40th Anniversary

Community is our foundation: 40 years

About Us

40th Anniversary

Community is our foundation: 40 years

About Us

About Us

40th Anniversary

Community is our foundation: 40 years

Along with partners, donors, students, and organizations, we have planted seeds of great change in the community for the last four decades. In 2021, we celebrated our 40 year history, while continuing to support Albuquerque’s sustained growth.

Since our founding in 1981, the goals of the Foundation have remained the same: to coordinate endowment-based contributions, distribute funds for community needs in a timely and equitable manner, and to serve as a leader and resource for philanthropy in this great city. We continue to strive to make charitable giving accessible to all, and make investments that address the greatest needs and support the unique talents of Albuquerque. With continued conversation and community-informed giving, we are growing our impact, together.

To celebrate this special year, we took an “and” approach — taking time to celebrate and reflect. Although we did not celebrate in the traditional way with a large event, we did focus on what was most important, community impact. We are seeding long-term initiatives honoring the generous giving by our donors which support the critical services provided by nonprofits in our community.

40th Anniversary Initiatives

40 Grantiversary

To celebrate our 40 year history, forty-four grants were made to honor each of the Foundation's decades, as well as grants focusing on emergent needs of today and planting seeds for tomorrow.

These grants are in addition to our usual grantmaking with a strong lens of COVID-19 recovery and diversity, equity and inclusion principles.

Thank you to our donors!

  • Anonymous Donors
  • Tom & Jan Daulton
  • Frank Fine & Leslie Richards
  • David Griffin
  • Dee Hines
  • Carolyn Martinez
  • Ann Morrison
  • Jane & Ed McCullough
  • Dorothy Wood

DECADE 4: BLOOM - These grants honor the Economic & Workforce Development focus of the Foundation's 4th decade by funding organizations helping inclusive economic prosperity bloom in our community.

  • Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless
  • Cooperativa Korimi
  • Dental Care in Your Home
  • Hopeworks
  • International District Library
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Center of Southwest Culture
  • United Voices for Newcomer Rights
  • NM Native American Recovery Fund
    • Family Economic Security
    • Water Resilience
  • Partnership for Community Action
  • Lutheran Family Services
  • New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty

DECADE 3: BRANCHING OUT - The Foundation’s third decade brought a remarkable increase of capacity, direction, and vision stemming from the 25th Anniversary and the new Champion Building. These grants honor that era by funding organizations experiencing visionary or transformative changes.

  • Asian Business Collaborative
  • Crossroads for Women
  • Fresh Fields
  • New Mexico Foundation for Dental Health
    • Research and Education
  • Women in Leadership
  • Equality New Mexico
  • SAGE Albuquerque
  • Presbyterian Medical Services (Torrance County)
  • NM-New, Inc.
  • New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
  • Silver Rainbow NM
  • Supportive Housing Coalition

DECADE 2: GROWTH - These grants honor the Foundation’s focus on children & youth in the 2nd decade by funding organizations that serve the community’s current and future generations.

  • American Diabetes Association
  • El Puente de Encuentros
  • Immigrant and Refugee Resource Village of Albuquerque
  • NewMexicoKidsCAN
  • St. Felix Pantry
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • NMCAN
  • Vizionz-Sankofa
  • New Mexico Dream Team

DECADE 1: ROOTS - These grants honor the Foundation’s original grantmaking focus by funding arts & education organizations.

  • Albuquerque Reads – Career Guidance Institute (CGI)
  • Best Buddies New Mexico
  • Every Ability Plays Project
  • New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus
  • Libros for Kids
  • National Institute of Flamenco
  • Washington Middle School
  • Oasis Albuquerque
  • NACA-Inspired Schools Network
  • Vision ABQ Inc. / MLK Jr. Scholarships
Small Orgs, Big Impact

Through the DEI United Collaborative and an opportunity with Kellogg Foundation, the Small Orgs, Big Impact grant program was established to support grassroots, BIPOC-led, small nonprofits. These organizations intimately know and understand their communities as well as have their trust, and inherent knowledge, to address the racial/ethnic gaps in health and education.

