2020:
Strength
Resilience
Community
A Letter from Our President & Our Board Chair
Dear New Mexico Friend,
During the globally difficult 2020, the New Mexico Foundation focused on Strength, Resilience, and Community as we moved forward with our critical work. It gives us immense pride to see the community’s dedication and commitment to our common and shared goals. Our Board of Directors and staff worked diligently and strategically to meet our mission: To steward community resources, build partnerships, and create opportunities that transform lives throughout New Mexico.
Through new and established partnerships with local and national foundations and leaders in the communities we serve, we supported effective strategies to address statewide issues together. We responded to community emergencies by mobilizing grants for community resilience.
We are grateful that we were given additional resources in 2020 to help those who were most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights included establishing the Native American Relief Fund, which supported all 23 tribes, Nations, and Pueblos in New Mexico. The Vecino, Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund and our other program funds supported our non-profit partners located in every New Mexico county. NMF distributed funding for a total of $3,025,000 in grants!
We could not have done this work without the support of local and national foundations, funding partners, donor-advised fund holders, and individual donors. It was astounding and gratifying to see such care, love, and respect for all the people and communities that we serve.
Our 2020 Annual Report shows the impact that NMF has in New Mexico. NMF continues to support our communities statewide through capacity building, leveraging of resources and grants to local non-profits, and investment in community projects.
Let us continue to work together to strengthen communities and positively affect the lives of the people in New Mexico.
Respectfully,
Our Mission is to steward community resources, build partnerships, and create opportunities that transform lives throughout New Mexico.
Our Vision
We envision a state where every New Mexico community has access to resources that support their ability to enjoy a better quality of life. Through new and established partnerships with leaders in the communities we serve, we support effective strategies to address statewide issues together. We respond where possible to community emergencies by mobilizing resources for community resilience.
Fiscal Sponsorships
NMF is the only foundation in New Mexico to provide fiscal sponsorship to organizations with a charitable purpose that do not have 501(c)(3) status. This relationship allows a sponsored organization to solicit and raise contributed income from grants and private donors. NMF further provides financial, donor, project, and grant management services, technical assistance, and use of our community and workspaces.
Inspirational stories from the community
Vecino – Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund
NMF granted $349,912 in emergency grants from our Vecino, Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund to nonprofits and Tribes that supported communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. $466,737 was raised and approximately 95 grants totaling $394,912 were made to provide funding for food, water, and other needs resulting from the pandemic.
Colores United
Vecino – Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund also provided grant funding to Colores United in Waterfall, New Mexico. Colores has distributed stipends and food boxes to community members across Luna, Hidalgo, Grant, and Dona Ana counties to address food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Colores United has distributed just under 329,000 pounds of food to these communities.
"Colores United has been so humbled by the awarded grants made possible by the Vecino Fund. Without this support, our community of members of over 500 families would not have received food. Our community is still standing because of these grants. Thank you to Vecino Fund for believing in our community and Colores United."
— Ariana Saludares,
Colores United, President/Co-Founder
Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico
New Mexico Foundation’s Vecino – Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund provided grant funds to the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico (FBEN) in Clovis. This food bank is leading hunger relief efforts in eastern New Mexico, which have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic hunger rates are approximately 20 percent in each of the five counties served by FBEN. The food bank has seen as much as a 62 percent increase in clients served in the past six months versus 2019.
"We are so grateful and appreciative to be selected as grantees of Vecino. This gift has allowed us to meet hunger needs in Curry, Roosevelt, DeBaca, Quay, and Guadalupe counties for hundreds of families each week and to double our food distribution output to more than two million meals in the face of this crisis."
-Dianna Sprague,
Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico, Executive Director
Native American Relief Fund
The New Mexico Foundation, in collaboration with local and national funding partners, nonprofits, and government partners, launched the Native American Relief Fund in April 2020 to help get resources to the communities most in need.
This fund provided emergency grants to tribal communities and non-profit organizations to bring food, water, and other emergency supplies to some of the hardest-hit families and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic across the Navajo and Apache Nations and Pueblos of New Mexico.
"All [DHH] individuals and families I deliver these boxes to are grateful as they have not been forgotten."
-Dennis Long,
Shiprock DHH Diné Advocate Liaison
IndigenousWays
IndigenousWays received a Native American Relief Fund grant to purchase food, water, personal protective equipment (PPE), firewood, and personal items for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Native community members living in McKinley County.
At the start of the pandemic, IndigenousWays took emergency supplies to Black Mountain, an isolated community on the Navajo Nation. On these runs, staff found several DHH communities had missed resources due to a lack of communication and transportation, so IndigenousWays decided to support them. From January to April 2020, IndigenousWays delivered 200 boxes of food, PPE supplies, water, firewood, and personal items to DHH individuals and families living in Farmington, Shiprock, and surrounding areas.
"Our Navajo DHH relatives are some of the most neglected and isolated members of our Tribe. We knew we had to act immediately."
—Tash Terry (Diné),
IndigenousWays Co-founder and Artist Director
Meeting challenges and providing opportunities statewide
Total Grants Awarded in 2020: $3,025,000
2020 SCHOLARSHIPS
Investing in our future. In 2020, NMF provided $222,100 in scholarships for New Mexico students.
NMF partners with individuals and organizations to provide scholarships that help New Mexico students achieve their life dreams through educational goals and opportunities. Through these scholarships, NMF is preparing future leaders statewide.
Transparency, fidelity, confidence
Total donations to NMF in 2020: $4,225,182
59% increase from 2019 total donations
The NMF Finance Committee oversees the integrity of NMF’s financial accounting processes and internal control systems. The committee also provides oversight for the annual independent audit. A complete set of our audited financial statements, 990s, and independent auditor reports are available on our website.
The NMF Investment Committee oversees and manages the investment program, makes recommendations to the Board regarding investment policy and strategy, and monitors investment partners. The committee comprises volunteers and NMF Board members who have expertise in business and investments. Our complete investment policy is posted on our website.
