Letter from the President |
(above) President Huenemann enjoyed an engaging meeting with New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury. Representative Stansbury expressed her support for the work and investments of the New Mexico Foundation and all foundations in our state. |
Dear Friends and Partners,
We are living in tumultuous times. The challenges we face—both locally and globally—require us to lean into the curves with courage, clarity, and a shared commitment to the values that define us as New Mexicans. Now more than ever, we must look after one another, care for our neighbors, and ensure that those with the greatest needs are not left behind.
At the New Mexico Foundation, we’ve been hard at work refreshing and strengthening our internal systems to provide more accurate, timely, and responsive service to all of our partners. These efforts reflect our deep commitment to stewardship, transparency, and the long-term impact of our shared work.
With one month now under my belt as President and CEO, I am both humbled and inspired. I’ve had the privilege of connecting with many of our community partners (grantees) and funding partners alike, learning about the remarkable work happening across our state. From rural communities to urban neighborhoods, I see people and organizations doing the hard work of transforming lives and strengthening communities.
As we move forward, the New Mexico Foundation is committed to being a strong, dependable, and collaborative partner. We look forward to walking this journey together toward a more equitable and prosperous future for all New Mexicans. With gratitude and hope, |
Justin Kíí Huenemann
President and CEO
New Mexico Foundation |
Native American Recovery
Fund Zone Grant Convening |
New Mexico Foundation hosted a gathering of grantees and funders in mid-June. This event marked the culmination of our collective three year journey for the Native American Recovery Fund Zone Grant (NARFZG) and served as an opportunity to reflect on our shared experiences. It was an time to share successes, challenges, and lessons learned. We were also honored to have former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, as the keynote speaker during a celebratory dinner. The NARFZG is a partnership between New Mexico Foundation, local and regional funders, and groups that have worked together to support unique approaches by Native-led organizations to address recovery efforts. $2.7 million has been awarded over the last three years to the following partners: Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)
Conservation Legacy
Jicarilla Apache Nation, Department of Youth
McKinley Community Health Alliance
Native Women Lead
Nihi K'e' Baa' Mutual Aid
Pueblo Action Alliance
Pueblo of Pojoaque
Pueblo of San Felipe
Santa Clara Pueblo
Trees, Water & People
YAKANAL The New Mexico Foundation remains committed to the ongoing support of our tribes, pueblos, and Native communities in New Mexico. We thank them for all their wonderful work and contributions. |
The HIP/NAP 2025 Joint-Conference… Not simply another conference |
By Nelsy Dominguez, Community Fellow, New Mexico Foundation |
(photo) Stopping to chat with U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, Melanie Stansbury (center) during a networking break, New Mexico Foundation’s new CEO, Justin Huenemann (right) and Nelsy Dominguez, Community Fellow (left). |
Building solidarity and understanding are just a few of the take-aways gained by the over 1,500 participants attending the first ever joint conference of Hispanics in Philanthropy and Native Americans in Philanthropy held recently in Albuquerque. The 2025 HIP-NAP Joint Conference, Transforming Philanthropy Together, was historic and celebratory, honoring tradition and community-led solutions. The Conference also spoke volumes about the affinity between the two organizations and their desire for building an inclusionary movement that demands greater visibility and representation of Latine and Native Americans within philanthropy.
Participants engaged in unique, thought-provoking, and wide-ranging activities, presentations, discussions, workshops, plenary panels, award ceremonies, book signings, affinity gatherings, space for healing, quieting the mind and connecting, and site visits to diverse locations. Film screenings of First We Bombed New Mexico, the story of New Mexico’s downwinders and the devastation of radioactive fallout from the world’s first nuclear bomb detonation, and Across Together: The Return Expedition, a cinematic journey of diverse individuals, their rich community histories and cultures, and the significance of land, identity, and resilience and time for lots of networking rounded out the three-days.
The conference did not shy away from addressing the divisiveness of the current moment. The call for transformation within philanthropy was not simply inspirational… “Justice is NOT illegal. Race-explicit grantmaking is NOT illegal”, as loudly shared Ana Marie Argilagos, HIP President and CEO. We’re being called to reimagine how we show up, to listen deeply to communities and their leaders, to think more boldly about philanthropy, and—most importantly—to act with the urgency these times demands. According to HIP/NAP conference organizers and for those of us who participated, the joint conference was a clear call to action. HIP/NAP uniting to host the joint conference and engaging in the two-year planning process, clearly sets forth a worthy path for philanthropy…one that boldly calls for collaboration and transformation.
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Santa Fe New Mexican features
New Mexico Foundation's President and CEO
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Among the many things I found interesting from my conversation last week with Justin Kíí Huenemann, the new CEO and president of the New Mexico Foundation, was his description of community foundations as “a privileged environment within a privileged sector.”
Huenemann was referring to the role community foundations play within the nonprofit arena, noting how insular that world can be. The nonprofit community certainly isn’t alone in facing that issue, as the same can be said of any one of a number of fields — politics, government, academia and, of course, media, to name a few... |
HEAL Fund Grant Application Opens June 30! |
New Mexico Foundation is pleased to announce a funding opportunity through our Healthy Entry for Asylee Lives (HEAL) Fund. This fund was created with the belief that adults, families, and children seeking entry into the United States to flee from persecution and violence in their home countries and other humanitarian circumstances deserve access to trauma-informed and responsive support that allows a successful transition to a safe, healthy, and productive life. |
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