Established by United Way of Central New Mexico (UWCNM) and the Foundation, the DEI United Collaborative recognizes the systemic racism inherent in the grantmaking process which has contributed to BIPOC-led nonprofits being underinvested. The goal was to develop a grantmaking program based in trust and
solidarity principles that effectively support these grassroots, BIPOC-led organizations while informing grantmaking practices. The Small Orgs, Big Impact grant will fund 12-15 organizations through an unrestricted, multi-year program over three grant cycles.

The first round of funding consists of four organizations identified by UWCNM and Foundation staff using Trust-Based Philanthropy principles. It is our intention to keep the first round small to minimize staff decision-making in funded organizations. The second and third round of funding will be community-led and
determined. Learn more.

Julie Weaks Gutiérrez Opportunity Fund

In our 40th year, we are excited to honor the memory of one of Albuquerque’s most extraordinary women, Julie Weaks Gutiérrez. Julie joined the Foundation Board of Trustees in 2013, and served both as Treasurer and Chair during her time on the Board. In 2018, she established the Foundation’s task force of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (dEi) with then Chair-Elect Walter Stern. In 2019, the task force became a formal committee.

With the establishment of the dEi committee, the Foundation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been an integral piece to its development as an organization.

In Julie’s honor as she retired from the Board, Trustees established the Julie Weaks Gutiérrez Opportunity Fund to create an opportunity for the best and brightest individuals and community leaders who otherwise would be unable to join the Board due to financial barriers. Julie felt passionately this was critical to the future of the Board – to reflect the community which the Foundation serves.

Although Julie died in 2020, after losing her fight with lung cancer, the Foundation sought to increase the Julie Weaks Gutiérrez Opportunity Fund. With that goal in mind and with the generous support of our community, the Fund grew to over $40,000 in 2021.

Thank you to the donors for helping us to reach that goal.

  • Emily & Garrett Allen
  • Linda & Carl Alongi
  • Tom & Keri Antram
  • Patrick Apodaca & Leslie McCarthy Apodaca
  • Beverly & Perry Bendicksen
  • Linda & Paul Cochran
  • Brian & Aleli Colón
  • Michelle & Jimmy Dearholt
  • Anna & Michael Doss
  • Rupal & Sanjay Engineer
  • Mike Walker & Gari Fails
  • Garcia Automotive Group
  • Glenn Fellows & Patricia Hancock
  • Jason & Rebecca Harrington
  • Debbie Johnson
  • Pam Hurd-Knief & Ron Knief
  • Bob Bowman & Jack Knight
  • Bill & Elizabeth Lang
  • Steve & Debbie Maestas
  • MediaDesk
  • Jerry & Nancy Roehl
  • Randy Royster & María Griego-Raby
  • Anne & Ken Sapon
  • Charlotte & Stuart Schoenmann
  • Walter & Mimi Stern
  • Chet & Diana Stewart
  • The Roehl Law Firm
  • José Viramontes
IPCC Public Art Piece

As a nod to the Foundation’s initial grantmaking in arts and culture during the 1980s, we partnered with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (“IPCC”) to commission a public art project located near the traffic circle at Menaul Blvd and 12th Street NW. A request for proposals was submitted for designs from a Native American artist and/or artist team from New Mexico. One of the qualifications for the design was the art piece reflect the site’s culture and history as a gateway to the North Valley and our 19 Pueblos.

The Art Selection Committee for the project was led by IPCC staff and included a representative from the Near North Valley Neighborhood Association, Albuquerque Community Foundation (“Foundation”), the City of Albuquerque Arts Board, and a Foundation Trustee.

Artist Greyshoes (Upton Ethelbah Jr.) and his design "Pueblo Matriarch" was chosen (featured above). "Pueblo Matriarch” will be a fabricated steel sculpture with a headdress symbolic of women corn dancers, a historic ceremony done by all the Pueblos of the Southwest. The ceremony is a prayer to the creator for a good harvest, plenty of rain for the crops, and prosperity for all people.

