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Meet our Fiscally Sponsored Organization: Radiant Healing Together
New Mexico Foundation is the fiscal sponsor to a variety of organizations. This month, we are featuring Radiant Healing Together (RHT) which provides a supportive and empowering community for individuals affected by breast cancer. Given that 46% of New Mexico households are ALICE (see Justin’s letter above), we are honored to work with RHT who provides free access to various breast cancer resources and community support.
Research shows community support can impact quality of life, outcomes, and longevity for women with breast cancer. A Stanford study of women with stage IV breast cancer demonstrated that community helped double longevity.
Did you know?
- Radiant Healing Together (RHT) hosted the first Spanish-language metastatic breast cancer retreat (EVER HELD in America) in May, 2025!
- RHT is the only National Breast Cancer Foundation support organization selected in New Mexico!
- RHT provides monthly in-person support events to women with Stage IV breast cancer and their families through RHT’s breast cancer brunch program.
- Dual language (Spanish and English) support is always offered.
- RHT gave away more money in New Mexico than the American Cancer Society. $80,000 in grants to help patients in need – preventing many evictions of women in treatment and their children.
- RHT has Events and Partnerships with UNM, Lovelace, and New Mexico Cancer Center.
- In 2024, RHT held 470 virtual breast cancer events!
Learn more and help Radiant Healing Together make a difference for New Mexicans with Breast Cancer!
RHT’s platform and app provides live support and learning events throughout the week, monthly special expert events, 500+ on demand classes and meditations, and a research library. Learn more about RHT’s platform and app by clicking here, or on the picture below).
(above picture) Radiant Healing Together offers a variety of support through community, resources, classes, events, and more!
Your Contributions at Work: Free Flow NM
Free Flow New Mexico combats period poverty and menstruation stigma. A New Mexico Foundation Sustaining New Mexico Fund recipient, Free Flow New Mexico believes period products should be as accessible as toilet paper, and no one should miss school, work, or daily activities due to lack of access. They serve a wide range of individuals, including students of all ages, people experiencing homelessness, and working and non-working individuals who cannot afford menstrual products.
Period poverty means that millions of individuals with periods are subjected to injustice and inequity due to menstruation. There is no federal program that assists with the costs of period products. EBT, WIC, and SNAP do not cover menstrual products; they are considered luxury items. Consequently, 1 in 3 low-income menstruators report missing work, school, or similar events due to inadequate access to period supplies. Free Flow New Mexico bridges the gap, empowering individuals to remain engaged in their lives.
Letter from the President – October, 2025
What happens when you work hard and still can’t get ahead?
Hopes and dreams are powerful seeds. They drive individuals and families to work hard, plan, invest, and strive for a better life. The pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right — and at its best, it leads to a higher quality of life for all.
But what happens when you work hard and still can’t get ahead? When do dreams give way to the daily fight for basic survival? When do you lose hope?
For many New Mexicans, this is reality. According to a recent United Way report, 46% of New Mexico households are ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed — people earning above the federal poverty level but still unable to afford basic living expenses.
On top of financial strain, thousands of New Mexicans are at risk of losing health care. New Mexico has the highest Medicaid enrollment per capita — 42% of the population. With new federal eligibility requirements, an estimated 88,530 residents are expected to lose coverage permanently. Medicaid currently pays for more than half of births in the state and covers nearly 295,000 children. (Health Care Authority)
Food insecurity is also rising. One in five New Mexicans relies on food assistance, and new federal rules will require the state to contribute an additional $203 million annually just to maintain current service levels. As of today, 459,535 residents — 21% of our population — are enrolled in SNAP. (Health Care Authority)
These are only a few examples of the very real challenges facing our neighbors and communities.
But there is hope — and we can help.
At the New Mexico Foundation (NMF), our role is to be a trusted vehicle for those who want to support our state and its people. There are many ways to give and get involved. Reach out to us — we would be honored to show you how you can make a meaningful difference for New Mexico, or click on the NMF funds noted below to support our established ongoing efforts.
Justin Kíí Huenemann
President and CEO
New Mexico Foundation
The Sustaining New Mexico Fund awards grants to organizations that align with NMF’s priority fields of interest: community resilience, educational opportunities, environmental adaptability, healthy communities, and rural infrastructure. The mission of the fund is to strengthen New Mexico communities by promoting social equity and supporting self-sufficiency to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans.
The Vecino, Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund was created to address emergency needs of New Mexico communities and organizations. Since 2015 the New Mexico Foundation has granted over $1.1 million out of this fund. Throughout the year, the Vecino, Neighbor Helping Neighbor Fund will award program or general operating grants to New Mexico nonprofit organizations experiencing a financial crisis of their own or organizations addressing emergency needs of community members.
New Mexico Foundation Announces $530,000 in Grants from the Anchorum Community Health Funds
Santa Fe – New Mexico Foundation (NMF) is awarding $530,000 in grants to support nonprofit organizations working across multiple counties in northern New Mexico. These grants will help advance local efforts to address homelessness, reduce food insecurity, improve community health, expand learning opportunities, and more. These grants are the first in NMF’s partnership with Anchorum Health Foundation, a multiyear investment in strengthening the capacity of community foundations across northern New Mexico.
