Economic Security & Opportunities

WE INVITED REQUESTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT:

• Provide career counseling and other services to attain employment • Re-engage disconnected youth in paths for jobs • Provide job training programs to low-wage earners to advance their skills

• Provide financial literacy training and improve their ability to save for and invest in future economic success including asset building • Provide opportunities to explore career paths, attain internships or apprenticeships, and enter a career with skills to succeed, lead and contribute to economy.

Through direct service, policy advocacy and/or collaboration efforts, priority strategies will address

• Support job creation and workforce development, particularly in mid-to-high level paid jobs through efforts that build entrepreneurial skills and activities and expand high growth and high wage industries and career pathways in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico; • Support capacity building for long-term collaborations among organizations and programs working together to improve targeted outcomes in career pathways and workforce development with common agenda, aligned strategies, and collective actions; and/or • Support public policy, civic engagement, community organizing or public information to improve economic opportunity.

Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity

Santa Fe | aflep.org

Mission | To transform the financial system of the state of New Mexico with a public state bank. With our state money deposited in our own public bank, those deposits can be leveraged to greatly benefit and expand New Mexico’s economic development. The public bank will partner with credit unions, community banks, and CDFIs to provide affordable small business loans and keep our state money working locally. Also, a state bank can greatly reduce fees and interest costs of infrastructure loans. Proposal | Funding supports our research and outreach initiatives throughout the state. Through connecting with individuals, organizations, and elected leaders across the state, we seek to increase awareness of unmet community needs and help ourselves and others develop an understanding of how a public bank can help meet those needs. Then, we are seeking to turn that awareness into advocacy and support for our Public Bank Bill which will be introduced in the 2022 legislative session. Noteworthy | Funding supports our research and outreach initiatives throughout the state. Through connecting with individuals, organizations, and elected leaders across the state, we seek to increase awareness of unmet community needs and help ourselves and others develop an understanding of how a public bank can help meet those needs. Then, we are seeking to turn that awareness into advocacy and support for our Public Bank Bill, which will be introduced in the 2022 legislative session.

Assistance Dogs of the West

Santa Fe | assistancedogsofthewest.org

Mission | Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW) builds successful working partnerships between clients and dogs that empower people and open doors to new opportunities. Proposal | Funding will support the acquisition, training, and placement of assistance dogs with northern New Mexico residents having physical and/or psychiatric disabilities. Our dogs assist with disabilities such as mobility impairment, autism, diabetes, seizures, traumatic brain injury, PTSD (military and civilian), anxiety and depression. ADW also trains and places Courthouse Facility Dogs, who work with vulnerable victims and survivors of crime in the investigation and prosecution of crime. Noteworthy | For people with disabilities (28% of New Mexico population), trained assistance dogs provide lifechanging physical and emotional support, promote greater independence and self-reliance, increase independent daily living, and offer unconditional love and companionship. In the Judicial System, the dogs assist special victims’ advocates in providing a safe and supportive environment for depositions, mediation, and trial preparation and testimony.

Chainbreaker Collective

Santa Fe | chainbreaker.org

Mission | Chainbreaker works to expand access to affordable transportation and support economically and environmentally sustainable communities for low-income people in northern New Mexico. Proposal | Chainbreaker seeks support to fund our Bicycle Resource Center University training program. This 13-week deep dive into bicycle mechanics and safety will expand our current bike distribution capacity, provide job training, develop a pathway toward job placement, and increase equity in the cycling community by focusing on training women and Spanish speakers. Noteworthy | Car dependence can consume as much as a third of a working family's income. As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of essential workers will look to bicycles to mitigate some of these costs.

