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Marshall L And Perrine D Mccune Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.4M
Grant Range
$15K - $0.1M
Decision Time
6mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,400,700 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 6 months (September deadline, March notification)
  • Grant Range: $15,000 - $105,000
  • Geographic Focus: New Mexico statewide

Contact Details

  • Website: https://nmmccune.org/
  • Email: grants@nmmccune.org
  • Phone: 505.983.8300
  • Address: 345 E Alameda St, Santa Fe, NM 87501-2229
  • Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (except holidays)

Overview

The Marshall L. and Perrine D. McCune Charitable Foundation is a family foundation established in 1989 by Perrine McCune to honor the philanthropic legacy of her and her late husband Marshall. With approximately $91.8 million in assets, the foundation is dedicated to enriching the health, education, environment, cultural, and spiritual life of New Mexicans through proactive grantmaking that fosters positive social change. The foundation awarded 178 grants totaling $3.4 million in 2023 and holds equity as a core value, prioritizing organizations led by those closest to the communities they serve. Under the leadership of Executive Director Carla Romero since 2021, the foundation has implemented innovative approaches to grantmaking including multi-year commitments and collaborative funding models.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Cultivate Grants: $15,000 (unrestricted operating support for innovative/pilot work or established programs)
  • Continuity Grants: $15,000 (support for established organizations working toward increased impact)
  • Focus Grants: $35,000/year for 3 years ($105,000 total) - Multi-year support for collaborative groups
  • NM Collaborative Zone Grants: $25,000 planning grants, up to $200,000 implementation (in partnership with other funders)

Priority Areas

The foundation supports nine priority areas:

  • Capacity building in the nonprofit sector
  • Economic development and family asset building
  • Education transformation (equitable opportunities rooted in place and community)
  • Leveraging opportunities in health care (including traditional practices)
  • Local food industry development
  • Building links between arts and community engagement
  • Stewardship in community
  • Influencing the planning of built environments
  • Strategies for rural development

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status (unless federally-recognized Native American tribes, public schools, or governmental agencies)
  • Work primarily benefiting populations outside New Mexico

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Carla M. Romero (since August 2021)

  • Previously served as Administrative Director from January 2012
  • Initiated extensive grantee engagement conversations, conducting 65+ meetings with partners

Board of Trustees: 7 members (meets twice annually in Santa Fe)

The foundation emphasizes reversing traditional power dynamics in philanthropy, establishing platforms where leadership for priorities comes from those closest to the work rather than top-down directives.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  • Online application portal (each grant account requires unique email address)
  • Annual open application cycle: mid-August to mid-September
  • Current deadline: September 15, 2025 (for 2026 funding)
  • Open call sessions available for Q&A before deadline

Decision Timeline

  • Application window: August 15 - September 15
  • Board meeting: Late February
  • Notifications: Early March via email
  • Total timeline: Approximately 6 months from submission to decision

Success Rates

  • 2023: 178 grants awarded
  • 2022: 178 grants awarded
  • 2021: 160 grants awarded
  • Specific acceptance rate not publicly disclosed

Reapplication Policy

Not specified in available documentation. Contact grants@nmmccune.org for clarification.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated priorities and approach:

  • Demonstrate authentic collaboration: Focus Grants specifically require collaboration as a core approach to work
  • Show leadership from affected communities: Foundation prioritizes organizations whose leadership comes from those closest to and most affected by the work
  • Align with equity goals: Foundation holds equity as core value - demonstrate how your work advances equitable access and opportunities
  • Root your work in New Mexico context: Education and other initiatives should be "rooted in place and community," honoring NM's diverse cultures, languages, and traditions
  • Support frontline communities: Foundation prioritizes tribal and rural communities, lower/middle income families, and communities of color impacted by climate change and poor infrastructure
  • Consider multi-year planning: With new 3-year grant options, think strategically about sustained impact over time

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Foundation values emergent strategy that reverses traditional power dynamics - emphasize community-led approaches
  • New multi-year funding options ($35,000/year for 3 years) provide opportunity for sustained support
  • Collaborative Zone Grants offer substantial funding ($25,000-$200,000) for groups working together
  • Executive Director actively engages with grantees through direct conversations - relationship building is valued
  • Foundation serves entire state of New Mexico with particular attention to rural and tribal communities
  • Operating support is available across all grant tiers - unrestricted funding is possible
  • September 15 annual deadline requires advance planning - mark calendars for mid-August application opening

References

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