2023 Resilient Communities Fund HIGHLIGHTS

The mission of the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance (NMRA) is to strengthen the resiliency of New Mexico’s rural and underserved communities through mobilizing and leveraging resources and collaborative partnerships that enhance the economic vibrancy and quality of life of its residents.

The New Mexico Resiliency Alliance envisions a future in which all of New Mexico’s communities are resilient, thriving places to live, work, and visit. We define resilient communities as those that have both an awareness of their strengths and a high capacity to utilize those assets to build community while adapting to changing socio-economic conditions in order to sustain economic activity, social connectivity, and quality of life.

Resilient Communities Fund

The Resilient Communities Fund provides financial support for locally-driven, community-based economic development projects statewide. Awards are made in the areas of design and planning, organizational capacity building, marketing and promotions, business development, civic/youth engagement, and environmental stewardship.

Leadership Development

The New Mexico Resiliency Alliance believes that leadership development is an essential strategy that creates a mentality of opportunity and empowers local leaders to be change-makers in their communities.

Policy & Advocacy

The New Mexico Resiliency Alliance advocates on behalf of policies that support local economies, with a particular focus on asset-based strategies to build economic resilience. Such strategies recognize and build upon the unique strengths of New Mexico's communities to increase the local capacity to adapt and thrive despite changing economic conditions.

Resilient Communities Fund

The Resilient Communities Fund is the flagship program of the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance. Created in 2014 in partnership with the McCune Charitable Foundation and the New Mexico MainStreet (NMMS) Program of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, the Resilient Communities Fund provides small seed grants for locally-driven economic development projects in rural and underserved communities statewide. Funds awarded leverage local matching resources and technical assistance from New Mexico MainStreet and build local capacity via project-specific technical assistance and the engagement of local community volunteers.

Over a ten-year period (2014-2023), NMRA has awarded 128 grants totaling $503,400. Those 128 grant recipients leveraged that funding into $1,533,412 in cash matches; $368,041 in-kind contributions; and 15,301 volunteer hours. Over that same time frame, NMMS has provided $306,010 in technical assistance to support the successful implementation of those 128 grant-funded projects.

In 2020, NMRA began tracking the number of businesses supported by its grants. Over four years, 640 businesses throughout the state of New Mexico have been positively impacted by NMRA grants.

For every $1 in grant funding awarded by the NMRA from 2014 to 2023, $3.72 in cash and in-kind contributions is leveraged by its grant recipients.

• For every $1 in grant funding awarded by the NMRA from 2014 to 2023, $3.72 in cash and in-kind contributions is leveraged by its grant recipients. •

2023 RESILIENT COMMUNITES FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS

DESIGNATED MAINSTREET PROGRAMS

Thanks to direct support from the McCune Foundation combined with funding from Main Street America and the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance, $36,000 was allocated in Resilient Communities Fund grants in 2023, with 11 projects selected to receive funding through a competitive application process.

Scroll down to learn more about our impact in 2023 and some of the unique projects we funded!

Alamogordo MainStreet • Creating a Vibrant Nightlife Community through Pop-Up Structures & Artistic Experiences • $4,000

Downtown Albuquerque MainStreet Initiative • Downtown ABQ Yiftee Gift Card BOGO Program • $2,000

Belen MainStreet Project • Artisan & Food Vendor Pop-Up Kits for Rent • $2,500

Carlsbad MainStreet • Mural Restoration • $2,000

Deming · Luna County MainStreet • Mimbres Mural on Courthouse Park Gazebo • $2,000

Downtown Las Cruces Partnership • ACD Icons Video Series • $2,500

Los Alamos MainStreet • Pop-up Los Alamos • $3,500

Lovington MainStreet • Local Innovators Institute • $4,000

Mora MainStreet Arts & Cultural Compound • Mora Volunteer Management Program • $3,500

Tucumcari MainStreet • Hands On Tucumcari — Art Incubator Pilot Program • $5,000

MainStreet Truth or Consequences • Here’s Your Sign! Business Signage Improvement Program • $5,000

PROJECT-BASED INITIATIVES

The New Mexico Resiliency Alliance allocated $35,000 in Main Street America funds to support seven New Mexico MainStreet project-based initiative projects in rural, urban, and Native American communities. These grants are for multi-year projects; therefore, statistics are not reported on the same timeline as the Resilient Communities Fund grants for designated MainStreet programs and are not included in this report.

Agua Fria Village* • Community Center at San Isidro Crossing • $5,000

Albuquerque — International District** • South San Mateo MainStreet Revitalization & Implementation • $5,000

Village of Cuba* • Redevelopment & Revitalization Plan • $5,000

Española* • Española Main Street Vacant & Underutilized Property Project • $5,000

Mimbres Valley* • Mimbres Marketplace • $5,000

Village of Red River* • Redevelopment of Brandenburg Park & Municipal Parking Lot • $5,000

Tortugas Pueblo† • Tortugas Pueblo Revitalization Project • $5,000

* Frontier Communities Initiative **Urban Neighborhood Commercial Corridor †Native American Communities Initiative

2023
Resilient Communities Fund Stats

11

Grants Awarded

$36,000

Amount in Grants Awarded

Grant recipients have leveraged funding into:

$27,933

Cash Matches

$36,885

In-Kind Contributions

Volunteer Hours

(worth $47K [$26.95/hour for NM])

1,744

91

Businesses Supported

379

Participants

$26,484

NMMS Technical Assistance Value

2023 RESILIENT COMMUNITIES FUND
GRANTEE HIGHLIGHTS

The following summaries highlight a small sample of great state-wide projects that came to fruition in 2023 thanks to the support of the McCune Foundation and the Resilient Communities Fund.

