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New Mexico Community Trust

Annual Giving
$8.9M
Grant Range
$2K - $2.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $8,901,142 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 56 awards (2023)
  • Grant Range: $2,056 - $2,035,000 (typical range varies by program)
  • Total Assets: $10,626,169 (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: New Mexico and Arizona
  • Application Method: Varies by program - most are invitation only or through specific partnerships

Contact Details

Website: www.nmctrust.org

Phone: 505.883.6240

Email: nick@nmctrust.org

Physical Address: 624 Tijeras Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Mailing Address: PO Box 25266, Albuquerque, NM 87125-0266

Overview

New Mexico Community Trust (NMCT) is a tax-exempt public charity established to work in areas not serviced by existing community foundations across New Mexico. The organization, which holds approximately $10.6 million in assets, serves a unique dual role: it acts as a fiscal agent and provides back-office support for multiple community foundations across the state while also managing specific grant programs in partnership with government agencies and corporate funders. The Trust provides financial, investment, donor and grant management services for communities across the state, with grant-making focusing on Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services primarily in New Mexico and Arizona. In 2023, NMCT distributed $8.9 million through 56 grants. The organization partners with the New Mexico Coalition of Community Foundations (NMCCF), which includes the Albuquerque Community Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, Taos Community Foundation, Los Alamos Community Foundation, and the New Mexico Foundation. Marisa Magallanez serves as President & CEO, becoming the first woman of color in executive leadership at the organization when she assumed the role in January 2024.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Housing Stability Program

  • Administered in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration
  • Total funding: Up to $11.8 million in initial awards, with over $20 million distributed to 40+ organizations
  • Focus: Housing stability services for at-risk communities, helping renters navigate housing obstacles
  • Funded by U.S. Department of Treasury
  • Application method: Invitation/partnership-based (applications are not currently open)

Google Kids Initiative

  • Partnership with Google and New Mexico Attorney General's Office
  • Total funding: Up to $3.85 million
  • Grant range: $200,000 - $500,000 over two years
  • Focus: Increasing access to technology in underserved areas and online safety education for students
  • Resulted from a 2021 settlement agreement between the New Mexico Department of Justice and Google
  • Application method: Fixed rounds (currently closed)

Northern New Mexico Youth Fund

  • Partnership with Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table
  • Focus: Innovative Career Technical Education (CTE) and Work-Based Learning (WBL) programs
  • Serves: Youth ages 13-29 in San Miguel, Mora, Taos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, or Sandoval counties, or within the 18 Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations in North Central New Mexico
  • Priority populations: Youth of color, opportunity youth, young parents, Native American youth, those facing systemic barriers
  • Eligible grantees: Non-profit organizations, Tribal entities, middle and high schools
  • Application method: Fixed rounds (currently closed)
  • NMCT serves as fiscal agent alongside LANL Foundation

Saving for Success Award

  • Partnership with The Education Plan®
  • Provides up to $1,000 in 529 college savings accounts for K-8 students
  • Funded initially by Jack Beaty Educational Scholarship Foundation

Donor-Advised Funds and Endowments

  • NMCT manages charitable funds for individuals, families, companies, and private foundations
  • Provides professional grant-making and monitoring services
  • Grants from these funds are made at donor recommendation

Priority Areas

  • Education and youth development
  • Housing stability and homelessness prevention
  • Technology access and digital literacy
  • Career technical education and workforce development
  • Support for underserved communities and populations facing systemic barriers
  • Capacity building for the social sector
  • Services for seniors and people with disabilities
  • Support for survivors of domestic abuse

What They Don't Fund

Through the Housing Stability Program specifically, NMCT does not provide direct rental or mortgage assistance to individuals. The organization recommends calling 211 or contacting listed community resources for individual housing assistance needs.

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: Marisa Magallanez

  • Assumed role January 1, 2024
  • First woman of color in executive leadership at NMCT and Albuquerque Community Foundation
  • Previously served as Chief Operating Officer (promoted July 2023)
  • Over 20 years of nonprofit management experience
  • Holds MBA with focus in Policy and Planning from University of New Mexico
  • Manages approximately 20 staff members and nearly $190 million across NMCT and Albuquerque Community Foundation

CFO: Nicholas Williams (nick@nmctrust.org)

Board Chair: Brian Colón

  • Managing Partner at Singleton Schreiber law firm
  • Extensive community involvement in New Mexico
  • Also serves as trustee for Albuquerque Community Foundation

Key Leadership Quote: Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on the Housing Stability Program: "Our efforts to address housing and homelessness must run the gamut..."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a traditional public application process. The New Mexico Community Trust operates primarily through three mechanisms:

  1. Partnership-Based Programs: Most grant programs are administered through partnerships with government agencies (New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration), corporate funders (Google), or collaborative networks (Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table). Organizations are typically selected through these partner entities rather than direct application to NMCT.

