Grants In New Mexico

As we report in our other articles about grants in specific states, the federal government is definitely not the only place to look for grants! And although New Mexico is by no means one of the largest states in the U.S. in terms of population (it’s number 36), they have a fairly robust offering of grants available in their state.

You can definitely find grants in New Mexico: they even have a city named “Grants”! But if you’re looking for the other kind of grants — i.e. money for specific purposes and goals, and money that never needs to be repaid — then there is a lot to pursue in New Mexico. Whether you are trying to fund a non-profit organization, get help financing your own education, or get help financing a new or existing business, New Mexico appears to have a lot to offer.

So welcome to the “Land of Enchantment.” Below you will find more detail about resources available for those who live in the state and for those who wish to do business in or with New Mexico. As in many other states, you can find grants to help you pursue your goals. Read on for more specific information in the areas of education, business, non-profits, community development and more.

Update May 2019: Grant Deadline May 20: The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a new Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The program aims to provide financial assistance to groups that offer case management services for Veterans who have been homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Services may include things like home visits, and education about meal planning ,enant responsibilities education, using public transportation, finances, and more.As many as 133 awards will be made with a a maximum amount of $675,000. Total of all awards available is $30 million. Those eligible include official 501©(3) organizations, government agencies or recognized Tribal Government. Get more details about eligibility and applications on thegrantplantnm website.

News September 2018: There are several grants coming up in New Mexico that are well worth knowing about. One is a project focused on farmers and the organizations that are important to them. Sponsored but he Monsanto Fund, this program offers to let farmers determine what nonprofit organizations they wish to receive $2500. There are selected counties that are eligible and the next deadline is November 1 of 2018. Check out the Monsanto Fund to get more information. Coming up very quickly — with a deadline of September 14! — is the New Mexico McCune Charitable Foundation Grants. These focus on a number of areas including the arts, the environment, health and social services and economic development.

First be aware, especially when you search online for info on this topic and see information specific to applying, that you need to be sure you are looking at a site that is an official site of the state government. Others will make pages look as if you are dealing with New Mexico when in fact you are responding to an outfit that wants to charge you for information and grants that are actually free. Just take a look the site’s address line (url) in the bar across the very top of your screen and make sure it ends in “.gov”.

Back to Grants for Business in New Mexico! New Mexico definitely wants to make it clear that they are “open for business” and want to encourage and assist businesses which will benefit their economy. First, they have available teams that can assist your business in finding what financial support is available and what will be right for your business. “Finance Development Teams” help you to access capital, prepare optimal finance statements, receive professional business consulting, and guidance regarding official state resources for assistance. Some of these include the LEDA-CO, or Local Economic Development Act Capital Outlay Program. This program offers financial grants to local communities to be used to help get local businesses in their areas.

To be eligible for the Program your business must be an official corporation, LLC, Partnership, Syndicate, Joint Venture, or a qualifying industry or association. You can learn a lot more about how to qualify and apply by going to the New Mexico website and going to the Business Development section. It gets pretty involved but it’s worth going through it and contacting the appropriate individuals for more clarification. If you run into bureaucratic roadblocks there is even an Office of Business Advocacy that can help.

New Mexico has a number of community colleges as well as four year colleges and universities. All offer financial aid as well as scholarships. Of course you stating point for receiving assistance, whether it be in the form of grants, loans, work-study programs or other, is the FAFSA (Federal Application for Free Student Aid). The institutions also have specific financial aid forms for you to fill out, which you can easily find on the state’s website.

The New Mexico Educational Assistance Foundation (NMEAF) was originated by the New Mexico state legislature but it is a private non-profit (501c3). It’s mission is to assist students in New Mexico in achieving their goal of higher education. They have a particular focus on those who are lower income and the first in their families to go to college. They help with student loans, benefits loan forgiveness programs, scholarships and more for a grand total of many millions of dollars. Check them out at nmeaf.org to learn how they can help you to finance your college education, make plans for your future, manage the school loans you have and more. You can also contact the Foundation at 505-345-3371.

The New Mexico Higher Education Department also offers the College Affordability Grant for low income students attending in state schools but unable to qualify for other assistance. It provides up to $1000 per semester in assistance and requires an acceptable grade achievement.

The New Mexico Student Incentive Grant is for students at specific colleges in the state who have more serious financial needs. Awards may be between $200 and $2500.

If you have an official nonprofit organization you may be able to receive grants from the New Mexico Community Foundation. Grant opportunities are not made available on a specific schedule but open up from time to time. So you need to stay on your toes and check their website regularly so you don’t miss an opportunity. They support a variety of organizations and programs described on their website. If you’d like to see if you can receive some support from them you all need to fill out their Nonprofit Information Form, available online. They will use this information to see if your programs are consistent with their goals (and therefore perhaps eligible for some funding). You can update the form each year. In addition to possibly providing some funding, the group will also let you know if they are aware of other resources which might be available to you.

For potential grants which are offered on a more specific schedule, check out The Grant Plant. They provide notice and alerts to those who sign up and want to be aware of new grant opportunities that come up. Just search Grantplant and sign up to be on their list.

Always check your state’s website to see what grants are available for residents, businesses and community agencies. Also see our other state-specific articles: Grants in Illinois, Grants in Florida, Grants in New York, Grants in Tennessee, Grants in Texas and Grants in California.