Brindle Foundation is a private family foundation based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, established in 2002 as a successor to the M.A. Healy Family Foundation. The foundation is governed by the Schwanfelder family and operates with a singular focus on early childhood development in New Mexico. The foundation's name honors a former family dog and represents the family's values of "looking inside, beyond appearances, to loyalty and commitment."
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$33.4M
+4.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
+6.8% YoY
Grant Count
72
+16.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$22K
-8.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brindle Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to make a difference in the lives of young children in New Mexico by supporting and expanding the services and resources available to them and their families, with a focus on the prenatal-to-three age group.
Brindle is known across nonprofit, public, and philanthropic sectors in New Mexico for centering babies in policy, program, and systems work. The foundation embraces a personal, community-informed, and caring approach to its grantmaking.
Primary funding areas within early childhood include:
- Direct services for infants and toddlers (prenatal to age three)
- Healthcare and family support services
- Home visiting programs
- Early learning and child care
- Workforce development in early childhood education
- Early childhood policy, advocacy, and awareness campaigns
- Organizational capacity building
- Higher education programs teaching infant and early childhood development
Approximately 95 percent of Brindle grants support the Early Childhood Initiative, with 5 percent allocated to discretionary grants.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s & Awards:**
Review Cycle
September 22nd for Early Childhood proposals
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary service area: Seven northern New Mexico counties (Santa Fe, San Miguel, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos) plus all tribal lands in New Mexico
Statewide funding: Systems work and early childhood policy, advocacy, and awareness campaigns at the statewide level in New Mexico
Higher education: Supports New Mexico nonprofit colleges and universities teaching infant and early childhood development
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $31.9 million (2023)
- Total assets: $37 million (2024)
Annual Activity:
- Total revenues: $2.6 million (2023)
- Total expenses: $1.9 million (2023)
- Annual distributions: $1.5-2 million
- Highest grantmaking activity: 2022 with $3.4 million distributed across 140 grants
Historical Growth:
- Total assets grew from $8.8 million in 2011 to $37 million in 2024
Staffing:
- 1 employee (Executive Director)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $33,421,968 | $31,904,659 | $31,615,314 |
| Revenue | $3,328,328 | $2,648,727 | $4,824,110 |
| Expenses | $2,024,206 | $1,922,212 | $2,201,105 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,834,558 | $1,712,838 | $1,940,666 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,099,776 | $1,969,667 | $4,244,438 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,897,371 | $1,707,829 | $1,711,421 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Brindle Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Las Cumbres Community Services (year 2 of Two Year Grant) ($60,000), Breath of My Heart Birthplace (year 2 of Two Year Grant) ($55,000), Child and Family Developmenr Center San Juan College ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AUDUBON SANTA FE, NM | TO SUPPORT THE DELIVERY AND GROWTH OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMMING | $20,000 |
| TBT FUND (CO THE BIRTHING TREE) SANTA FE, NM | TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL HEALTH NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME AND MARGINALIZED PREGNANT RESIDENTS | $30,000 |
| BREATH OF MY HEART BIRTHPLACE (YEAR 2 OF TWO YEAR GRANT) ESPANOLA, NM | TO SUPPORT QUALITY MIDWIFERY CARE TO UNDERSERVED FAMILIES IN RIO ARRIBA CO | $55,000 |
| CASA FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT SANTA FE, NM | TO TRAIN VOLUNTEERS TO ADVOCATE FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS IN FOSTER CARE | $25,000 |
| CHILD AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENR CENTER SAN JUAN COLLEGE FARMINGTON, NM | FOR HIGH-QUALITY CARE AND ED TO YOUNG CHILDREN, FAMILIES, STUDENTS, & BROADER COMMUNITY | $50,000 |
| COLLABORATIVE TEACHERS INSTITUTE ALBUQUERQUE, NM | TO ENGAGE TEACHER LEADERS TO SUPPORT CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN | $18,000 |
| EARTH CARE NM SANTA FE, NM | TO SUPPORT YOUTH-LED WORK ON CLIMATE ACTION | $8,000 |
| EMBRACING EQUITY ALBUQUERQUE, NM | TO SUPPORT EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS THROUGH TRAINING | $15,000 |
| EMBUDO VALLEY AND COMMUNITY CENTER DIXON, NM | TO SUPPORT THE NEW PARADIGM PLAY GROUP FOR 0-3 YEAR OLDS & THEIR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS | $13,500 |
| ENSUENOS Y LOS ANGELITOS TAOS, NM | TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EI AND PRESCHOOL STAFF IN TAOS | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Nancy H Schwanfelder – Secretary
- Kevin Schwanfelder – President
- Craig Schwanfelder – Vice President/Treasurer
- Mary Nell Wegner – Executive Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEVIN SCHWANFELDER | PRESIDENT | 15 | — |
| CRAIG SCHWANFELDER | VP/TREASURER | 5 | — |
| NANCY H SCHWANFELDER | SECRETARY | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**Staff Wellness Support:** Brindle released findings on support to staff wellness, chronicling ideas from grantee partner organizations as they supported staff members through recent challenges.
