Connecting with Leadership

As I think about connections, I am reminded of a quote from psychologist and philosopher, Paul Bloom. He said, “We are constituted so that simple acts of kindness, such as giving to charity or expressing gratitude, have a positive effect on our longterm moods. The key to the happy life, it seems, is the good life: a life with sustained relationships, challenging work, and connections to community.”

The Foundation takes this concept to heart in all we do. In this increasingly connected world, we understand, it’s personal connections that drive us forward. It is our connections with donors that inform our grantmaking, our connections with the nonprofits that guide us to community needs and our connections to the business community that help increase the number of corporate dollars invested in Albuquerque.

In a city like ours—so rich with diversity, culture and history—we know there are still uphill battles. Poverty runs deep with nine of Albuquerque’s 17 ZIP Codes showing a poverty rate greater than the national average and with some approaching two and a half times that rate. But we believe this can be a transformational time for our city. On a daily basis we can participate in changing this community by investing in it financially and by connecting with our partners who believe, as we do, that when we work together, we can achieve a more vibrant Albuquerque that provides inclusive economic opportunity for all of its residents.

I have been a proud Albuquerque resident all of my life, worked in a public service capacity in this state for almost 30 years and have now been a small business-owner for nearly two decades. Through my time as Board Chair of the Foundation, I have had the honor of serving this community and seeing first-hand how philanthropy, businesses, individuals and nonprofits can create a platform for growth and prosperity. I look forward to seeing that growth and prosperity continue to materialize and for it to create opportunities for the young people in this community so that they can work and live in safe, productive and thriving communities here in Albuquerque and New Mexico.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Julie Weaks Gutierrez Chair, Board of Trustees

Partnerships, Common Ground and now, Connections Matter. These have been the themes of the Foundation’s last three annual reports and they share an important philosophy that roots our guiding principle as a funder and as a community partner: We are better together.

It is not a surprise that after three years, we find ourselves reflecting on connections. Beginning in 2015, the Foundation began making significant changes which have propelled us into the next phase of our work. These changes started by connecting more directly with nonprofits, donors and our community-at-large. We began with community conversations. This led us to shift our grantmaking to focus on supporting programs that provide access to economic opportunities. Doors opened, partnerships expanded and the connections grew larger; we took on leadership roles in major multi-sector collaborations like City Alive and Healthy Neighborhoods ABQ.

We’ve covered a lot of ground, but in many ways, we are just getting started. In 2018, we planted the seeds for new programs, all developed through a lens of connectivity: the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Expo (E3) is a quarterly event that brings together entrepreneurs, organizations and funders to share their ideas and build connections within Albuquerque’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. And, Tapestry is a community initiative to bolster economic and social prosperity, while building bridges between geographic communities, diverse populations and burgeoning local industries. We believe these programs are taking new approaches to addressing ongoing challenges—and they do so with the support of the public and private sectors joining forces for real,

We sincerely thank you for believing in our work, being a part of what we do and making us a stronger foundation each year.

Randy Royster President & CEO