Grants for New Mexico nonprofits address a wide range of focus areas, from education grants to the arts. Learn more about top New Mexico funder with Inside Philanthropy’s search tool for Grant Finder. Become a member.
Giving Trends in New Mexico
With over 3,500 grantmakers, New Mexico’s philanthropy scene is growing. Grantmaking in New Mexico counted about $87 in grants in 2018 alone, and tends to cluster around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, which has a thriving arts and culture scene.
In contrast from many other states, New Mexico grants tend to prioritize arts and culture, which is of no surprise to anyone familiar with the art scene there, as well as the retirees moving there to enjoy the fruits of that investment in the arts. Education grants, while crucial, are secondary to arts grants, which also reflects a struggle between foundations to work more closely together in order to more fully fill gaps in education funding in New Mexico. Importantly, grants for Indigenous rights is another source of major funding, a reflection of the larger number of Native American reservations in the state. Health, human services, and journalism are other major priorities for New Mexico foundations.
Grants for foundations in New Mexico derive from community foundations, corporate giving, family, private and other, public foundations. Top funders in New Mexico include the J. F Maddox Foundation, Eugene V and Clare E Thaw Charitable Trust, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Lannan Foundation, Thornburg Foundation, Albuquerque Community Foundation, McCune Charitable Foundation, R.D. & Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation, Chase Foundation, and S. P. & Estelle Yates Family Foundation, among several others.
Foundations in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Although this funder's competitive program grants are small compared to some other local funders, they cover a broad range of topics and maintain a local focus. This foundation supports large and small charitable causes.
ALBUQUERQUE ROTARY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The Albuquerque Rotary Charitable Foundation supports youth, health, arts and culture, education and human services in New Mexico.
JONATHAN AND KATHLEEN ALTMAN FOUNDATION
The Jonathan and Kathleen Altman Foundation supports arts and culture, education, environment, health, food and religion in New Mexico.
CARL & MARILYNN THOMA ART FOUNDATION
The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation supports specific kinds of art in New Mexico and other places of interest to the family.
NOTAH BEGAY III FOUNDATION
The Notah Begay III Foundation supports physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections in New Mexico and other places with Native American communities.
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NEW MEXICO
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico supports access to care, healthy living and wellness, condition management, business partnerships and healthy kids and families in New Mexico.
BRINDLE FOUNDATION
This funder mostly supports early childhood causes in New Mexico. It occasionally awards other broader grants, as well as small technical assistance and capacity building grants.
CARLSBAD COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
This funder supports various causes in the Carlsbad, New Mexico, region. Interests include education, children and youth, special needs, and parks.
CHAMIZA FOUNDATION
This is a family foundation, made up primarily of Pueblo members, that supports the cultural preservation of the Pueblo community in New Mexico.
CHASE FOUNDATION
This funder supports nonprofits in Southeastern New Mexico backing education, substance abuse, domestic violence, community enhancement, youth, and human services.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO
This funder supports seven counties in Southern New Mexico in the arts, hunger, health, literacy, education, and more. Online applications are accepted.
CON ALMA HEALTH FOUNDATION
This is the largest funder solely dedicated to health in New Mexico. CAHF is a health legacy foundation that awards small grants, technical assistance grants, and multiyear grants.
FROST FOUNDATION
Frost supports a wide range of funding areas in Santa Fe and other New Mexico communities. Grants are awarded twice per year.
GARFIELD STREET FOUNDATION
The Garfield Street Foundation supports arts and culture, higher education, animal welfare, youth and human services in New Mexico.
GRANT COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
This funder supports nonprofits in the New Mexico counties of Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, and Catron in a range of issue areas. Unsolicited proposals are accepted from local groups on an annual basis.
HEALY FOUNDATION
The Healy Foundation supports education, the environment, arts and culture and human services in New Mexico.
R.D. & JOAN DALE HUBBARD FOUNDATION
The R.D. & Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation supports children and youth, education, human services and health in New Mexico.
LANNAN FOUNDATION
The Lannan Foundation supports the visual arts, creative writing and Indigenous communities through grants and an array of awards and fellowships for individual artists and writers. It also runs award and fellowship programs for writers and others working to protect cultural freedoms.
FREDERICK H. LEONHARDT FOUNDATION
This small family funder primarily supports New Mexico nonprofits in the areas of experimental learning, child development, mental health, and graduate-level field science education.
MAX AND ANNA LEVINSON FOUNDATION
The Levinson Foundation is known for its environmental grantmaking, but it has recently expanded its focus to include indigenous rights, criminal justice reform, immigrants and refugees, and animals. It also supports many Jewish organizations in the U.S. and Israel.
J.F. MADDOX FOUNDATION
The J.F. Maddox Foundation exclusively funds nonprofit causes in the most southeastern county in New Mexico, Lea County. The foundation prioritizes education, and also funds youth causes, social services, and community development initiatives.
McCUNE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The McCune Charitable Foundation is exclusive to the state of New Mexico and prioritizes economic development and stability, and innovation in education and the local food industry.
C.W. AND DEE MCMULLEN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The C.W. and Dee McMullen Community Foundation supports education, human services, community improvement and capacity building in New Mexico.
NEW MEXICO FILM FOUNDATION
The New Mexico Film Foundation supports film and arts and cultural opportunities in New Mexico.
NEW MEXICO FOUNDATION
This is the only statewide community funder. NMCF focuses grantmaking on rural and Native American issues, and also prioritizes women’s causes, education, health, cultural preservation, and the environment.
NEW MEXICO SPOTLIGHT FOUNDATION
The New Mexico Spotlight Foundation supports film and related arts and cultural endeavors in New Mexico.
NUSENDA CREDIT UNION FOUNDATION
This New Mexico-focused funder is active in the financial literacy space but also gives to education, healthcare, the arts, environment, and community services.
ALBERT I. PIERCE FOUNDATION
This funder focuses grantmaking on the state of New Mexico and awards grants to local arts and culture, education, and environment nonprofits.
PNM RESOURCES FOUNDATION
This corporate funder serves New Mexico communities in the areas of education, environment, and economic vitality. About $750,000 is awarded per year.
SANTA FE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Santa Fe Community Foundation limits grantmaking to the northern New Mexico counties. It awards mostly general operating support grants for schools, children, LGBT groups, health, and Native American issues.
SANTA FE NATURAL TOBACCO COMPANY FOUNDATION
This is the philanthropy foundation of the tobacco company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The foundation backs projects that support American Indians through entrepreneurism, higher education, and the preservation of culture.
TAOS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
This community funder supports the Taos, New Mexico, area. Interests are education, health, youth, basic needs, environment, and arts and culture.
EUGENE V. AND CLAIRE E. THAW CHARITABLE TRUST
The Eugene V. and Claire E. Thaw Charitable Trust supports the arts, the environment and animal welfare in New Mexico and beyond.
THORNBURG FOUNDATION
This funder focuses grantmaking on New Mexico in the areas of environmental conservation, national and international public policy issues, and human services and opportunities for children and youth.
DORIS GOODWIN WALBRIDGE FOUNDATION
The Doris Goodwin Walbridge Foundation supports education, animal welfare, religion, human services, health, arts and culture and youth in New Mexico.