Greyshoes is the nom de plume of the multiple blue ribbon award-winning sculptor Upton S. Ethelbah Jr. Greyshoes sculpts in a contemporary, stylized manner following forms inspired by the aesthetic motifs and movements found in the ceremonial regalia and dances of his Native American heritage, Santa Clara Pueblo and White Mountain Apache. Final design and installation of the art piece will be completed by April 2022.

2021 Great Grant Giveaway

We were delighted to hold Great Grant Giveaway during our 40th Anniversary albeit via digital media, awarding $160,000 total to the four nonprofits: Flower Hill Institute, New Mexico Black Leadership Council, South Valley MainStreet, and TenderLove Community Center.

The excitement of seeing friends, enjoying fellowship and the “buzz of the room” was missed but our donors met the challenge with generosity. The final total includes a match from the Foundation and PNM Resources Foundation to ensure each recipient received a total of $40,000.

Learn More
$40,000 Grant Support Economic Relief Working Group

In partnership with Santa Fe Community Foundation, which is also celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, we have made a $40,000 grant to support the New Mexico Economic Relief Working Group, a cohort of community immigrant organizations. The unrestricted grant represents a collaborative effort between the two foundations to support inclusive COVID-19 recovery across the state.

A workgroup of Albuquerque and Santa Fe Community Foundation staff discussed which potential collaboratives to support, agreeing on the importance of eliminating barriers to all immigrants and refugees receiving assistance.

The New Mexico Economic Relief Working Group is made up of five community-based and advocacy organizations: New Mexico Voices for Children, El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derecho, Partnership for Community Action, Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (NM CAFé), and Somos Un Pueblo Unido. Together, these organizations research, design, and implement government-sponsored emergency assistance programs for New Mexicans who were excluded from federal COVID-19 relief efforts, including undocumented residents and those from mixed immigration status families.

During the pandemic, the group successfully advocated for $25 million that was distributed through local and state cash assistance programs.


Read stories from the community

Along with partners, donors, students, and organizations, we have planted seeds of great change in the community for the last four decades. In 2021, we celebrated our 40 year history, while continuing to support Albuquerque’s sustained growth.

Since our founding in 1981, the goals of the Foundation have remained the same: to coordinate endowment-based contributions, distribute funds for community needs in a timely and equitable manner, and to serve as a leader and resource for philanthropy in this great city. We continue to strive to make charitable giving accessible to all, and make investments that address the greatest needs and support the unique talents of Albuquerque. With continued conversation and community-informed giving, we are growing our impact, together.

To celebrate this special year, we took an “and” approach — taking time to celebrate and reflect. Although we did not celebrate in the traditional way with a large event, we did focus on what was most important, community impact. We are seeding long-term initiatives honoring the generous giving by our donors which support the critical services provided by nonprofits in our community.

40th Anniversary Initiatives

40 Grantiversary

To celebrate our 40 year history, forty-four grants were made to honor each of the Foundation's decades, as well as grants focusing on emergent needs of today and planting seeds for tomorrow.

These grants are in addition to our usual grantmaking with a strong lens of COVID-19 recovery and diversity, equity and inclusion principles.

Thank you to our donors!

  • Anonymous Donors
  • Tom & Jan Daulton
  • Frank Fine & Leslie Richards
  • David Griffin
  • Dee Hines
  • Carolyn Martinez
  • Ann Morrison
  • Jane & Ed McCullough
  • Dorothy Wood

DECADE 4: BLOOM - These grants honor the Economic & Workforce Development focus of the Foundation's 4th decade by funding organizations helping inclusive economic prosperity bloom in our community.

  • Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless
  • Cooperativa Korimi
  • Dental Care in Your Home
  • Hopeworks
  • International District Library
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Center of Southwest Culture
  • United Voices for Newcomer Rights
  • NM Native American Recovery Fund
    • Family Economic Security
    • Water Resilience
  • Partnership for Community Action
  • Lutheran Family Services
  • New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty

DECADE 3: BRANCHING OUT - The Foundation’s third decade brought a remarkable increase of capacity, direction, and vision stemming from the 25th Anniversary and the new Champion Building. These grants honor that era by funding organizations experiencing visionary or transformative changes.

  • Asian Business Collaborative
  • Crossroads for Women
  • Fresh Fields
  • New Mexico Foundation for Dental Health
    • Research and Education
  • Women in Leadership
  • Equality New Mexico
  • SAGE Albuquerque
  • Presbyterian Medical Services (Torrance County)
  • NM-New, Inc.
  • New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
  • Silver Rainbow NM
  • Supportive Housing Coalition

DECADE 2: GROWTH - These grants honor the Foundation’s focus on children & youth in the 2nd decade by funding organizations that serve the community’s current and future generations.

  • American Diabetes Association
  • El Puente de Encuentros
  • Immigrant and Refugee Resource Village of Albuquerque
  • NewMexicoKidsCAN
  • St. Felix Pantry
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • NMCAN
  • Vizionz-Sankofa
  • New Mexico Dream Team

DECADE 1: ROOTS - These grants honor the Foundation’s original grantmaking focus by funding arts & education organizations.

  • Albuquerque Reads – Career Guidance Institute (CGI)
  • Best Buddies New Mexico
  • Every Ability Plays Project
  • New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus
  • Libros for Kids
  • National Institute of Flamenco
  • Washington Middle School
  • Oasis Albuquerque
  • NACA-Inspired Schools Network
  • Vision ABQ Inc. / MLK Jr. Scholarships
Small Orgs, Big Impact

Through the DEI United Collaborative and an opportunity with Kellogg Foundation, the Small Orgs, Big Impact grant program was established to support grassroots, BIPOC-led, small nonprofits. These organizations intimately know and understand their communities as well as have their trust, and inherent knowledge, to address the racial/ethnic gaps in health and education.

Established by United Way of Central New Mexico (UWCNM) and the Foundation, the DEI United Collaborative recognizes the systemic racism inherent in the grantmaking process which has contributed to BIPOC-led nonprofits being underinvested. The goal was to develop a grantmaking program based in trust and
solidarity principles that effectively support these grassroots, BIPOC-led organizations while informing grantmaking practices. The Small Orgs, Big Impact grant will fund 12-15 organizations through an unrestricted, multi-year program over three grant cycles.

The first round of funding consists of four organizations identified by UWCNM and Foundation staff using Trust-Based Philanthropy principles. It is our intention to keep the first round small to minimize staff decision-making in funded organizations. The second and third round of funding will be community-led and
determined. Learn more.

Julie Weaks Gutiérrez Opportunity Fund

In our 40th year, we are excited to honor the memory of one of Albuquerque’s most extraordinary women, Julie Weaks Gutiérrez. Julie joined the Foundation Board of Trustees in 2013, and served both as Treasurer and Chair during her time on the Board. In 2018, she established the Foundation’s task force of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (dEi) with then Chair-Elect Walter Stern. In 2019, the task force became a formal committee.

With the establishment of the dEi committee, the Foundation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been an integral piece to its development as an organization.

In Julie’s honor as she retired from the Board, Trustees established the Julie Weaks Gutiérrez Opportunity Fund to create an opportunity for the best and brightest individuals and community leaders who otherwise would be unable to join the Board due to financial barriers. Julie felt passionately this was critical to the future of the Board – to reflect the community which the Foundation serves.

Although Julie died in 2020, after losing her fight with lung cancer, the Foundation sought to increase the Julie Weaks Gutiérrez Opportunity Fund. With that goal in mind and with the generous support of our community, the Fund grew to over $40,000 in 2021.

Thank you to the donors for helping us to reach that goal.

