Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Announces 2023
Grant County Community Investment Fund Recipients
PHOENIX, AZ, December 18, 2023 –– Freeport-McMoRan is pleased to announce the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation has awarded $450,000 in Grant County as part of just over $3 million awarded to 55 projects in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico and Texas through its Community and Social Investment Fund process.
Recipient organizations will receive their monetary awards and be recognized by members of the Community Investment Committee during presentations in the coming months.
“The success of our community investments relies on partnering with communities to think through opportunities to address potential risks to resilience and well-being, and actively working to identify projects and programs that will strengthen communities over time,” said Tracy Bame, President, Freeport-McMoRan Foundation. “We are grateful for relationships with community partners that allow the kind of collaboration needed to deliver projects and programs that will yield the most meaningful social benefit and continue to build the foundation needed to ensure resilience in a post-mining scenario.”
The Freeport-McMoRan Foundation works with a range of committed partners throughout the investment process. The Foundation has an ongoing partnership with True Impact, allowing organizations to forecast the impact of their project in the community.
Community Investment Funds are led by seven to nine local leaders representing diverse organizations, and along with two to three Freeport-McMoRan representatives, they decide how funds are awarded. These community leaders are selected by members of the local Community Partnership Panel, a stakeholder engagement process established by Freeport-McMoRan more than 18 years ago to foster open and ongoing dialogue with the community. The process allows the company and the community to work together to develop thoughtful solutions that address community needs.
Since 2012, just under $5.8 million has been invested through the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Community Investment Fund in Grant County. The funds have been awarded to programs and projects that help foster sustainability and reduce dependency on any single industry. In 2023, $450,000 was awarded to the following grant recipients:
Center For Health Innovation – Public Health Institute
Behavioral Health Asset Mapping – $50,000
Funds will facilitate behavioral health asset mapping as part of a project to identify available behavioral health resources and move forward with a strategic community behavioral health plan for Grant County.
City of Bayard
Bayard Community Center Revitalization – $143,000
Funding will be used to repair and revitalize the Bayard Community Center building, one of the most significant public resources in the community.
Future Forge, Inc.
Future Forge Transitional Trade Center – $20,000
Future Forge, Inc., will empower individuals through employment readiness, education and networking opportunities with the creation of a transitional trade center, fostering economic growth and sustainable career pathways in the community.
Grant County Community Foundation
GCCF Community Outreach and Capacity Building – $25,000
The Grant Community Foundation will provide capacity-building workshops and seminars as well as networking opportunities for nonprofit leaders and workers.
National Center for Frontier Communities
Grant County Mining District-Community Food Project – $50,000
Funds will facilitate food access expansion through additional farmstands and food hub distribution points, educating the community on local agriculture and crafting a sustainable, community-driven food production plan, thus driving residents towards local food sovereignty and resilience.
Tyrone Water & Wastewater Association
Tyrone Water Tower Assessment and Repair – $112,000
Tyrone Water and Wastewater Association will assess the condition of and implement repairs on the only reserve water source for the Tyrone townsite to support critical water resources for the community.
Western New Mexico University
New Mexico Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Education Therapeutic Program – $50,000
Funds will allow for the addition of an early childhood therapeutic classroom to facilitate programs that develop children's foundational cognitive capacities that underpin all later development, including academic achievement.
For more information about Freeport-McMoRan community investments and programs, please contact
Tammy Paz-Combs at tpazcomb@fmi.com or visit FreeportInMyCommunity.com .