Give Grandly 2021
The first thing I want to do is brag a little. Give Grandly 2021 broke all previous records, gathering $264,684.69 in donations and matching funds for 59 area nonprofits, and bringing our 8-year total to over $1.16 million for the four-county region (Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Catron). Whew!
We are so very very proud of this initiative, and so very very proud of the 59 nonprofits who came together to ensure that this year's campaign was a success, under the expert guidance of Andrea Warner, the Give Grandly Coalition President. It's a monumental achievement, and a testimony to the big hearts and amazing generosity of local residents who, for the eighth year in a row, have outdone themselves. As a newbie to Silver City and the local community here, I am blown away by their continued (and increasing) donor generosity. For a small rural area, we pack a large punch.
Our rural nonprofits—who often pick up the slack when the closest federal support facilities are over 100 miles away—struggle with the high costs of reaching a population spread over a large catchment area, and yet they continue to do amazing work. Depending heavily on volunteers, they run food panties and recycle centers, farmers markets, counseling services, and local health centers; they support artists, local theatre, museums and libraries; they promote literacy; they advocate for the environment; they organize community festivals, plays, concerts, lectures, and field trips. And much more. Even the downtown murals in Silver City that we are famous for and that engage local youth and community members are run by a local area nonprofit, the Youth Mural Program.
And let's not forget our raffle winners! Eighteen donors, chosen randomly, walked away with a fabulous basket of goodies, including gift certificates, art work, handmade goodies, jams, museum passes, and even Farmers Market dollars! Thank you to all the nonprofits organizations and businesses around town who contributed to the baskets, and to Ward Ruddick and his colleagues who pulled the baskets together and made them look like a million dollars. Winners got some lovely surprises!
Supporting local area nonprofits is more than just helping them provide services. Local nonprofits are strong economic drivers in our region, contributing $25m million to the local economy and employing 10% of the area's workforce. That's a lot of hard work and strategic contribution in our community, and that economic impact sometimes gets overlooked. I raise my glass to all our nonprofits, who do such amazing work and contribute so significantly to our economy and to our community.
- Bernadette Smyth, Executive Director
Grant County Community Foundation Emergency Small Grants
The Grant County Community Foundation is offering three (3) emergency grants of $250 each to local nonprofits. Monies are to be directly dispersed to the clients served. If you can identify individuals or families in your service area who are in need of support in order to relieve the stress of the Covid19 pandemic, apply now.
Any nonprofit that is a 501(c)3 organization, or who has a fiscal sponsor who is a 501(c)3 organization, can apply for these grants, and the process is very simple. If you think you can make use of these funds, apply by clicking "Apply Now"below before September 15, 2021. If you have any further questions, please feel free to email or call me at grantcountycommunityfoundation@gmail.com or 575-956-6095.
National Endowment for the Arts Rescue Plan Grants to Organizations
The NEA Rescue Plan’s Grants to Organizations program will be carried out through one-time grants to eligible organizations including, but not limited to, nonprofit arts organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, units of state or local government, federally recognized tribal communities or tribes, and a wide range of other organizations that can help advance the goals of this program.
Grants will be made to eligible organizations to support their own operations. Unlike other Arts Endowment funding programs, Rescue Plan funds are intended to support day-to-day business expenses/operating costs, and not specific programmatic activities. Cost share/matching funds are not required. The Arts Endowment does not fund direct grants to individuals.
Applicants may request a fixed grant amount for: $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000. Cost share/matching funds are not required. The Arts Endowment’s support of a project may start on or after January 1, 2022. Generally, a grant period of up to two years is allowed.
For more information, click HERE. But hurry--the closing date is August 12!
Southwest Print Fiesta
Grant County Community Foundation is the fiscal sponsor for the Southwest Print Fiesta here in Silver City.
SW Print Fiesta is a local nonprofit that believes in print as a democratic artform, and aims to serve and support printmakers of all kinds, from the traditional to the radical, from the formally trained to the self-taught. They are committed to building a non-competitive, non-hierarchical community, open to everyone interested in learning about, engaging with, and advancing the medium of print. SW Print Fiesta offers opportunities for established artists interested in advancing their practices and provides a platform for new and emerging voices to join in the conversation.
Each year in October, SW Print Fiesta holds a weekend-long celebration of all things print, with the goals of building community among printmakers throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico, fostering connections and partnerships with other printmakers, and engaging with the local community in Silver City, New Mexico. Find out more at their website, www.southwestprintfiesta.org.
If you would like more information on SW Print Fiesta, or would like to donate to it, you can click here, check out SW Print Fiesta's website, or contact the Foundation directly.