“These grants really show how different communities have different priorities,” said Karen John, the Anchorum Fellow at the New Mexico Foundation. “From systems change, to nutrition, to Indigenous nursing capacity building, these grants serve six counties and five Tribes. It’s been powerful to see local organizations leading the way and shaping solutions that work for their own communities.”
The funding spans urban, rural, and Tribal communities, recognizing that each place has its own strengths and challenges. By investing in local organizations already doing the work on the ground, New Mexico Foundation aims to support homegrown ideas and build on the momentum of existing efforts. These grants reflect a shared commitment by New Mexico Foundation and Anchorum to community-driven solutions.
“We believe the best solutions come from within communities themselves,” said Jenny Parks, Senior Vice President of Strategic Philanthropy at Anchorum. “Our role is to listen, support, and help create space for local leaders to take the lead and drive real, lasting change.
The Community Health Funds grantmaking process are part of a shared effort between Anchorum and CHRISTUS Health to support healthier communities across the region. CHRISTUS Health offers input during the grantmaking process to help ensure the funding reflects shared priorities and values.
Grants were awarded to:
The Community Compass Navigation Center ($100,000): Serving San Juan County and the Navajo Nation, this grant will support efforts of 100% San Juan and the navigation center to continue lowering barriers to care access with a special focus on homelessness solutions.
HEAL (Health Equity, Action & Leadership) Initiative ($100,000): Serving McKinley County, Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo, this grant will support the second cohort of the Indigenous Southwest Leadership program to provide a leadership program for Indigenous nurses.
Lake City Youth & Family Center ($100,000): Serving Guadalupe County, this grant will help complete the groundwork, including the hiring and training of staff, for the center to become the Guadalupe Family Center.
The Community Pantry ($50,000): Serving McKinley and Cibola Counties, including Acoma Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo, Navajo Nation, and Zuni Pueblo, this grant supports the continuation of a mobile food distribution program.
Golden Spread Rural/Frontier Coalition ($50,000): Serving Harding, Quay, Colfax, and Union counties, this grant will help build capacity of their food pantry, with additional items, staff, and physical expansion.
San Juan County Partnership ($50,000): Serving San Juan County and the Navajo Nation, this grant will support the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program to provide intensive case management to those with substance use and/or mental health challenges who frequently have negative interactions with law enforcement.
Rising Stars Navajo Corporation ($40,000): Serving Shiprock, Navajo Nation, and San Juan County, this grant will support parenting and nutrition classes, and an afterschool sports league.
Yee Haolnii Doo – Tooh Haltsooi Community Center ($40,000): Serving Sheep Springs (including the Little Water, Naschitti, Newcomb, Toadlena, Tohatchi, and Two Grey Hills peoples), this grant will support programming in four focus areas—food sovereignty, youth leadership, culture/tradition/wellness, and small business/entrepreneurship support.
New Mexico Foundation (NMF) has worked for over 40 years to improve the quality of life for all residents of New Mexico. As the only community statewide foundation, our progressive, grassroots approach to building stronger communities empowers community members to collaborate on critical issues by tapping into local resources and discovering the strength in themselves.
Anchorum Health Foundation is dedicated to improving the conditions that have the greatest influence on the health of communities in our region. We are committing our resources to strengthening community-based partners tackling critical local issues. For more information, visit anchorum.org.
The New Mexico Foundation (NMF) is very pleased to announce the arrival of its new President and CEO, Justin Kíí Huenemann. Huenemann is a distinguished non-profit executive, previously having led several high-profile organizations, most recently the First Peoples Fund as President and CEO. He will bring his decades of expertise in working with marginalized communities to the NMF, the only Statewide Community Foundation in New Mexico.
“Justin’s broad experience with national foundations, nonprofit organizations and various government entities will help NMF continue to build statewide partnerships to address New Mexican’s needs,” said NMF Board President, Rosemary Romero. “We are thrilled to have someone at the helm with his organizational and outreach skills to help us grow and reach our full potential throughout the state and nationally.”
Throughout his career, Huenemann has worked across many sectors – from higher education and architecture to local government and entrepreneurship – driving powerful, locally-rooted solutions and building organizations that have generated impact and creative solutions within their communities. A true innovator, Huenemann was founding President and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, a groundbreaking organization in Minneapolis, MN that redefined Indigenous-led community and economic development in urban spaces.
His professional work has also included outstanding leadership as CEO of Jemez Enterprises, President and CEO of the Notah Begay III Foundation, championing the health and well-being of Native youth, and serving the Northwest Area Foundation, where he supported economic development across rural, urban and tribal communities in eight states.
Huenemann’s work has earned him notable recognition including the Minneapolis Mayor’s Healthy City Award and the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce Bear Award. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota.
Huenemann’s formative years took place on the Navajo Nation, in Tsaile, AZ and Albuquerque, NM. He is a current resident of Rio Rancho, NM where he is the proud father of four.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as the next President and CEO of the New Mexico Foundation,” said Huenemann. “This organization’s mission to uplift all residents of New Mexico—particularly those in rural, underserved, and Native communities—resonates deeply with my lifelong commitment to equity and community-driven change. I look forward to working alongside the Board, staff, partners, and communities across the state to build a more just, vibrant, and robust New Mexico for all.”