  • Emily & Garrett Allen
  • Linda & Carl Alongi
  • Tom & Keri Antram
  • Patrick Apodaca & Leslie McCarthy Apodaca
  • Beverly & Perry Bendicksen
  • Linda & Paul Cochran
  • Brian & Aleli Colón
  • Michelle & Jimmy Dearholt
  • Anna & Michael Doss
  • Rupal & Sanjay Engineer
  • Mike Walker & Gari Fails
  • Garcia Automotive Group
  • Glenn Fellows & Patricia Hancock
  • Jason & Rebecca Harrington
  • Debbie Johnson
  • Pam Hurd-Knief & Ron Knief
  • Bob Bowman & Jack Knight
  • Bill & Elizabeth Lang
  • Steve & Debbie Maestas
  • MediaDesk
  • Jerry & Nancy Roehl
  • Randy Royster & María Griego-Raby
  • Anne & Ken Sapon
  • Charlotte & Stuart Schoenmann
  • Walter & Mimi Stern
  • Chet & Diana Stewart
  • The Roehl Law Firm
  • José Viramontes
IPCC Public Art Piece

As a nod to the Foundation’s initial grantmaking in arts and culture during the 1980s, we partnered with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (“IPCC”) to commission a public art project located near the traffic circle at Menaul Blvd and 12th Street NW. A request for proposals was submitted for designs from a Native American artist and/or artist team from New Mexico. One of the qualifications for the design was the art piece reflect the site’s culture and history as a gateway to the North Valley and our 19 Pueblos.

The Art Selection Committee for the project was led by IPCC staff and included a representative from the Near North Valley Neighborhood Association, Albuquerque Community Foundation (“Foundation”), the City of Albuquerque Arts Board, and a Foundation Trustee.

Artist Greyshoes (Upton Ethelbah Jr.) and his design "Pueblo Matriarch" was chosen (featured above). "Pueblo Matriarch” will be a fabricated steel sculpture with a headdress symbolic of women corn dancers, a historic ceremony done by all the Pueblos of the Southwest. The ceremony is a prayer to the creator for a good harvest, plenty of rain for the crops, and prosperity for all people.

Greyshoes is the nom de plume of the multiple blue ribbon award-winning sculptor Upton S. Ethelbah Jr. Greyshoes sculpts in a contemporary, stylized manner following forms inspired by the aesthetic motifs and movements found in the ceremonial regalia and dances of his Native American heritage, Santa Clara Pueblo and White Mountain Apache. Final design and installation of the art piece will be completed by April 2022.

2021 Great Grant Giveaway
We were delighted to hold Great Grant Giveaway during our 40th Anniversary albeit via digital media, awarding $160,000 total to the four nonprofits: Flower Hill Institute, New Mexico Black Leadership Council, South Valley MainStreet and TenderLove Community Center.

The excitement of seeing friends, enjoying fellowship and the “buzz of the room” was missed but our donors met the challenge with generosity. The final total includes a match from the Foundation and PNM Resources Foundation to ensure each recipient received a total of $40,000.

Learn More
$40,000 Grant Support Economic Relief Working Group

In partnership with Santa Fe Community Foundation, which is also celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, we have made a $40,000 grant to support the New Mexico Economic Relief Working Group, a cohort of community immigrant organizations. The unrestricted grant represents a collaborative effort between the two foundations to support inclusive COVID-19 recovery across the state.

A workgroup of Albuquerque and Santa Fe Community Foundation staff discussed which potential collaboratives to support, agreeing on the importance of eliminating barriers to all immigrants and refugees receiving assistance.

The New Mexico Economic Relief Working Group is made up of five community-based and advocacy organizations: New Mexico Voices for Children, El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derecho, Partnership for Community Action, Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (NM CAFé), and Somos Un Pueblo Unido. Together, these organizations research, design, and implement government-sponsored emergency assistance programs for New Mexicans who were excluded from federal COVID-19 relief efforts, including undocumented residents and those from mixed immigration status families.

During the pandemic, the group successfully advocated for $25 million that was distributed through local and state cash assistance programs.