By Mary Alice Murphy

Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director, said that the council at its recent board meeting announced it had received notice of its approved non-profit organization status.

"The COG will never lose its inner governmental status, because it is organized under the Regional Planning Act," Lucero said.

She said Emily Schilling, the SWNMCOG's economic development planner, recently attended the National Association of Development Organizations, which encompasses all the COGs in the U.S. and noted that the non-profit trend was expanding.

"There has been a trend among COGs to become a non-profit to be able to supplement funding," Lucero said. "Several New Mexico COGs have sought and received non-profit status.

"We started thinking about it because of limited resources," Lucero continued. "We applied and received the non-profit status. It allows us to apply to private foundations that focus on issues that we're already addressing in our area."

The Council of Governments will continue the same work it does helping local counties, municipalities and other governmental organizations seek and receive funding for planning, infrastructure and improvements, but now it can seek additional funding, to supplement limited state funding resources.