The Richard King Mellon Foundation, also known as The Foundation, is among one of the largest independent grantmaking foundations in the United States. The foundation, which was established in 1947, makes grants for such purposes that their trustees deem to be in the public interest. The foundation s priorities include regional economic development, quality of life in southwestern Pennsylvania and national land and wildlife conservation. Currently, the foundation is working on a new set of priorities that include: support for economic development; educational support for universities, parochial, independent and charter schools; system reform; and families, youth and child development. In the field of conservation, the foundation maintains its national American Land Conservation Program and has initiated a special focus on environmental needs in Pennsylvania.