McCune Foundation Refocuses Priorities to Increase Impact in NM
A reorganization of funding priorities and new strategic plan announced today by the McCune Foundation will seek to increase the impact of its grants in the short term and create broader change for New Mexico in the longer term. The new plan, developed collaboratively by the board and staff at the Foundation, was formally adopted by McCune’s Board of Directors at its October, 2013 meeting.
Many of the new funding priorities described in the plan aim at developing the economy and encouraging innovative approaches to issues faced by the communities where grants are awarded. The new priorities for grant making will direct McCune’s investments in New Mexico non-profits over the coming five to seven years.
“Our goal with this plan is to provide the grantee community and other funders with a clearer understanding of our priorities as a foundation,” said McCune Executive Director Wendy Lewis. “The challenges we face in New Mexico really require alignment among organizations and funders to improve the lives of New Mexicans. This new plan makes it easier for grantees and the non-profit sector to find their alignments with what we are trying to do.”
The new priorities are:
- Capacity Building in the Non-Profit Sector
- Economic Development & Family Asset Building
- Education Transformation & Early Childhood Development
- Leveraging Opportunities In Health Care
- Local Food Industry Development
- Building Links Between Arts and Community Engagement
- Stewardship of Natural Resources
- Influencing Urban Planning & Built Environments
- Strategies for Rural Development
The new plan is available at the McCune Foundation website (www.nmmccune.org). Foundation staff will host public meetings in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Cruces on August 4, 5, and 6 respectively to further discuss the priorities with organizations interested in applying for grants. For more information about the public meetings or to register to attend, please visit the website.
The Marshall L. and Perrine D. McCune Charitable Foundation, established in 1989, is dedicated to enriching the health, education, environment, and cultural and spiritual life of New Mexicans. The Foundation memorializes its benefactors through proactive grantmaking that seeks to foster positive social change. The Foundation grants approximately $5 million a year to New Mexico non-profits, with the average grant amounting to about $15,000.