Mellon Foundation is an organization that grants funds to institutions in a number of fields. These fields include higher education, scholarly communications, art museums and art conservation, and the performing arts. The foundation does not make grants to individuals or to strictly local organizations. It ranks as one of the wealthiest foundations in the United States. For assets, see Foundation (table) .
The foundation was established in 1969 in memory of Andrew W. Mellon, an American financier. Mellon’s daughter and son, Ailsa Mellon Bruce and Paul Mellon, formed it by combining the Avalon Foundation and the Old Dominion Foundation. Ailsa had set up Avalon in 1940, and Paul established Old Dominion in 1941. The Mellon Foundation has headquarters in New York City. Its official name is the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
