New Mexico Collaborative Zone Grant Cohort One

The New Mexico Collaborative Zone Grant (“Zone Grant”) is an opportunity for collaborations among organizations and other entities to apply together for flexible funding from multiple local and national foundations to develop, prove, and support innovative responses to New Mexico’s challenges that extend beyond the mission of any single organization. 

Launched as a pilot program in 2019, the first Zone cohort is concluding nearly three years of building initiatives – each showing unique outcomes, program development and relationships in the community as a result of Zone funding. The collaboratives began their work with general framing questions – something to inspire transformational change among sectors and ignite collaboration among dozens of organizations throughout the state. Led by eight organizations– Agriculture Implementation, Research and Education (AIRE), Chainbreakers Collective, Cruces Creatives, HomeWise/Santa Fe Housing Action Coalition, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center/Color Theory, Keshet, Prosperity Works and Quivira Coalition – the Zone Grants collectively represent programs that support sustainable agriculture and ranching, affordable housing policy, economic development and non-traditional entrepreneurship, energy efficiency, farm-to-school food pipelines, and juvenile justice reform.

These programs, while each different in focus and outcomes, are woven together by a shared philosophy: by pooling resources, sharing programming and exchanging ideas, we can create a lasting collective impact for communities across New Mexico, and strengthen the depth and sustainability of New Mexico’s robust nonprofit ecosystem.

As part of the Zone grants, we have collected data-driven grant reporting to capture the outcomes of these collaboratives. We also know that data only tells part of the story; the other part is the individuals who drive these grants and whose lives have been impacted by Zone collaborations. 

We invite you to read about the Zone collaboratives, and the everyday New Mexicans whose work and identity is at the heart of the Zone Grant Program.

For more information, please contact Manager of Strategic Programs and Partnerships, Danielle LaJoie at [email protected].