TUCUMCARI

Hands-on Tucumcari: Art Incubator Pilot Program

Utilizing NMMS technical assistance, a $5,000 RCF grant, and cash and in-kind matches, Tucumcari MainStreet created an arts incubator program that offered creative classes for the community, while supporting local artists and the creative economy in Tucumcari. Through a competitive application process, six local artists were selected to participate in a month-long residence at the Tucumcari Railroad Depot from June through December 2023. Each artist was provided a $500 stipend and a $250 material allowance, use of the Depot's East Wing, and marketing in exchange for hosting two to four community classes during their residency. TMS provided $100 stipends to two additional artists who offered one-time workshops. Through the selected artists, a variety of art classes were offered, including a silversmithing workshop, needle felting, painting, vintage fabric repurposing, and photography, as well as youth-specific workshops.

This program allowed local artists to test out business concepts in a free space while showcasing their art. Tucumcari MainStreet built this project off the demand for creative programming that was generated by monthly painting classes already being offered. TMS hoped to enhance the quality of life in Tucumcari by providing access to creative arts classes, a place for community engagement, and generating support for a future Arts & Cultural District.

This project has opened the door for a new collaboration with the Quay County Extension Program for the summer of 2024 in which TMS will offer Friday afternoon youth workshops based on New Mexico History and Agriculture.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

Here’s Your Sign!

MainStreet Truth or Consequences created a program called “Here’s Your Sign!”, pairing local artists with local business owners to design and create new signs for their businesses. Utilizing a $5,000 RCF grant and local matching funds, MSTC worked with eight artists to design signs for five businesses, four of which were ultimately created and installed.

Since project completion, the artists of the designs selected by businesses have received additional work within the community as a direct result of the project. The project also increased positive awareness of MSTC as the organizer and promoter of the project. MSTC collaborated with the Sierra County Arts Council and the Chamber of Commerce to successfully implement this project.

MORA

Volunteer Management Project

Mora MainStreet Arts & Cultural Compound utilized a $3,500 grant to implement a volunteer recruitment and management program. MMSACC identified volunteer roles, developed a recruitment plan, and developed an application and onboarding materials. The organization purchased volunteer recruitment and promotional materials for a volunteer booth at community events and conducted training sessions for volunteers. MMSACC was able to use this grant as a match for a $7,500 grant to paint murals in the community. The grant match will enable the organization to provide volunteer support for the mural project.

LOVINGTON

Local Innovators Institute

Lovington MainStreet utilized a $4,000 RCF grant to help fund the 2023 cohort of its Local Innovators Institute (LII), a restaurant incubator program in which LMS provides participants with a series of trainings and certifications to prepare them to open their own restaurants. Each round of the LII ends with the participants testing out their food concept in a food truck for two weeks. The 2023 cohort saw three participants, two of whom graduated. Participants also received a food protection manager's card, a business logo designed utilizing NMMS technical assistance, and all three participants made a profit in their two weeks in Big Blue, the food truck. LII has graduated 13 out of 18 candidates since 2020 – four graduates are operating food trucks and three are running catering concepts. The Local Innovators Institute has garnered national recognition as a unique training and development program.

CARLSBAD

Spirit of the West Mural Restoration

Carlsbad MainStreet assembled funding from several different sources – including a $2,000 RCF grant – to restore a beloved 20+ year-old mural that had faded and decayed over time. The organization located a muralist who specialized in mural restoration and worked with her to prepare the mural site for the process. Unfortunately, it had to be power washed to remove the peeling paint and other debris which resulted in the loss of some of the mural details they hoped to use as a guide. Luckily, CMS painstakingly took photos of the mural in advance, before the power washing. Because detailed photos of the mural when it was freshly painted over 20 years ago were not available to guide the restoration, CMS made a point of taking detailed close-up photos after the restoration was complete so that 20 years from now, the next person or organization to restore it will not run into the same issues. The mural is located on a building with two vacant office/retail spaces, and realtors have reported increased interest in the property since the mural’s completion.

DOWNTOWN ABQ

Small Business Saturday BOGO Gift Cards

The Downtown ABQ MainStreet Initiative (DAMI) used a $2,000 RCF grant to encourage people to purchase gift cards that can be used at 35 participating businesses in Downtown Albuquerque, as well as in some adjoining neighborhoods. Customers who purchased $25 gift cards on Small Business Saturday received a Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) gift card as well. Offering this promo created a sense of urgency that encouraged customers to purchase gift cards that can be spent with the participating businesses. DAMI sold out of the Small Business Saturday BOGO in a week. Throughout 2023, DAMI sold 264 cards with a value of $7,700, $5,500 of which had been redeemed at the time of report submission in January. We anticipate that the redemption number will increase in 2024, as the gift cards purchased during the last few months of 2023 are redeemed by recipients.