Santa Fe Community Foundation Initiatives & Funds

SANTA FE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Community Initiatives & Funds

Our community initiatives and funds strive to advance equitable access to opportunities in Santa Fe and our surrounding communities. These proactive and flexible initiatives utilize strategies that go beyond grantmaking to emphasize community outreach and partner collaboration, skill strengthening, community research, and narrative sharing. We thank you for learning more and for joining us in this work.

Community Leadership Fund

Mission | Our Community Leadership Fund (CLF) allows the Santa Fe Community Foundation to improve community outcomes in four significant ways: increase donor impact, improve nonprofit skill and performance, expand and enhance our grantmaking, and invest in strategic initiatives. CLF allows the Foundation to serve as a convener of people, ideas, and funds, and provide leadership in the northern New Mexico's nonprofit sector. Proposal | Contributions to CLF are among the most critical resources that contribute to the work we do here at the Foundation each day—from supporting food security to safety net health services, to working on creating housing solutions and elevating our educational system, to the far-reaching technical assistance work we do with nonprofits that has made us the largest nonprofit training and skill building provider in New Mexico. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our donors and community partners. Noteworthy | CLF allows us to produce the Giving Together catalogue, which made over $1.4 million in additional grant dollars possible in 2021. Additionally, our Community Leadership Fund underwrote all of our emergency wildfire relief grantmaking in 2022—ensuring 100% of donations reached New Mexico children and families in need.

Community Resiliency Fund

Mission | To support New Mexico’s capacity to recover from difficult, sweeping events, dismantle systems of racism, and protect our land—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Proposal | On October 15th, 2021, the Santa Fe Community Foundation turned 40. In honor of this milestone, we created the Community Resiliency Fund to support: programs that build the resilience of those most vulnerable to emergencies; efforts to adapt and recover from the effects of climate change, such as drought, extreme weather events, floods, and other natural disasters; organizations responding to urgent public health needs, including pandemics and behavioral health crises; and initiatives for long-term systemic changes that prevent hate crimes and promote anti-racism. Noteworthy | In 2022, communities across our funding region of Mora, San Miguel, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe counties were devastated by the largest wildfire season in New Mexico’s history. Our Community Resiliency Fund enabled us to provide immediate assistance. To date, we have made over $500,000 in wildfire relief and recovery grants through this fund.

Dollars4Schools

Mission | Dollars4Schools is 100% committed to student success and classroom support. Our unique grassroots structure provides Santa Fe public school teachers with a local web-based "helping hand." Proposal | With your support, Dollars4Schools can continue our work as a trusted local funding resource for Santa Fe public school teachers, providing direct funding for their classroom programs, and ensuring students receive the essentials they need to succeed in school and in life. From school supplies and books to science kits, warm winter coats and everything in between, we have proudly funded nearly 1,000 classroom requests since 2013. 100% of every dollar donated to Dollars4Schools goes directly into a public-school classroom. Noteworthy | One Santa Fe Public Schools teacher said, “I want to let you know just how much Dollars4Schools means to me. I am but one person, but I work with children who matter greatly to me. Without your help, I would not be able to provide opportunities and experiences for them. I am forever grateful.”

Envision Fund

Mission | To promote the health, safety, and empowerment of at-risk and underserved LGBTQ+ New Mexicans. Proposal | We seek funding to support organizations that are working to create an HIV-free generation in New Mexico; combat discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in any form; support school-based programs that create a safe environment for all students, including LGBTQ+ students; and promote reproductive health. Noteworthy | The Envision Fund is the largest philanthropic entity in New Mexico dedicated solely to serving the LGBTQ+ population. The Fund has made over $1 million in grants since inception in 1997.

Fund for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Mission | To support a diverse array of responses to refugee needs. Proposal | Needs the fund will address include, but are not limited to, transportation for affected persons toward permanent housing and/or settlement; basic services for affected populations including medical and behavioral health care, food access, and employment support services; and legal advice and representation of affected populations. Noteworthy | Opened in 2019 in partnership with the City of Santa Fe, the Fund’s grants have supported refugee and asylee work in Santa Fe and on the New Mexico border. Populations served represent individuals and families, including LGBTQidentifying people, from a wide refugee diaspora.