  2. Donor-Advised Funds: Individuals, families, companies, and private foundations can establish charitable funds with NMCT. Grants from these funds are made based on donor recommendations to nonprofits of their choosing.

  3. Fiscal Agent Services: NMCT serves as fiscal agent for various programs, managing funds and providing grant administration on behalf of other entities.

For specific programs when they open for applications, interested organizations should:

  • Monitor the NMCT website (www.nmctrust.org) for program announcements
  • Connect with relevant partner organizations (e.g., Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table for youth programs)
  • Review program-specific websites linked from NMCT's partnerships page

Getting on Their Radar

Partnership Relationships: The most effective way to access NMCT funding is through their partner organizations. Key partnerships include:

  • New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration for housing-related programs
  • Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table for youth workforce development programs
  • New Mexico Coalition of Community Foundations member organizations (Albuquerque Community Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, Taos Community Foundation, Los Alamos Community Foundation, and the New Mexico Foundation)

Contact for Exploration: Organizations interested in exploring potential alignment should contact CFO Nick Williams at nick@nmctrust.org or call 505.883.6240 to discuss whether upcoming programs might align with their mission.

Donor Fund Establishment: Organizations with existing relationships with donors may benefit from encouraging those donors to establish donor-advised funds at NMCT, from which they can recommend grants to their preferred nonprofits.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary significantly by program as NMCT operates primarily as a fiscal agent and administrator rather than an independent funder. Timelines are determined by partner organizations and funding cycles.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies vary by specific program. For programs like the Google Kids Initiative and Northern New Mexico Youth Fund, applications open in fixed rounds. Organizations should monitor program-specific pages for announcements of new funding cycles.

Application Success Factors

Since NMCT operates primarily through partnerships rather than open applications, success factors differ from traditional funders:

For Partnership-Based Programs:

  • Alignment with specific program priorities (e.g., youth workforce development for Northern NM Youth Fund, technology access and online safety for Google Kids Initiative, housing stability services for Housing Stability Program)
  • Geographic eligibility - many programs serve specific regions or counties within New Mexico
  • Demonstrated capacity to serve priority populations: youth of color, opportunity youth, Native American communities, those facing systemic barriers
  • Ability to provide specific services outlined in program guidelines

Recent Grant Examples:

Google Kids Initiative Recipients (2022):

  • Indigitize Computer Science: $200,000 over two years - supports Indigenous communities' computer science learning
  • Computer Science Alliance: $220,000 over two years - empowers educators with computational curriculum tools
  • Silver City Consolidated School District: $500,000 - serves over 2,500 students with 1-1 device program from Pre-K through 12th grade

Housing Stability Program Recipients:

  • 40+ organizations including Amparo, Casa Milagro, New Mexico Legal Aid, Veterans Offgrid
  • Organizations provide services including landlord-tenant mediation, housing counseling, case management, services for seniors and people with disabilities, legal services for eviction proceedings, support for domestic abuse survivors, eviction prevention, and housing navigation assistance

Key Success Factors:

  • Strong alignment with partner organization priorities and guidelines
  • Demonstrated ability to serve underserved populations
  • Cultural competency, particularly for programs serving Native American communities
  • Capacity to provide measurable outcomes
  • For donor-advised fund grants: existing relationship with the donor recommending the grant

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not a traditional funder: NMCT does not operate with standard grant application cycles. They primarily serve as a fiscal agent, back-office support provider, and donor fund manager rather than an independent grantmaker.

  • Access through partnerships: The primary path to NMCT-administered funding is through their partner organizations - track announcements from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration, Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table, and other collaborative networks.

  • Geographic and population focus: Strong emphasis on underserved communities in New Mexico, with particular attention to youth of color, Native American communities, opportunity youth, and those facing systemic barriers.

  • Program-specific requirements: Each partnership-based program has distinct eligibility criteria and application processes - carefully review program-specific pages and partner organization guidelines.

  • Consider the donor-advised fund angle: If your organization has strong donor relationships, encouraging those donors to establish funds at NMCT could provide a pathway to sustainable support.

  • Fiscal agent model: NMCT's role as fiscal agent means they bring together philanthropic, state, tribal, and federal funding for collaborative initiatives - positioning your organization within these collaborative networks is key.

  • Capacity building orientation: NMCT's mission focuses on providing "statewide capacity and support to the social sector" - emphasize how funding would build organizational capacity and contribute to broader community impact.

References

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