Clark Hulings Fund LLC

Santa Fe | clarkhulingsfund.org

Mission | The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists (CHF) promotes the legacy of painter Clark Hulings by equipping visual artists to be self-sustaining entrepreneurs. Through the delivery of a suite of integrated learning services, both virtual and in-person, and the building of a diverse professional networks of opportunity and support, our goal is to ensure the growth, sustainability, and success of artist-owned small businesses. Last year we helped more than 32,000 artists. Proposal | The pandemic presented an opening to reenvision the art industry and when it hit, CHF stepped up. Virtual since we started, we have been in a unique position to help artists and organizations as they remain online and transition to a post-COVID world by ensuring a sustainable economic recovery for artists and furthering an arts industry that benefits all of its stakeholders. Noteworthy | Arts sectors are the primary source of employment for over 43,000 New Mexico residents — 50% more than manufacturing. They account for one of 18 jobs in the state and contribute close to $140 million in revenue, yet 72% of visual artists earn less than $13,000 a year. The pandemic only deepened the industry’s insecurity bringing with it a loss of 2.7 million jobs nationally. Artists need business training now more than ever with 25% of them citing a lack of it as a barrier to building sustainable careers.

Collaborative Visions

Mora

Mission | To nurture the people of Mora and Mora County through a culture of collaboration. Proposal | Collaborative Visions (CV) sees clearly the wonderfully unique culture of Mora and Mora County and wishes to preserve that heritage. Also clear to us are the obstacles to sustainability and the need to create economic opportunity that fits the culture rather than threatens it. As such, CV strives to find or create unique solutions and empower implementation of those solutions making best use of opportunities while addressing obstacles to a healthy community future. Noteworthy | While the area is extremely blessed in social, cultural, natural, intellectual, and, to some extent, political capital, financial resources are limited. Median household income is a little over $28,000 compared to the national median household income of nearly $63,000. Also, 21.2% of the population live in poverty. Collaborative Visions strives to find solutions that preserve what is precious to the community (e.g., environmental quality) while also enabling economic opportunity.

HEART of Taos

Taos | heartoftaos.org

Mission | To provide services and support to women and their children facing homelessness who are pursuing their life goals. Our services include emergency and transitional housing, access to housing resources, case management, counseling referrals, life skills training, education referrals, job readiness, and health and wellness referrals. Proposal | HEART of Taos is requesting funding support to continue its hotel shelter program for women and families experiencing homelessness in Taos County. This support allows us to provide emergency housing while connecting individuals and families to resources in the community through case management. Noteworthy | According to “COVID-19 in Taos County: Humanitarian Impacts,” Enos Garcia Elementary reports that 25% of their families have lost jobs and 40% have had their hours reduced. By August 2020, nearly 25% of parents reported struggling to pay for food, rent, and utilities. Waitlists for the three main emergency shelter and housing providers grew from 67 to 140 in a single month at the beginning of 2021. HEART of Taos currently has a wait list of 40 individuals for the hotel shelter program.

Homewise, Inc.

Santa Fe | homewise.org

Mission | To help create successful homeowners and strengthen neighborhoods so that individuals and families can improve their long-term financial wellbeing and quality of life. Proposal | The Homewise Financial Education programs integrate individualized financial coaching with certified bilingual coaches, individual and group financial literacy classes, and homebuyer education to provide a pathway for residents with low to moderate incomes to become homeowners as a pathway to financial stability for low to moderate income households. Classes and one-on-one coaching are available and free-of-charge to clients for as long as services are requested, including post home purchase. Noteworthy | Homeownership is a pathway to financial stability. According to the Federal Reserve (2019), the median net worth for homeowners was $254,900, compared to $6,270 for renters. Low to moderate income families encounter three primary challenges to achieving homeownership: debt, credit, and savings. Homewise pairs free financial education classes with free one-on-one coaching to make it possible for more than 500 Santa Feans to become homeowners and 1,000 residents to become buyer ready each year.

Innovate+Educate NM

Santa Fe | innovate-educate.org

Mission | To provide skills training to young adults that will ensure they have the ability to become employed and earn a sustainable income. The Pro Skills Initiative works with youth ages 16–30 across Santa Fe County, providing training and mentoring with an outcome of job placement. Stipends are provided to all learners as they navigate the training. Since its inception, 90% of all learners have successfully completed the training. Proposal | We seek funding to continue/scale the work of the Pro Skills Initiative, which provides skills training and mentoring to young adults in Santa Fe ages 16–30 with an outcome of enrollment at Santa Fe Community College, an internship, or full employment. Noteworthy | There is a growing percentage of unemployed/ underemployed youth in Santa Fe County needing skills training, mentoring, internships, and/or full employment. 8.3% of the County's families have no parent working in the household and COVID has put more stress on families as Santa Fe's industries were hit hard during the pandemic. An estimated 16.4% of youth are disconnected in Santa Fe County. Furthermore, 92% of our skills candidates identify skills training as a need.