Native American Advised Fund

Mission | To enhance Native lifeways now and for future generations in New Mexico by promoting a spirit of sharing and supporting native community initiatives. Proposal | Led by an advisory committee that reflects the diversity of our region’s 23 pueblos, tribes, and nations, NAAF funding supports grantmaking to organizations that emphasize the commitment to Native core values: community, language, culture, and environment. Noteworthy | Originally founded in 1993 with a seed grant from Allan Houser, the Native American Advised Fund has granted over $500,000 to 50 different tribes, schools, and organizations. With Native communities being some of the hardest hit during the pandemic and recent wildfires and flooding, the need for investments that support their longterm resilience and prosperity, environmental justice, food and water sovereignty, and greater family economic security is stronger than ever.

Nonprofit Merger Fund

Mission | The Merger Fund will provide grants to Santa Fe area nonprofits whose boards are engaged in discussions to consider a merger. Proposal | Because the merger process can be very expensive due to attorney fees, due diligence, etc., we invite contributions to this Fund that will make grants to eligible nonprofits engaged in a merger process. Noteworthy | In Santa Fe County alone, there are over 850 nonprofits registered as 501c3s. While the numbers of nonprofits, per se, do not tell us anything about their effectiveness or redundancy, there are certainly instances where some nonprofits, especially smaller, more challenged groups, may be able to find strength and greater effectiveness by joining forces with like organizations.

The Philanthropy Hub

Mission | The Philanthropy Hub at the Santa Fe Community Foundation is a learning and gathering place for the sector. We partner with local facilitators to support skill building, peer connection, leadership development, and ecosystem strength. We are committed to fostering equity through this work. Proposal | Funding supports our annual work with learning opportunities that address nonprofit board responsibilities, finance, communication, fundraising, program delivery, and leadership skills. Programs have included the Board Orientation Program, Emerging Social Sector Leaders, Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Nonprofit Sector, Learning Lab Series, Deeper Dive Workshops, New Mexico Planned Giving Roundtable, Santa Fe Fundraising Immersion, and New Mexico Women of Color Nonprofit Leadership Initiative. Noteworthy | “There was so much incredible information that everyone benefited from and, truly, we are so appreciative of [the facilitator's] time, effort, and expertise in sharing it with us! Our entire group from the New Mexico Film Foundation spoke afterwards about how wonderful it was and how it has made us all eager, now, to put all we've learned in to action.” –On behalf of all of us at the NMFF, Cynthia Mulvaney, Board Secretary

Santa Fe Artist Medical Fund

Mission | The Santa Fe Artists' Medical Fund was founded in 1998 by a group of Santa Fe individuals who were concerned about the problems encountered by professional artists who are under- or uninsured, and thus, at risk of serious financial difficulties in the case of medical emergencies. Proposal | Contributions will support assistance depending on the applicant's circumstances. Funds are distributed to pharmacies, hospitals, health care providers, and medical equipment suppliers—not individuals. Noteworthy | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicate 10.2% of New Mexico's two million people have no insurance of any kind.

Santa Fe Baby Fund

Mission | To promote the healthy development of babies and toddlers in Santa Fe County, prenatal through age four, and raise awareness of the critical importance of investing in early childhood for the benefit of our community. Proposal | Funding supports Santa Fe Baby Fund, which has been serving our region’s youngest and most vulnerable neighbors for 10 years. Its programs and activities include annual competitive grantmaking, awareness raising, and advocacy work on early childhood issues and resources to connect families of young children to early childhood programs and services. Noteworthy | For every $1 invested in high quality early childhood programs, there are $4 to $9 in returns over that person's lifetime. Last year, the Santa Fe Baby Fund granted $45,000 to organizations that increase access to high quality, affordable infant and toddler care; support the early childhood workforce; improve access to reproductive health services for adolescents and young adults; support young parents and their infants and toddlers; and/or support grandparents or other non-parent kin raising infants and toddlers.

Special and Urgent Needs (SUN) Grants

Mission: We created quick turnaround SUN grants to address the short-term needs of nonprofits. With a relatively small amount of funding, SUN grants help an organization take advantage of an unbudgeted, unforeseen, and timesensitive opportunity or emergency that will enhance or preserve the ability of the organization to meet its mission. Proposal: Funds further our support for nonprofits who apply for funding in times of critical and unforeseen situations. Noteworthy: Given the very small size of this pool of funds and the overwhelming need in this area, we do not have the capacity to consider requests for operating expenses due to budget deficits or shortfalls.