Viable, well-funded nonprofits and the public dollars that sustain them.
Our Pursuing Public Funds Initiative helps New Mexico nonprofits stay viable, build lasting capacity and secure the public dollars that power their missions.
We envision a New Mexico where nonprofits have the funding and organizational capacity to deliver on their missions at meaningful scale — so that resources reach the communities that need them most, regardless of shifts in the federal funding landscape. Our approach works on three levels: helping critical nonprofits stay viable through the current funding crisis, building their long-term capacity to access diverse funding streams and supporting sector-wide advocacy to create a more supportive public funding environment.
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Grant announcements and news from this initiative.
A resilient nonprofit sector — and a model other states can learn from.
New Mexico's nonprofits deliver essential services — and they do it while navigating one of the most complex funding landscapes in the country.
We're listening to what nonprofits tell us they need to navigate these systems and working alongside them to close the gaps.
A complex, fragmented funding landscape
37% of New Mexico nonprofits rely on government grants, the sixth-highest rate in the nation. Yet the systems those dollars flow through are shaped by complex application and reporting requirements, uneven access to information about available resources and a statewide landscape that lacks a single point of coordination or a cohesive strategy for nonprofit support.
Growing uncertainty in federal funding
Shifts in the federal funding landscape have added new uncertainty for organizations planning their work — at one point in 2025, only 54% of over $1 billion in committed federal grants to New Mexico nonprofits had actually been disbursed.
Three connected strategies.
Keeping Key Nonprofits Viable
We provide short-term, strategic support — including stop-gap funding, legal support for grantees facing paused or cancelled government contracts and participation in a multi-funder pooled fund — to ensure organizations critical to New Mexico's nonprofit sector survive the current federal funding crisis and remain positioned to pursue their missions.
Building Nonprofit Capacity
We invest in the internal capacity of nonprofits — grant-writing resources, financial systems and staff skilled in navigating complex application and reporting processes — so organizations are genuinely ready to access diverse funding streams, including state, philanthropic and federal sources, as they become available.
Advancing a Supportive Public Funding Environment
We fund sector-wide advocacy, helping New Mexico nonprofits organize collectively to engage with policymakers, streamline coordination across the sector and address structural barriers that limit access to public funding for all New Mexico nonprofits.
Understanding the Crisis First
When federal grants were slashed across water, agriculture, homelessness and education in 2025, we partnered with the Santa Fe Community Foundation and Anchorum Health Foundation to commission independent research on the impact of federal funding changes on New Mexico's nonprofit sector. The findings — presented at statewide convenings, shared directly with New Mexico's congressional delegation and covered nationally, including in the New York Times — gave funders and policymakers a shared factual foundation for action.
Building Capacity to Navigate What's Next
We joined numerous funders to support Groundworks New Mexico's capacity-building cohorts, training nonprofits to pursue public funding — and made an initial grant to build Groundworks' capacity to advocate for the nonprofit sector itself. Grants to the New Mexico Community Trust provide professional services to nonprofits in need, from legal to marketing support, and strengthen compliance with federal and state grant requirements.
Convening Across Sectors
We brought together NGO partners, state agencies and political subdivisions for a Land and Water workshop on accessing state funding and navigating federal uncertainty.
Featured Projects
By courtesy of Groundworks NMGroundworks New Mexico
Capacity-Building for a Resilient Nonprofit SectorDelivering statewide capacity-building cohorts that train nonprofits to pursue and manage public funding, and advocating for the nonprofit sector as a whole.
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By courtesy of New Mexico Community TrustNew Mexico Community Trust
Professional Services and Grant Compliance SupportProviding legal, marketing and compliance services to New Mexico nonprofits navigating federal and state grant requirements.
Visit New Mexico Community Trust ↗
The Grant Plant
Cross-Foundation Nonprofit Sector ResearchA collaboration with the Santa Fe Community Foundation and Anchorum Health Foundation, commissioning independent research on how federal funding changes are reshaping New Mexico’s nonprofit sector — findings that shaped statewide convenings, congressional briefings and national coverage.
Visit The Grant Plant ↗