International Center for Appropriate & Sustainable Technology

Denver | icastusa.org

Mission | ICAST is a 19-year-old nonprofit with a mission to provide triple bottom line — i.e. economic, environmental, and social benefits — to underserved communities in a manner that builds local capacity. ICAST designs and launches energy efficiency (EE) programs that meaningfully impact low-income communities by preserving affordable housing, reducing utility costs, creating healthy homes, mitigating pollution, and creating green educational and career pathways for disadvantaged youth. Proposal | ICAST delivers EE solutions including very high efficiency (VHE) HVAC systems to the routinely neglected multifamily affordable housing market. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects VHE technologies to grow 13% by 2028, about half of HVAC companies surveyed in 2019 reported difficulties finding workers certified in VHE systems. ICAST strives to make clean energy equitable while addressing the skills gap and lack of career training available to disadvantaged youth. Noteworthy | Funding will help ICAST enhance its Green Construction Careers program curriculum to include training on very high efficiency technologies, and deliver it to disadvantaged youth in Rio Arriba, San Miguel, and Santa Fe Counties. Designed to create a green industry educationto-employment pipeline, Green Construction Careers will provide free classroom and online education, paid on-the-job training, and access to high-demand green job opportunities.

New Mexico Foundation for Open Government

Albuquerque | nmfog.org

Mission | Since its inception in 1989, the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government has faithfully followed and fulfilled its mission to educate, advocate, and litigate for open government in New Mexico. By shining a light on government, FOG holds officials accountable and makes certain public business conducted in the sunshine. FOG is the state’s leading advocate for freedom of information, a hallmark of democracy, and plays a critical role in protecting the public’s right to know. Proposal | FOG has a panel of six volunteer lawyers who have shaped the transparency law in the state, but we need a fulltime FOG attorney. Our goal is to raise $300,000 in “seed” money, which will pay an attorney’s salary for 2 years and establish a reserve fund for the future. FOG believes that this position will eventually be self-supporting through the award of attorney fees, statutory penalties, and the development of an attorney referral network. As of July 30, 2021, we have commitments for almost $200,000. Noteworthy | In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity gave New Mexico an F grade for the public’s access to government information. The national report cited a wide enforcement gap for the failing grade. As recent events have illustrated, our democracy hangs by a thread. It requires constant vigilance, well-informed citizens, and a robust press using the tools of public documents and public meetings. Also, a review of the headlines this summer illustrates that public corruption is alive and well in our state.

New Mexico Local News Fund

Santa Fe | nmlocalnews.org

Mission | To grow the ecosystem of local news across our state to better serve the information needs of all New Mexicans. To accomplish that ambitious goal, we work with both existing newsrooms and trusted community organizations to build programs and networks that will ensure diverse individuals and communities have the information they need to thrive. Proposal | The New Mexico Local News Fund is aiming to expand our Local News Revenue Initiative to support more newsrooms around the state, and increase the number of Fellowships in our program that places recent journalism graduates in local newsrooms. We are also launching a new collaboration of southern New Mexico newsrooms to cover economic development issues post-pandemic, and will be running a matching campaign for fall fundraisers at newsrooms. Noteworthy | New Mexico has five counties with no newspapers and 20 counties with only one newspaper, according to news deserts research at the University of North Carolina. We are aiming to strengthen existing local news publishers while helping support new publications to cover rural towns and urban neighborhoods that are currently underserved.

