Thornburg Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5.83 million (2023)
• Success Rate: Not available
• Decision Time: Not available
• Grant Range: Not available
• Geographic Focus: New Mexico (exclusively)

Contact Details

• Address: 2300 N Ridgetop Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87506-8361
• Website: thornburgfoundation.org
• Phone: 505-467-7853
• Email: info@thornburgfoundation.org

Overview

Established in 1999, the Thornburg Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with total assets of $147.1 million as of 2023. The foundation distributed $5.83 million in grants in 2023. Since its founding, the foundation has awarded more than 1,700 grants totalling $67 million to New Mexico non-profit organisations. The foundation uses an evidence-based strategic approach to solve systemic problems that impact people and communities in New Mexico, focusing on partnering with organisations to develop non-partisan policy solutions.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Based on available information, the foundation focuses on five main statewide policy areas:

1. K-12 Education: Identifying and addressing root causes of challenging problems in education
2. Water: Achieving policy reforms that transform New Mexico's water governance to respond effectively to 21st century challenges including aridification, unprecedented drought, and extreme events
3. Land & Agriculture: Improving the health of New Mexico's working rangelands and farmland, including safeguarding acequias, restoring watersheds, preparing for drought, and financing resilience
4. Good Government Reforms: Increasing transparency, accountability, and participation in New Mexico government
5. Pursuing Federal Funds: Helping New Mexico non-profits access federal funding for agriculture, water, and health-related projects

The foundation also invests in its local community through its homelessness and community-funding portfolios.

Geographic Focus

The foundation works exclusively within the state of New Mexico.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team:

• Board Chair: Garrett Thornburg (Founder, unpaid position)
• President: Allan Oliver (Compensation: $259,933 in 2024)

Board Members:

• Alon Kasha
• Blair Naylor
• Brian Boyd
• Fred Nathan
• Jim Minich
• Kathy Keith
• Lloyd Thornburg

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. If you believe your organisation's work aligns with any of the Thornburg Foundation's current initiatives, you can contact info@thornburgfoundation.org. The foundation appears to operate by proactively identifying organisations aligned with their equity-centred, root cause approach.

Getting on Their Radar

Organisations interested in funding should ensure their work demonstrates strong alignment with the foundation's five focus areas and approach to creating systemic change through non-partisan policy solutions in New Mexico.

Application Success Factors

Without access to specific application guidelines, potential applicants should:

• Ensure strong alignment with the foundation's five focus areas
• Demonstrate how their work will create systemic change in New Mexico
• Show evidence-based approaches to problem-solving
• Focus on non-partisan policy solutions
• Consider how the work might leverage additional resources, particularly federal funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The foundation exclusively funds work in New Mexico
• Focus areas are limited to K-12 education, water, land/agriculture, good government reform, and pursuing federal funds
• The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals; contact via email if you believe your work aligns
• Strong emphasis on evidence-based approaches and systemic change
• Policy development and reform appear to be key interests
• The foundation proactively identifies potential grantees rather than reviewing open applications

References

• GuideStar Profile for Thornburg Foundation (EIN: 85-0457010), accessed December 2024
• ProPublica Non-profit Explorer - Thornburg Foundation, 2023 financial data
• Thornburg Foundation website (www.thornburgfoundation.org), accessed May 2025
• Foundation address: 2300 N Ridgetop Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87506-8361