2024 Grant Season Announcement

Community Foundation opens 2024 season for grant applications

Published on Oct 31, 2024 in the Las Vegas Optic

The Las Vegas New Mexico Community Foundation is now offering both community grants and wildfire recovery grants to applicants from Mora and San Miguel counties, according to Foundation Board Chair Carla Romero.

The deadline is Friday, Dec. 6, for nonprofit organizations, local governmental entities, and public or not-for-profit educational entities to apply for community grants of up to $10,000 or wildfire and flood recovery grants of up to $25,000 serving our local communities. Community grants are offered in the categories of agriculture & environmental sustainability, arts & culture, education, health & wellness, historic preservation, and community development.

Successful applicants will be notified on or before Dec. 31, with a formal announcement on January 3, 2025.

Application materials for both types of grants are available by emailing admin@lvnmcf.org or online at the Foundation’s website at lvnmcf.com. The Foundation is reachable by telephone at 505-600-2868.

Recipients will have up to one year to complete their projects. Applicants who have received previous grants are eligible to apply, provided they have submitted a final report on their previous grant. 

A limited number of wildfire and flood recovery grants are available for creative projects intended to bridge the gap between present needs and the arrival of relief from state and federal agencies or that contribute to the long-term recovery of the “burn scar” impact area.

Help is available for grant writing

The Community Foundation is sponsoring a grant-writing workshop on Nov.20, 2024, to help nonprofit organizations and others build up their grant-writing skills. Funding for this workshop comes from a $5,000 capacity-building grant from the LANL Foundation.

“There will be an opportunity during the workshop for participants to work on their own grant proposals, including those for the community and wildfire and flood recovery grants being offered by the Las Vegas New Mexico Community Foundation,” Romero said.

The workshop will be at Highlands University’s Student Center and is free for members of nonprofit organizations. Others must bring their lunch or buy lunch. Prospective attendees should reserve a seat by calling LVNMCF at (505) 600-2868 by Nov. 8. 

“Participants at our fundraising workshop last month requested a grant-writing workshop as soon as possible,” Romero said. “And here it is!”

The Las Vegas New Mexico Community Foundation was founded in 2017 by the late Bob Mishler and others and has since awarded over $400,000 in community grants and close to a million dollars in wildfire and flood grants. 

Donors may contribute to the Foundation’s community grants program or the Hermit’s Peak Wildfire Relief Fund at https://www.lvnmcf.com/donate-now or by mail at LVNMCF, P.O. Box 1002, Las Vegas, NM 87701.