Northern New Mexico College

Española | nnmc.edu

Mission | To ensure student success by providing access to affordable, community-based learning opportunities that meet the region's educational, cultural, and economic needs. The mission of the Foundation is to increase, manage, and distribute resources for the benefit of the students, the college, and the community. Proposal | Northern New Mexico College seeks to revitalize and expand workforce training opportunities and sustainability practices on its El Rito campus. This grant request will support that goal and, specifically, the planning required to introduce smart grid and microgrid concepts and training through a campus microgrid "living laboratory," and to utilize the 1.5-megawatt PV array installed there to increase community resilience. Noteworthy | New Mexico’s clean energy transition and grid modernization process will create many job and career opportunities, but training will be needed for those who wish to access them. A survey and study conducted for the NMDWS found that 66% of respondents agreed with the statement: “the state should diversify the economy because of unstable oil and gas revenue.”42% (highest rank) said it is “very important” to provide “training for locals in rural areas who want to work in clean energy jobs.”

Prosperity Works

Albuquerque | prosperityworks.net

Mission | Prosperity Works helps free people from poverty by changing the systems that lead people into poverty and keep them there. It is our mission to build the personal, social, and financial capacity of families, organizations, and communities, and to advocate for polices that support economic prosperity for all New Mexicans. Proposal | Prosperity Kids is a high impact, two-generation initiative that is designed to help single student mothers of young children complete their college degree and thereby increase their opportunities to provide a financially secure future for their family, and serve as an educational role model for their children. It also creates and incentivized college savings account for the children. Noteworthy | The number of households headed by single mothers living in poverty exceeds that of all other categories of poverty-burdened households, and poverty has serious impacts on their children. When single mothers choose not to continue their education, they lessen their chances of finding higher paying jobs and raising their families out of poverty. Of students seeking a bachelor’s degree, only about a fifth of students who are single parents will graduate with a degree within six years.

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps

Ranchos De Taos | youthcorps.org

Mission | Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) is a stepping stone to new opportunities. We inspire young adults to make a positive difference in themselves and their communities. Through training and service, Corpsmembers discover their potential for healthy, productive lives. Proposal | RMYC is requesting support for the American Sign Language (ASL) Conservation Program (Program). Corpsmembers represent youth and young adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. They will work in small crews to complete a variety of environmental conservation projects. RMYC will work with regional partners and community organizations to provide comprehensive life skills and workforce development training that inspires Corpsmembers toward a career and makes them more competitive in the workplace. Noteworthy | People with a disability are less likely to participate in the labor force. The five-year estimate of the US Census 2019 American Community Survey states that the employment rate for people with a disability in Santa Fe County was a staggering 23.7% compared to the rest of the population at 62.8%. People with a disability have largely given up looking for a job because of the lack of self-confidence and the availability of employment opportunities and training that meets their unique needs.

Santa Fe Business Incubator

Santa Fe | sfbi.net

Mission | The Santa Fe Business Incubator helps local entrepreneurs launch and grow successful businesses. These emerging companies create new jobs, increase our tax base, and diversify our economy, enhancing the quality of life for all in our community. Proposal | This request will support the ongoing general activities of SFBI to assist the formation and retention of new businesses, new jobs, an expanded tax base, and new revenue in the community in an area that is one of the poorest in the City of Santa Fe. It will be used to maintain the facility and infrastructure that houses the start-ups, the shared space, and the equipment that helps them launch, in addition to the training and consulting programs that help them become viable sustainable businesses. Noteworthy | The community needs SFBI addresses are new high-wage skilled jobs; creation and expansion of stable businesses; support for innovative firms that attract capital, revenue, and broaden the tax base; diversifying a local economy long reliant on low-wage service jobs; offering opportunities to low-income, minority, women, and disadvantaged entrepreneurs; encouraging entrepreneurship for young people and workers in transition; and leveraging the technology assets of national labs and universities.

Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity

Santa Fe | santafehabitat.org

Mission | To promote affordable home ownership for Santa Fe area residents by constructing simple, adequate, and energy efficient new homes and repairing or rehabilitating existing homes through the cooperative efforts of partner families, volunteers, donors, and staff. Proposal | We are requesting funds to support our Habitat Homeowner Education program. All newly selected Habitat Partner Families that are selected through a qualification process to become homeowners are required to complete 12 hours of a homeowner financial education. The courses are conducted on three Saturdays for four hours each. The courses are conducted in both Spanish and English by a Habitat staff and volunteers. Noteworthy | The curriculum used for the courses is Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University videos materials. For the Spanish curriculum, we use the Adres Guitierez - Paz Financiera, which was adapted to the Financial Peace curriculum. The topics covered at each of the courses are titled: Super Saving; Realistic With Money; Cashflow Planning; Dumping Debt; Buyer Beware; and The Great Misunderstanding. Each topic is presented on video by Ramsey or Guitierez and at the end of each topic, there are discussions with a leader and the homeowners. The videos are done with a touch of humor and are actually entertaining. The downside to the course is that the complete packet is fairly expensive. We have been making copies of the written materials, but there are some very helpful tools in the complete kit that would be nice to actually give each new homeowner. We are requesting funds to purchase the education kits for seven new homeowners we select annually.

Southwest Women's Law Center

Albuquerque | swwomenslaw.org

Mission | To create opportunities for women to realize their full economic and personal potential. Proposal | SWLC seeks funding to support and expand ongoing policy advocacy to pass Paid Family & Medical Leave Act, establishing a state-administered Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program in New Mexico. This funding will allow the SWLC and the PFML Coalition to expand grassroots engagement, communications, outreach, and coalition-building statewide, especially in communities most impacted by economic insecurity and health inequities, including Spanish speakers. Noteworthy | SWLC leads a coalition advocating for Paid Family & Medical Leave Act, which would establish a state-administered program, offering up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers facing health challenges or family caregiving needs. PFML programs reduce health disparities, close the racial wealth gap, and lessen economic burden for family caregivers. New Mexico has 25,000 births and 5,000 disability claims yearly. 419,000 residents provide unpaid eldercare. PFMLA would improve wellbeing for these workers.

Think New Mexico

Santa Fe | thinknewmexico.org

Mission | Think New Mexico is a results-oriented think tank whose mission is to improve the lives of all New Mexicans, especially those who lack a strong voice in the political process. We fulfill this mission by educating the public, the media, and policymakers about some of the most serious challenges facing New Mexico and by developing and advocating for enduring, effective, evidence-based solutions. Proposal | Funding supports our research and advocacy for public policy reforms. Our past successful initiatives include full-day kindergarten, repealing the food tax, and reforming the lottery to send more dollars to scholarships. Our current project focuses on ending predatory lending in New Mexico by reducing the maximum annual interest rate allowed for small loans from 175% to 36%. We are also working to make financial literacy a high school graduation requirement, as it is in 22 other states. Noteworthy | New Mexico’s 175% interest rate cap is one of the highest allowed anywhere in the nation; the national median is 36%. Eighty-five percent of the state’s small loan companies are owned by out-of-state corporations. Over the last year, predatory lenders issued 367,291 high-cost loans, draining $421 million out of New Mexico communities. New Mexico ranks 47th in the nation for financial literacy, and is one of only five states that does not include financial literacy in its educational standards.

Women's Economic Self-Sufficiency Team

Albuquerque | wesst.org

Mission | To be a home to entrepreneurs. We provide a support system of consulting, training, and lending to help clients successfully strengthen and grow their businesses through sustainable sales, financial knowledge, and job creation. Proposal | WESST requests support to provide comprehensive business development services to those seeking to stabilize, survive, and thrive following the many adverse impacts of COVID-19. In addition to delivering WESST's core services of business training, consulting, incubation, and access to capital, WESST recently implemented the HOPE Fund (Helping Open Possibilities for Everyone), a "no barriers to accessing capital" approach for people of color and low-wealth New Mexicans. Noteworthy | Small and microbusiness are essential components of New Mexico's economy, representing over 80% of all businesses. Recent economic data reports that there was a 36% drop in the number of small and microbusinesses from 2020 to 2021. WESST's work with diverse small businesses is crucial given their strong contributions to New Mexico's economy and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on small businesses (particularly those owned by people of color).