Albuquerque Community Foundation: Field of Interest Grants

The Albuquerque Community Foundation offers Field of Interest Grants to support diverse nonprofit organizations in the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area. Annually, grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 are awarded to initiatives in arts, education, environmental preservation, economic development, human services, health, and animal welfare. Organizations must have a minimum three-year history and align with the Foundation's values and fields of interest, ensuring impactful contributions to the community.

NOTE: Organizations can only apply for one field-of-interest the Annual Grant Cycle.
Annual Grant Cycle
Each year, Albuquerque Community Foundation awards grants through an annual grant cycle. Awards are granted to organizations providing services that support residents in the four-county Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia). The Annual Grant Cycle is supported by over 90 endowment funds.
Our Fields of Interest
Through the Annual Grant Cycle, we make grants in seven diverse priority areas.
Arts and Culture:Grants in this field of interest support artistic and cultural expression of diverse communities and providing access to these experiences through the following:

• Creative arts education including music, visual arts, and dance for youth (K-12) performing arts organizations
• Enhancing cultural arts

Theater and/or DanceEducation:Grants encompass a wide range of educational supports to ensure historically marginalized communities receive opportunities that positively impact their lives and careers. This may include:

• Literacy education for K-12, early childhood education, and after school initiatives
• Addressing adult literacy, vocational/career training and adult basic education, as well as programs to benefit seniors

Learning experiences for those with special needs and skills-based education programsEnvironmental & Historic Preservation:Grants in this field-of-interest support preservation of environment, wildlife, and historic buildings with specific focus on:

• Protecting natural land and resources, including the health and protection of wildlife
• Preservation of archaeological sites and/or historical buildings, landmarks, attractions and venues
• Climate justice efforts to improve environmental conditions (energy and water conservation, water recycling, renewable energy, etc.)

Educational programs and/or projects with strong community involvement related to any of the aboveEconomic & Workforce Development:Grants in this field-of-interest support intentional and inventive endeavors to ensure community wealth building for under-resourced populations, which can include:

• Working towards ensuring a robust local economy
• Contributing to social, economic, and environmental progress for entrepreneurs and the state's workforce

Providing innovative support systems for entrepreneursHuman Services:Grants aid individuals as they transition to more self-sustainable lifestyles, with an emphasis on fostering self-sufficiency and nurturing families, specific to supporting traditionally underserved populations. This field-of-interest focuses on these specific areas:

• Individuals experiencing displacement, homelessness, and/or individuals returning from incarceration
• Assistance for sexual assault and domestic violence programs and/or support for survivors of crime

Support for vulnerable populations including children, families and seniors, youth aging out of foster care and individuals with Intellectual and Developmental DisabilitiesHealth:Grants in this field-of-interest address essential needs for marginalized populations including the following programs:

• Providing emergency care/services
• Addressing food insecurity
• Mental and behavioral health needs, including addressing substance abuse
• General healthcare needs including home healthcare and hospice
• Supporting dental health needs for individualsAnimal Welfare:This grant opportunity will support the diverse programs for animal needs including:
• Welfare for animals (may include, but is not limited to):
• Spay and neuter
• Shelters
• Basic animal health
• Education/training
• Resources on how best to care for animals
• Veterinary career support, including veterinary techs
• Education about wildlife and ecosystems
• Programs involved in the training and certification of service animals
• Funding
• Awards range in size from $10,000 - $20,000.
• As a short-term funder providing relatively small grants, award sizes will be determined based on organizational budget, rubric score and available funding.

Eligibility

Criteria and Priorities for Applicants:Have been a nonprofit organization, exempt from Federal Income Taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; a public educational institution; or be a public agency, for a minimum of three (3) years (certain exceptions can be made to this, including: an organization operating with a fiscal agent or an organization spinning off from a parent nonprofit and establishing its own separate entity).Provide services to the people of the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia)
Clearly and specifically aligned with one of the Foundation’s Fields-of-Interest
Aligned with the Foundation’s Values
Be in good standing with the New Mexico Secretary of State and New Mexico Department of Justice (formerly the Office of the Attorney General)In an effort to ensure that local nonprofits have the flexibility they need to support the community, all grants in the Annul Grant Cycle will be general operating grants. This means funding will be unrestricted and grantees may use the funds as needed throughout the year.

Ineligibility

While the Foundation remains flexible in trying to meet community needs, in general, annual grants are not made for or to:Programmatic requests
Influence legislation or elections
Private foundations and other grant-making organizationsTypes of organizations ineligible to apply for Operating Support are:Government entities
Umbrella funding organizations whose sole purpose is re-granting