109 Gold Ave. SW, Albuquerque, NM
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The McCune Charitable Foundation supports community-based work in the State of New Mexico that aligns with our nine Foundation Priorities and their corresponding Leverage Points. The best fit for our funding are organizations that work collaboratively across our priority areas to support community well-being and create long term impact, and whose leadership and expertise come from those who are closest to and most affected by the organization's work.
Eligibility Guide
Determining Eligibility
The McCune Charitable Foundation accepts online applications for community-based projects in the State of New Mexico related to our nine Foundation Priorities. Grants can be awarded to qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, federally-recognized Native American tribes, public schools, and governmental agencies. Grants cannot be made to individuals.
What We Do Not Fund:
The McCune Charitable Foundation is currently funding a portfolio of work structured around nine (9) Foundation Priorities. Incoming requests that are in alignment with those priorities will be considered.
While we recognize the value of the broad range of work being done by organizations in the non-profit sector, the McCune Charitable Foundation is not currently awarding grants for the following:
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Direct donations or grants to individuals
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Direct grants to for-profit institutions
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Projects in the area of health addressing and/or providing medical research related to particular diseases or conditions
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Projects that serve religious purposes
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Grants to political campaigns, to support political activities or to lobby for or against particular pieces of legislation
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Grants for organizations "in crisis" or for debt repayment
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Establishment of endowed Chairs or other permanent academic posts
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Adoption services or support
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Ongoing operating support for well-established charter schools
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Film Projects
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Parochial and private schools
- Indirect costs for Institutions of Higher Education
Resources for Determining Eligibility
Assistance
If you need assistance, please call the McCune Offices at 505.983.8300.
Types of Grants
The Foundation awards:
- General Operating Support Grants (Annual Open Application Cycle, generally mid-August to mid-September)
McCune Foundation 2023 Webinar Announcing Phase-in of Multi-Year Grants
- Discretionary Grants (on a rolling basis during the calendar year)
You can get more information about General Operating Support Grants by scrolling up to Resources for Determining Eligibility in the Eligibility Guide section of this page. Here, you can download the “McCune Foundation's Grantmaking Overview.”
For information about Discretionary Grants, click on the FAQ box above the Eligibility Guide section of this page. Then click on “How can I apply for a discretionary grant?”
Foundation Priorities
While the mandate described by the Mission of the Foundation is broad, the Board of Directors has adopted certain Priorities to focus resource allocation. Priorities are based on 1) a real ability to influence positive change in the near term and 2) the probability that change in these specific areas will lead to broader systems change in the longer term. These priorities will guide decisions in grant making and other programmatic activities.
Capacity Building in the Non-Profit Sector
The McCune Foundation supports initiatives that build operational capacities for non-profits, making expertise in communications, finance, leadership development, organizational development and other areas more broadly available in service of a more structurally equitable and resilient sector.
Economic Development & Family Asset Building
A Foundation priority is to create and expand the economic base in New Mexico and to view its grant making through an economic development lens whenever possible, in particular supporting programs and organizations that seek to foster entrepreneurship across sectors. The Foundation also supports programs and initiatives that support and help drive growth in family assets across the diverse communities of the state, enabling a broader base of economic stability for our families.
Education Transformation
The McCune Charitable Foundation holds equity as a core value, and sees equitable access to engaging and culturally relevant education as a key component of thriving, prosperous communities. New Mexico is blessed to be home to diverse cultures, languages, and traditions that make learning and growing up here in the 21st century an experience that is uniquely rooted in place and community. This is an asset that was unfortunately ignored by 20th century models of education, but is beginning to be recognized now.
Leveraging Opportunities in Health Care
After many generations in relationship with the land, vegetation and elements in New Mexico, communities have developed ways to sustain physical and mental health and wellness that often involve uses of medicinal plants, traditional practices and community support. Many of these traditions have endured and been adapted to contemporary contexts as alternatives and complements to modern approaches. Introduction of newer, less healthy diets and practices have taken a toll, however, with many New Mexicans facing challenges that traditional modalities sometimes cannot address.
Local Food Industry Development
Far too often, existing food systems (referring to all the processes, infrastructure and activities related to feeding a community) in the state of New Mexico contribute to poor nutritional outcomes for individuals and families, especially those considered low income. Not only does New Mexico have among the highest obesity and diabetes rates in the nation as a result of these significant shortcomings, the systems in question also contribute little to the state economy, with as much as 80 percent of all money spent on food and nutrition leaving the state, according to the New Mexico State University Extension Service.
Building Links Between Arts and Community Engagement
The arts play a significant role in the culture and history of New Mexico and contribute substantially to the state’s economic and civic livelihoods. The McCune Foundation supports efforts that seek to leverage arts, creative expression, and culturally relevant, transformative experiences for the purpose of inspiring and driving higher levels of community and civic engagement.
Stewardship in Community
As we face growing disruption due to climate change, it is our frontline communities–those who experience the "first and worst" of the consequences of climate change–that will be the primary focus of the Foundation's support. Frontline communities include tribal and rural communities, and in urban areas, lower and middle income families and communities of color living in areas that have been negatively impacted by poor infrastructure and industrial practices.
Influencing Planning of Built Environments
Well-conceived built environments provide a key platform for many functions of family and civic life and are fundamentally connected to many factors that contribute to community health. These functions include economic development and higher levels of community and civic engagement, among others. The Foundation supports the development of built environments across the state that seek to take advantage of the role these environments can play to move New Mexican families toward a more prosperous and healthy future.
Strategies for Rural Development
New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the nation in terms of land area and, somewhat conversely, it is the 36th most populous state. This means that New Mexico is largely rural, with 26 out of 33 counties considered “frontier counties” (six or fewer people per square mile). While a majority of the population in the state lives in four urban areas (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe), New Mexico maintains a significant population base that honors its rural roots. Among many New Mexico communities, a rural way of life supports a fundamental cultural connection with the landscape of the state and to the values that many families honor and maintain.
For more information:
The McCune Foundation Strategic Plan is available for download here:
Download the McCune Charitable Foundation Strategic Plan
FAQ
Grantseekers FAQ
Resources
Strategic Plan
McCune Foundation Strategic Plan
2019-2025
McCune Foundation Strategic Plan provides the grantee community and other funders with a clearer understanding of our priorities as a foundation.