**Reproductive Rights Advocacy:** Brindle affirmed its long-held belief in Planned Parenthood and PPRM's critical work in New Mexico as an important part of the foundation's Early Childhood Focus.
**Community Initiatives:** The foundation assisted in creating Books for Babies New Mexico, a program that gives a book and reading information to every baby born in Santa Fe. The program began January 1, 2012 and has since expanded to Socorro. Brindle also established the Santa Fe Baby Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation to give babies a greater voice in the community.
Grants - Brindle Foundation**Notable Grantee Partners:** Breath of My Heart, Cuidando los Ninos, Embudo Valley Library, First Born of Northern NM, Gerard's House, Growing Up New Mexico, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Santa Fe Children's Museum, and TEWA Women United.
**Recent Grants (2023):**
La Familia Health: $60,000 to support establishing Centering Pregnancy, a group prenatal care program
Santa Fe Children's Museum: $55,000 to support "Wee Explorations" program activities for ages 0-3
Western New Mexico University Foundation: $53,000 to support expansion of a therapeutic classroom for children under 3 who have experienced trauma
Contact Information
Website: https://www.brindlefoundation.org
Email: info@brindlefoundation.org
Phone: (505) 986-3983
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 31696, Santa Fe, NM 87594
Executive Director Contact: Mary Nell Wegner (marynell@brindlefoundation.org)
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Brindle Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to make a difference in the lives of young children in New Mexico by supporting and expanding the services and resources available to them and their families, with a focus on the prenatal-to-three age group. Brindle is known across nonprofit, public, and philanthropic sectors in New Mexico for centering babies in policy, program, and systems work. The foundation embraces a personal, community-informed, and caring approach to its grantmaking. **Primary funding areas w…
How do I apply for a grant from Brindle Foundation?
**Grant Ranges & Awards:** • Grant range: $5,000 to $90,000 • New grantee partners may apply for up to $20,000 per year • Median grant: $21,000-$25,000 • Average award: $24,000 • Recent annual grantmaking: 62-70 grants awarded annually, totaling approximately $1.5-2 million **Grant Types:** • Grants are given for one or two-year periods toward projects or programs • Collaborative efforts between two or more organizations are encouraged • General operating support, general support, and general p…
Where does Brindle Foundation make grants?
**Primary service area:** Seven northern New Mexico counties (Santa Fe, San Miguel, Mora, Rio Arriba, and Taos) plus all tribal lands in New Mexico **Statewide funding:** Systems work and early childhood policy, advocacy, and awareness campaigns at the statewide level in New Mexico **Higher education:** Supports New Mexico nonprofit colleges and universities teaching infant and early childhood development
What size grants does Brindle Foundation award?
In 2024, Brindle Foundation awarded 72 grants totaling $1.6M — an average of about $22K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Brindle Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Brindle Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Brindle Foundation's EIN?
Brindle Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 03-0466957. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Brindle Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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