Seventeen grant winners announced for making direct positive economic impacts in communities
(Albuquerque, N.M.) – Seventeen New Mexico nonprofits now have a total of $500,000 towards their mission of economic vitality by offering job skills training, programs supporting entrepreneurs, and helping low income clients get jobs. All grants were provided through a PNM Power Up grant by the PNM Resources Foundation.
“A strong nonprofit sector is key to thriving communities,” said Wayne Frye, PNM Resources Foundation board president. “It is truly an honor for the PNM Resources Foundation to support so many organizations making such an important economic impact to the communities in which we live, work, and raise our families.”
PNM received over $2.5 million in requests from 80 organizations with priority for funding given to projects that demonstrated a strong focus on improving access to technology, provided a well-defined timeline for implementation; and showed a strong plan to power a stronger New Mexico through measurable economic impact and more.
The 2019 PNM Power Up Economic Vitality grant winners are:
·Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce - $50,000. Grant to be used to help fund a technological platform to launch the self-sustaining ABQ Vet Connect Employer Coalition to address the critical employment and transition needs of our Veterans and their families.
·Best Buddies New Mexico - $10,000. Grant to be used to help fund Best Buddies Jobs which provides pre-employment training, technology, and helps secure competitive paying jobs for adults 18 and older that have an intellectual disability.
·CNM Ingenuity, Inc. - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund a new flexible, part-time Deep Dive Coding boot camp which will train a more competitive workforce and connect people to high demand tech jobs.
·Cultivating Coders, Inc - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund "Teachers that Code" which is a cutting-edge technology training program that will develop a community of 2,000 skilled coders in New Mexico by 2023.
·Encuentro - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund a culturally accessible education and workforce skills training program for low income Spanish speaking adult Latino immigrants seeking income generating opportunities as small business owners.
·Explora Science Center & Children's Museum of Albuquerque - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund X Studio, a world class STEAM education and workforce development center which connects local teens and young adults with STEAM professionals and employers.
·Fathers Building Futures - $25,000. Grant to be used to help provide job training, technology training, and financial education courses. All clients receive training on site for 90 days before being referred to local partners for temporary employment. The program uses a family-systems approach for 100% permanent employment. In conjunction with WESST, a three-year business model will make the wood shop 67% self-sustainable.
·Keshet Dance Company - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund a technology training program specific to film, media and the arts for youth and young adults preparing to enter the professional world of arts.
·Partnership For Community Action - $40,000. Grant to be used to help fund Economic Equity and Opportunity Training to build economic opportunity, independence and prosperity for low income families with young children in the South Valley.
·Prosperity Works (Three Sisters Kitchen) - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund Three Sisters Kitchen Food Business Training program which provides access to the technology and commercial kitchen space for aspiring food entrepreneurs.
·Rio Grande Community Development Corporation - $50,000. Grant to be used to enable collaborators to craft and implement a technical curriculum manual and teaching presentation materials for new cooperative development. This plan will transform entrepreneurship in the South Valley and International District. At least 40 RGCDC/IDED clients will receive cooperative technical assistance in the year following the funding.
·Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Mexico - $20,000. Grant to be used to help fund technology initiatives as part of Albuquerque's second Ronald McDonald House, the first of its kind in the country.
·Abrazos Family Support Services - $10,000. Grant to be used to help fund start-up costs of the ABA Workforce Development Program which will provide skills-based training, education, and certification for 50 new employees to become the Behavior Technicians.
·New Mexico State University Foundation, Inc. - $50,000. Grant to be used to help fund Studio G, a statewide student business accelerator program helping to expand the capability and likelihood of young entrepreneurs to launch successful businesses and create jobs in these communities.
·The Grants Collective - $45,000. Grant to be used to help fund training, provide in-person outreach and consultation, technical assistance on funding and help to develop new technology for San Juan area nonprofits.
·Creative Startups - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund the expansion of “Libraries as Launchpads” an entrepreneur-centric pre-accelerator program to 10 communities across New Mexico.
·Western New Mexico University Foundation - $25,000. Grant to be used to help fund technology designed to assist community members to improve their understanding of how to complete online applications, resumes, and effectively job search.
PNM and the PNM Resources Foundation has awarded more than $23 million in the past 6 years to nonprofit organizations. Since 1983, the PNM Resources Foundation has helped improve the quality of life in New Mexico by supporting nonprofit organizations. Founded by PNM shareholders, the PNM Foundation is a separate, nonprofit, tax exempt corporation governed by a board of trustees comprised of PNM employees. No customer funds are part of the PNM Resources Foundation endowment. Visit PNM.com/powerup for more grant information.
About PNM
With headquarters in Albuquerque, PNM is the largest electricity provider in New Mexico, serving more than 525,000 customers in dozens of communities across the state. PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company also headquartered in Albuquerque. For more information, visit PNM.com.