis 2018 par la poétesse et universitaire Elizabeth Alexander. Mellon finance universités, musées, orchestres, bibliothèques et institutions culturelles publiques, avec une attention aiguë à l'équité, à la diversité et à la diversification des dirigeants culturels. Programmes phares : le financement des arts dans les universités historiquement noires, Monument Lab (repenser les monuments publics en Amérique), Just Tech (technologies au service des droits humains). Une grande fondation, rare, qui met explicitement les valeurs humanistes au-dessus de la philanthropie technocratique.

## Italiano

> “Mettono le arti e le discipline umanistiche al primo posto in ciò che finanziano. Ci vuole un po' di coraggio, e lo rispetto.”

Il primo finanziatore delle arti e delle discipline umanistiche negli Stati Uniti, con 8 miliardi di dollari di patrimonio. Fondata dalla famiglia di banchieri Mellon, guidata dal 2018 dalla poetessa e accademica Elizabeth Alexander. Mellon finanzia università, musei, orchestre, biblioteche e istituzioni culturali pubbliche, con un'attenzione acuta all'equità, alla diversità e al rinnovamento della dirigenza culturale. Programmi di punta: il finanziamento delle arti nelle università storicamente nere, Monument Lab (ripensare i monumenti pubblici in America), Just Tech (tecnologie al servizio dei diritti umani). Una grande fondazione, rara, che mette esplicitamente i valori umanistici al di sopra della filantropia tecnocratica.

## Español

> “Ponen las artes y las humanidades en primer lugar en lo que financian. Hace falta cierto valor, y lo respeto.”

El primer financiador de las artes y las humanidades en Estados Unidos, con 8.000 millones de dólares en activos. Fundada por la familia de banqueros Mellon, dirigida desde 2018 por la poeta y académica Elizabeth Alexander. Mellon financia universidades, museos, orquestas, bibliotecas e instituciones culturales públicas, con una atención aguda a la equidad, la diversidad y la renovación de los dirigentes culturales. Programas emblemáticos: la financiación de las artes en las universidades históricamente negras, Monument Lab (repensar los monumentos públicos en Estados Unidos), Just Tech (tecnologías al servicio de los derechos humanos). Una gran fundación, rara, que pone explícitamente los valores humanistas por encima de la filantropía tecnocrática.

## 中文

> “他们把艺术和人文放在资助的首位。这需要一点胆量，我敬重这一点。”

美国艺术与人文领域最大的资助者，资产80亿美元。由银行世家 Mellon 家族创立，自2018年起由诗人、学者 Elizabeth Alexander 领导。Mellon 资助大学、博物馆、乐团、图书馆和公共文化机构，格外关注公平、多元以及文化领导层的多样化。旗舰项目：资助传统黑人大学的艺术项目、Monument Lab（重新思考美国的公共纪念碑）、Just Tech（服务人权的技术）。一家罕见地明确把人文价值置于技术官僚式慈善之上的大型基金会。