# Richard King Mellon Foundation

Richard King Mellon Foundation is a Foundation based in Pittsburgh, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Pittsburgh, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 42 21st St Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, United States
- **Founded:** 1947
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** rkmf.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/richard-king-mellon-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Richard King Mellon Foundation was established in 1947 by Richard King Mellon. His grandson Richard A. Mellon now serves as chairman and chief executive. The foundation maintains a related vehicle, the R.K. Mellon Family Foundation, formed in 1979 for additional family grantmaking. Capital deployment spans public equities, private equity, venture capital, and real estate. The foundation reports a 27 percent allocation to private equity. Confirmed holdings include Earflo, Rasa Legal, Sixup and Wisdom.io through its social-impact program. It also holds limited-partner interests in Hyde Park Venture Partners and High Alpha. Geographic reach centers on Pennsylvania and extends to other U.S. states through conservation and early-stage investments. The foundation employs 16 professionals and maintains its headquarters in Pittsburgh. It owns the LEED-certified Auction House building and participates in the Hazelwood Green redevelopment through Almono LP, a joint venture with the Heinz Endowments and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. October 2025 marked its sponsorship of a social-impact investment pitch competition in Pittsburgh. Adjacent structures include membership in the Council on Foundations and board service by Sam Reiman at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. The foundation combines grantmaking authority with direct investment capacity through its program-related investments portfolio valued at $54 million. This hybrid mandate allows it to take limited-partner roles in venture funds and to co-invest alongside external managers in real-asset projects without creating a separate family office entity.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Venture Capital
- Conservation

## People

- Richard A. Mellon — Chairman and CEO

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Richard King Mellon Foundation?

Richard A. Mellon serves as chairman and chief executive. Sam Reiman acts as director and trustee and participates in board-level oversight of the foundation's portfolio and grant programs.

### Does the Richard King Mellon Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The foundation commits to venture funds as a limited partner and also makes direct program-related investments in startups. It maintains positions in Hyde Park Venture Partners and High Alpha alongside individual company holdings.

### What investment stages does the Richard King Mellon Foundation typically target?

Activity covers early-stage seed and startup investments through its social-impact program. It also participates in growth and buyout strategies via private equity allocations and real-asset joint ventures.

### How is the Richard King Mellon Foundation related to the R.K. Mellon Family Foundation?

The R.K. Mellon Family Foundation operates as a separate but affiliated vehicle established in 1979. It focuses on regional grantmaking that complements the larger foundation's national conservation mandate.

### What is the Richard King Mellon Foundation's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

The foundation co-invests in real estate through Almono LP with the Heinz Endowments and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. It also takes limited-partner positions in venture funds managed by external sponsors.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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