SANTA FE – Today, the Thornburg Foundation announced Elisa Montoya will lead the
Foundation’s Pursuing Public Funds initiative, which aims to increase the effectiveness of New
Mexico’s nonprofit sector by securing and stabilizing essential public resources. Montoya will
also serve as general counsel for the Foundation.
Montoya will direct and refine the initiative’s strategy which includes providing support to keep
key grantees viable through funding shifts, increase nonprofit capacity to sustain essential work,
and fund strategic advocacy to improve the public funding environment for non-profits. Montoya
will manage the initiative’s annual grantmaking portfolio of $1 million and identify new
opportunities to strengthen New Mexico’s nonprofits in a dynamic funding landscape.
“Elisa’s exceptional leadership in both the public and private sectors, combined with her deep
roots in New Mexico, makes her an ideal person to lead this critical initiative,” said Allan Oliver,
President of the Thornburg Foundation. “Her experience navigating complex systems—from
local to state to federal government—will be invaluable as we work to protect and expand the
public resources our communities rely on.”
In 2024, the Foundation launched the Pursuing Federal Funds Initiative to help New Mexico
nonprofits and tribal governments overcome barriers like grant writing and matching funds so
they could successfully secure new federal dollars and maximize the return on philanthropic
investments. In 2025, the Foundation provided rapid-response grants to help nonprofits
navigate these shifts, trained over 150 nonprofit leaders to adapt their funding models, and
hired contractors to provide monthly updates on the impacts of federal cuts across the state.
Elisa Montoya brings more than 25 years of executive experience across the public and private
sectors. Most recently, she served as the Community Development Director for the City of
Santa Fe, where she co-led the effort to raise the city’s minimum wage to $17.50 per hour and
secured project approvals for the development of affordable homes in Santa Fe. Before joining
the city, she spent over seven years at Meow Wolf, playing a critical role in creating more than
1,000 jobs and helping launch four experiential entertainment businesses across multiple
states.
Montoya has also served at the highest levels of government, advancing social justice policy,
civic engagement, and public service. She served as professional staff to U.S. Senators Harry
Reid (NV) and Ken Salazar (CO), and Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA). She also worked as
a policy associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP in Washington, DC.
Elisa remarked, “I’m honored to join the Thornburg Foundation team to help align strategy and
policy at a moment when nonprofit stability and public funding are essential to New Mexico’s
communities.
”Montoya is a graduate of Stanford University, the University of Southern California Law Center,
and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She is also a graduate of St.
Michael’s High School in Santa Fe, where her family has lived for generations.