Andrea Waitt Carlton's cell-phone ring is the evocative, wistful call of a loon. The water-bird sound exemplifies one of the thoughtful donor's enduring passions: environmental preservation and education.

"I just grew up that way," said Carlton, a native of Sioux City, Iowa, and a longtime Santa Fean. "I've always felt that way since I was young. The word people use today, everybody's going 'green' — I felt we were all supposed to be that way, always.

"I cared about the preservation of land, animals and endangered species. I was little, but I would save my little allowance and send in a $5 check" to organizations such as World Wildlife Fund or Greenpeace.

Since 1998, Carlton has supported the environment — and the fine arts, animal welfare and social concerns — through Messengers of Healing Winds Foundation. The organization was incorporated in 1998 and has been headquartered in Santa Fe since 2000. Its executive director is Steven Rasmussen.

Over that decade, Messengers has given nearly $10 million to Santa Fe nonprofits and nearly $3 million to groups elsewhere in New Mexico. Local awards have included $1 million to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation to support construction of the New Mexico History Museum, which opens today.

That's just locally. The organization also supports projects in North and South Dakota, the Southwest, Florida and the lakes region of northwest Iowa.

Now Carlton, her family and the foundation are relocating to Nashville. Her children are older, the family has relatives in the Nashville area, and they feel the time is right for a move.

Messengers leaves behind a notable legacy of quiet but transformative philanthropy, but also a funding chasm of yawning proportions. "Their impact in everything from the arts to the environment to animal welfare to capital campaigns has been significant," said Billie Blair, president of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. "Andrea has placed so much trust in this community and made such tremendous changes.

"One could not ask for a better colleague than Steve Rasmussen," Blair added. "They leave a very large footprint in Santa Fe."

The foundation's reach has been as wide as its namesake winds. It has given large, multiyear donations to big organizations including The Trust for Public Land (for the Railyard Park), Rio Grande School, the Lensic Performing Arts Center, St. Vincent Hospital Foundation and Santa Fe Preparatory School.

Messengers also has given smaller but well-targeted donations to Coming Home Connection hospice service, Fine Arts for Children and Teens, Food for Santa Fe, Kitchen Angels, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Think New Mexico, St. John's Soup Kitchen, St. Michael's High School, Assistance Dogs of the West and many more.

"We've worked with Messengers specifically on the Railyard for six or seven years," said Jenny Parks of The Trust for Public Land. "I can honestly say that if it were not for Messengers, the Railyard Park and plaza would not be where they are today.

"They provided funding for everything from the prairie dog removal to a conference workshop on the children's play area. They of course provided capital funding for the park, as well as startup funding for the stewards group, which will take care of it.

"Working with Steve has been a richly rewarding professional experience," she added. "He continuously asked us questions about things we hadn't thought of; in my opinion, he made it a far better project."

"To those to whom much has been given, much is expected," Carlton said simply. "I take that to heart." That attitude is further reflected in a foundation policy. Beyond regular giving sanctioned by the board, every employee has been able to direct up to $10,000 a year to chosen nonprofits. That has meant $450,000, mostly to Santa Fe-area social service groups.

When looking at grant applications, Rasmussen said, Messengers has sought worthy projects supported by committed leaders, supportive boards and strong volunteer cadres. One of his and Carlton's favorite New Mexico projects has been a conservation program at The Bosque School in Albuquerque.

"They have an environmental program for students," Rasmussen explained. "They reach out to all the schools, and work up and down the Rio Grande, and do restoration projects sometimes after fires.

"Andrea always asks, how many people will this (project) affect? That program in Albuquerque has gotten around $15,000 a year. It isn't much, but they involve around 2,500 kids. It's active conservation. They have a link to UNM, as well, and we think it's even more credible they have an academic partner."

When Carlton moved here, she already knew Santa Fe well. "My grandmother had been an artist. She was from Texas. She would come in the summer to paint, and we would come to visit. I needed a healing spot at the time, and it seemed like a good place to land. I thought it would be a great spot."

At first, Carlton preferred that Messengers give anonymously. As she put it, "We've always given quietly; I've not liked the limelight." But over time, and with Rasmussen's counsel, she began to change her view.

"The thing I say I've learned through the years is, there is a reason for people to know who's giving — that the money is not coming from the clouds or the air," she said. "Kids need to learn, young adults need to learn, that people are giving from something."

Messengers has still not decided how much funding presence, if any, to maintain in Santa Fe, Rasmussen said. But at the most recent board meeting this weekend, the board members decided to give additional Award for Excellence grants, in honor of Carlton, to 11 organizations notable for their commitment to mission, outstanding leadership and significant role in area life.

The groups are the Española Animal Shelter, Assistance Dogs of the West, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Trust for Public Land, Fine Arts for Children and Teens, Think New Mexico, Quivira Coalition, the Lensic, Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Coming Home Connection and the Food Depot. The amounts will vary according to nonprofit size and scope, Rasmussen said.

"I am so grateful to Santa Fe for everything it brought me as a person, and our board, and the growth I've had here," Carlton said. "But sometimes you just know when it's time to move on. I think we can leave with our heads held high."

MESSENGERS OF HEALING WINDS FOUNDATION

• Fair market value of assets as of Dec. 31, 2007: $61 million
• Grants paid during 2007, or approved for future payment: $3.87 million
• Founder: Andrea Waitt Carlton
• Executive director: Steven Rasmussen
• Focus: Environmental concerns, including preservation of land and children's education on environment; animal welfare, both wild and domestic; social concerns; fine arts, with emphasis on renovation and the visual arts.
• Past geographic areas: Santa Fe, the Southwest, North and South Dakota, Florida and the lake region of northwest Iowa

Representative local grants, some multiyear, 2000-2009

• Trust for Public Land: $850,000, Railyard Park
• Rio Grande School: $1 million, new classroom building/performing-arts space
• Museum of New Mexico Foundation: $1 million, New Mexico History Museum; $375,000, endowment campaign
• Lensic Performing Arts Center: $756,500, construction, endowment, long-range planning, debt relief fund
• St. Vincent Hospital Foundation: $500,000, construction of new emergency department
• Santa Fe Preparatory School: $500,000, LEED-certified library
• Santa Fe Animal Shelter: $300,000, new facility construction
• The Wildlife Center: $150,000, construction and land purchase for new facility; $75,000, endowment; $75,000, technical and fundraising assistance
• Española Valley Humane Society: $368,000, capital costs, endowment building, operations, fundraising assistance
• Santa Fe Community Foundation: $130,000, agency endowments and technical grant endowment; $25,500, technical assistance awards
• Coming Home Connection: $10,000 over two years, to help fund hospice care for those unable to afford it
• Fine Arts for Children and Teens: $62,500 over six years, ARTreach Program
• Food for Santa Fe $52,500, food distribution
• Think New Mexico: $160,000 over nine years to support various projects
• Assistance Dogs of the West: $50,000 over three years