Thornburg Foundation Announces Additional $250,000 in Grants to New Mexico Nonprofits Responding to Coronavirus
Thornburg Foundation, the family foundation founded by Thornburg Investment Management Founder and Chairman Garrett Thornburg, announced $250,000 in additional grants to support nonprofit organizations that address critical gaps in services that affect infants, toddlers, and their families; assist local food supply chains; combat and coordinate emergency food and hunger needs; and conduct census outreach activities for hard-to-count communities with low self-response rates.
SANTA FE, NM — April 16, 2020 — Thornburg Foundation, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based family foundation, today announced $250,000 in grants to support nonprofit organizations that address critical gaps in services that affect infants, toddlers, and their families; assist local food supply chains; combat and coordinate emergency food and hunger needs; and conduct census outreach activities for hard-to-count communities with low self-response rates. These grants are in addition to the $240,000 previously announced in March for 13 Santa Fe and Albuquerque nonprofits.
“New Mexico First and the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association are playing a vital role in coordinating public and private relief efforts to address food insecurity during this pandemic,” said Thornburg Foundation Executive Director Allan Oliver. “We’re also proud to invest in the New Mexico Early Childhood Funders Group and NM Counts 2020 rapid response funds, which will help assure that young children and families, and community-based nonprofits get quick support for their ongoing work.”
The following organizations received grants:
- $50,000 for New Mexico Early Childhood Funders Group
The New Mexico Early Childhood Funders Group (NMECFG) is making grants to address critical gaps in services that affect infants, toddlers, and their families during this uncertain time. Funding decisions are made weekly by the NMECFG and grants are administered by the Santa Fe Community Foundation.Grants are prioritized for organizations meeting immediate needs pertaining to early childhood during the Covid-19 pandemic. This may include the distribution of basic supplies for infants and toddlers, as well as early childhood programs or materials designed to support families of young children during this public health emergency. Applications can be submitted at https://www.nmecfg.org/grants.html.
- $100,000 for New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association
Covid-19 is having a devastating impact on food systems across the country. Total economic loss across local and regional food markets in the U.S. is expected to be more than $1 billion from March through May, with smaller-scale and mid-size producers especially hard-hit. In New Mexico, farmers, ranchers and other participants in local food supply chains are facing unprecedented levels of market disruption and uncertainty. In response, this funding will allow the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association to: i) establish a structure for statewide crisis coordination and communications for the local food supply chain; and ii) provide resources through a statewide fund to on-the-ground projects that support local food supply chain needs. The fund will offer small grants to individual producers as well as other supply chain actors (aggregators, farmers’ market organizers, CSA operators or managers, nonprofits, etc.), thereby helping address gaps in and disruptions to the local food supply chain in the state. The Fund will also look to support linkages between the local food supply chain and access to local food for lower-income consumers. For more information: https://farmersmarketsnm.org (for consumers); https://www.newmexicofma.org (for Association members). - $50,000 for New Mexico First’s Covid-19 efforts to combat and coordinate emergency food and hunger needs
The New Mexico emergency food sector is stretched in its response to address the needs of hungry and food-insecure people across the state—including the highest rates of child hunger in the nation. Structural challenges are proving particularly problematic due to the Covid-19 crisis. Pantries statewide have reported an increase in service utilization of 40- 200 percent since the beginning of the pandemic. Rural, frontier, and tribal needs are particularly acute. To make response efforts the most effective and ensure the greatest impact, there is a tremendous need for enhanced coordination and crisis management systemwide, particularly for emergency food assistance and hunger alleviation efforts.With the help of this funding, New Mexico First will facilitate more effective responses to urgent food and hunger needs across the state by coordinating a group of key stakeholders—including staff from the governor’s office and state departments and agencies, legislators, food banks, food producers, and other nonprofits. This group will look at issues such as food supply and distribution, volunteer and labor challenges, communications, funding coordination, and policy and advocacy. For more information visit http://nmfirst.org.
- $50,000 for the NM Counts 2020 Census Rapid Response Fund
NM Counts 2020, an initiative of the Albuquerque Community Foundation, is launching a Census Rapid Response Fund to provide small grants of $2,500 for safe census outreach activities in hard-to-count communities with low self-response rates. Covid-19 is having a dramatic impact on the self-response rates in significant parts of the state—especially in these areas that are hard to count. This rapid response fund will help community-based organizations modify their strategies in the face of coronavirus, including dual-purpose approaches to inform the public about Covid-19 resources and encourage census participation. For more information: https://nmcounts2020.org
Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation that makes grants in the areas of good government reform, early childhood education, agriculture reform and community funding. We work to catalyze high-impact outcomes using evidence to understand and solve systemic problems, engage stakeholders to drive policy reform, and create meaningful and lasting change.
Thornburg Foundation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information: www.thornburgfoundation.org
Media Inquiries
Allan Oliver
Executive Director
Thornburg Foundation
Office: +1 505 467 7919
Mobile: +1 505 553 0759
Email: allan@thornburgfoundation.org
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