Influential Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Eyes Strategic Shift

The Chronicle of Higher Education takes an in-depth look the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s grant-making and operations as the fund—which has been praised for steadfastly supporting the arts and humanities but criticized for its opacity and focus on elite academic institutions—prepares to release a new strategic plan.

The 45-year-old, $6-billion foundation doled out more than 6,600 grants worth $2.9-billion from 2000 to 2012, according to a Chronicle analysis of its spending, serving as an important funding source in tough economic times and encouraging grantees to experiment and adapt to digital advances.

While Mellon has become central to the functioning of many scholarly and research organizations, it is seen in some circles as inscrutable, giving prospective grantees little guidance on the application process. Under a new president, Earl Lewis, Mellon has hinted at more openness about how it does business and widening its academic focus beyond prestigious liberal-arts colleges, but foundation officials declined to discuss specifics of the forthcoming strategic plan.