“Generosity is the flower of justice.”
This quotation by American novelist Nathanial Hawthorne is often used to draw a meaningful correlation between the act of generosity and the outcome of justice. Although philanthropy has evolved a great deal over the years, today in northern New Mexico, the power of giving to advance equity has never been more alive thanks to the Santa Fe Community Foundation.
“Giving is a practice that’s at the very heart of philanthropy,” says Christopher Goett, the Foundation’s President and CEO, “and one that I believe brings out the best in each of us.”
Since 1981, the Santa Fe Community Foundation has connected thousands of generous donors to impactful giving opportunities, ultimately granting more than $130 million to causes that improve the quality of life for all who call New Mexico home.
Mission, Vision, and Values
The Santa Fe Community Foundation inspires philanthropic generosity, strengthens nonprofits, and fosters positive change to build a more vibrant, healthy, and resilient region. The Foundation’s values — Equity, Perseverance, Listening, and Generosity — speak to the organization’s commitment to the people and causes it serves.
The Foundation takes a direct approach to philanthropy, helping deploy funds and resources to not only meet the needs of people, organizations, and causes in New Mexico, but also empower them to flourish far into the future. The Foundation has found that one of the best ways to accomplish this synergy is through stewarding identity-based giving circles.
Identity-Based Giving Circles
An identity-based giving circle is a philanthropic group where individuals who share a common identity — such as race, sexual orientation, or cultural background — come together to pool their specific knowledge and expertise and collectively decide how to distribute funds to support causes that are important to their community.
The Santa Fe Community Foundation has a long legacy of uplifting this equitable and community-based approach to philanthropy. Since the 1990s, it has been the proud home and partner of the Native American Advised Fund (NAAF) and the Envision Fund (LGBTQ+). In 2023, it launched its third and newest statewide giving circle, the Empower! Black Futures Community Fund.
Native American Advised Fund (NAAF)
Founded in 1993 by world-renowned Native artist and humanitarian, Allan Houser, the Native American Advised Fund (NAAF) continues to be led by an all-Native advisory committee to this day. These Native leaders have a deep understanding of the unique inequities faced by their Indigenous communities. Together, they direct funds and resources to Native-serving nonprofit organizations that demonstrate a commitment to the Native core values of community, language, culture, and environment.
In the past, philanthropic funding for Native communities has fallen woefully short on the national level. The Santa Fe Community Foundation, however, is among the largest of community foundations to grant to Native communities. To date, NAAF has awarded over $800,000 to Native-led and -serving nonprofit organizations.
Envision Fund (LGBTQ+)
The Envision Fund of the Santa Fe Community Foundation is the first and largest funder in New Mexico dedicated to LGBTQ+ causes. Since 1997, this giving circle has enriched the lives of New Mexico’s LGBTQ+ communities by providing financial support to nonprofits that address their most pressing and ever-evolving needs.
Today, the members of its advisory committee — who reflect the diversity of New Mexico’s LGBTQ+ population — follow four funding priorities. These include 1) Creating an HIV-free generation in New Mexico, 2) Combating all forms of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people; 3) Supporting school-based programs that create a safe environment for all students; and 4) Promoting holistic reproductive health and gender-affirming healthcare.
The Envision Fund has directed over 100 grants totaling a remarkable $1+ million to LGBTQ+-serving nonprofits in New Mexico since its inception.
Empower! Black Futures Community Fund
The newest of the Foundation’s giving circles, the Empower! Black Futures Community Fund, was established in 2023 by the Santa Fe Community Foundation and Earthseed Black Arts Alliance to support Black life, arts, and culture in New Mexico.
“I am indebted to my ancestors for their hard work and sacrifice,” said Raashan Ahmad, the Giving Circle’s inaugural advisory committee chair. “I am their wildest dream, and this fund will support our wildest dreams for what future generations can be, create, and manifest.”
Like the foundation’s other giving circles, this fund is led by an advisory committee representative of — and therefore uniquely positioned to support — the community the fund serves. Contributions to the Empower! Fund will help seed its permanent endowment, which will grow over time to ensure sustained support of Black causes in New Mexico today and for generations to come.
Today, the Santa Fe Community Foundation is keeping its focus on generosity and how that generosity can best propel change that leads to equity and justice. To find out more about the foundation or to make a donation, visit their website at santafecf.org.
This article is sponsored by
the Santa Fe Community Foundation
