United Way of Central New Mexico has started a new chapter — we are now United Way of North Central New Mexico. The small addition to the name is part of a big step to include Santa Fe County in our service area. While the name will be new, our mission will not change. Together with partners and donors, we will remain dedicated to connecting people to opportunities and services to equitably improve lives and strengthen communities.
We’re excited to add Santa Fe to our Central New Mexico “family.” Like families, every community has needs. United Way exists to collaborate with others to address them. After dozens of conversations in 2021 with local nonprofit leaders, businesspeople, government officials and others, we are pleased to include the communities of Santa Fe County in our name.
Conversations lead to action in 2022, when $400,000 was awarded to 20 nonprofit organizations in Santa Fe County. The unrestricted funding to nonprofits furthers their ability to address community needs.
In addition, our organization offers, in partnership with the city and county of Santa Fe, 211 plus CONNECT, an information and referral helpline that can provide navigation services. The 211 helpline served 424 callers with referrals to services and/or Santa Fe CONNECT. The top requests for help were for rent assistance, utility assistance and homeless shelters.
There were two Tax Help New Mexico sites in Santa Fe that offered free tax preparation to anyone eligible. Tax Help volunteers prepared 451 returns, and $413,948 was returned to Santa Fe County.
These examples underscore United Way’s interest in collaboration, which is our first instinct. By engaging with the grassroot organizations already serving the county, by funding their work and by offering additional programs, we are already expanding the range of help needed by anyone encountering a challenge, aspiring to obtain an education or in need of services to build their resiliency.
Here are some more examples of how our strategies are making a positive difference for our region:
54,918 new additional graduates with certificates and degrees in central New Mexico since 2010.
10,000-plus referrals to resources to callers of 211 each year.
$2,044,633 invested in 57 nonprofits through grants in four counties from the Community Investment Fund.
$1,141,400 total DEI United dollars have gone out to organizations that are BIPOC-led, lived-experience-led and/or addressing systemic inequities in our community in 2021-22.
A three-year strategic plan will guide our future work. The plan ensures United Way of North Central New Mexico will continue to attract sustainable funding (centering fundraising, donor engagement, grant-making and resource allocation around equity), a localized focus (built on trust and that enables effective programming) and operational alignment (to monitor progress and increase impact).
United Way of North Central New Mexico is more than just a name. It’s our commitment to our neighbors so that they will be able to achieve potential through education, secure employment that provides for their needs, that they are healthy and safe, are financially stable and live life with dignity.
Join us as we live united in north-central New Mexico.
Dale Maxwell is chairman of the United Way of North Central New Mexico Board of Directors. He is president and CEO, Presbyterian Healthcare Services. United Way of North Central New Mexico, founded in 1934, serves a five-county region. To learn more, visit www.uwncnm.org.
