Nusenda Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Nusenda Foundation is a New Mexico-focused funder that is active in the financial literacy space, but also gives more broadly to education, healthcare, the arts, environment, and community services.
FUNDING AREAS: Education, healthcare, the arts, environment and wildlife, community services and support
IP TAKE: Do not write off this credit union as a purely financial funder. As long as a nonprofit is working in New Mexico, Nusenda is worth knowing because of its broad and encompassing funding areas.
PROFILE: Established in 2015 and based in Albuquerque, the Nusenda Foundation is a corporate funder focused on New Mexico. The Nusenda Credit Union, the foundation’s corporate affiliation, has been providing financial services since 1936 and has more than 167,000 member-owners today. Grantmaking areas of interest are education, healthcare, the arts, environment and wildlife, and community services and support.
A big program for this funder has utilized the financial partnership of credit union member-owners by enabling them to contribute to nonprofits with debit card use. This funder has supported various programs including Community Rewards, Powering Success, Co-op Capital, and Running Start for Careers. Financial literacy and capability education are important causes to Nusenda. Past support has gone to Common Core State Standards-aligned financial capability curriculum for teachers and students and financial capability workshops for parents. It regularly gives to the University of New Mexico to help students understand and manage their finances. Nusenda has contributed to student retention programs that improve graduation rates and teach students about careers in the financial industry. Other efforts have helped employers save money through better financial management solutions, collateralize loan programs, and accelerate job creation in New Mexico. Overall, this is a funder that values pilot programs and innovation.
Learn about past grantees on the funder’s community rewards recipients page. This is a corporate funder that aims to make communities stronger in the places that members live and work. The funder’s giving program is separated into community rewards and sponsorship support. For community rewards, organizations must serve the following communities: Albuquerque, Belen, Bernalillo, Los Lunas, Moriarty, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Socorro, and Taos. Sponsorships are also available for local community organizations and businesses that provide services to local communities. However, it does not typically support individual participation in events or fundraisers.
Nusenda accepts unsolicited grant applications between January 1 and September 1 each year. The application process is all online. Direct general questions to Ashley Jordan, community development coordinator, at foundation@nusenda.org or 505-889-2527.
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