2023 Endowment Fund Recipient –  Zia Family Focus Center

Through our Albuquerque Community. Foundation Endowment Fund, the JLA Grant Committee is pleased to announce this year’s grant recipient is the Zia Family Focus Center (ZFFC), which will be receiving a $6,000 grant to fund scholarships to after school enrichment classes and day camps for struggling families in our community for the 2023/2024 school year. JLA’s relationship with the ZFFC stretches back 32 years to its founding by the Junior League of Albuquerque in partnership with APS in 1991. The committee chose ZFFC because the grant will directly fund the participation of 50+ children in the organization’s programs and to honor our long standing relationship with the ZFFC.

We continued our annual endowment grants giving during the 2021-22 League year. The double-placed committee members from across our League selected two local nonprofits who “support the healthy development of children and young people and assist them in achieving their personal and professional dreams…” which included but is not limited to low income families, children with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, survivors of violence and other risk factors. New Day and Crossroads for Women are driving forces in our community seeking to support women.

We continued our annual endowment grants giving during the 2020-21 League year. The double-placed committee members from across our League selected three local nonprofits who “support the healthy development of children and young people and assist them in achieving their personal and professional dreams…” which included but is not limited to low income families, children with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, survivors of violence and other risk factors. New Day, Heart Gallery of New Mexico and Crossroads for Women are driving forces in our community seeking to support women.

In 2020, the Junior League of Albuquerque provided $7,000 in grant funding through our Albuquerque Community Foundation Endowment Grants (ACF)! The two awarded organizations, NewMexico Kids Matter (NMKM) and New Mexico Friends of Foster Children (NMFFC), will use the funding JLA provided to bolster their incredible and meaningful programming and direct support to foster children in our community.

The grant support NM Kids Matter received from the Junior League of Albuquerque will be used to establish a fund to directly benefit the participants in the organization’s long standing STAR program, focused on impacting the lives of young adults as they age out of foster care.

The New Mexico Friends of Foster Children scholarship fund will provide three $1,000 scholarships that can be used for any expenses involved in attending a community college or university, trade school or certificate program, or other education or training program beyond high school or GED.

Best part of the grants selection process (besides knowing the funding went to incredible causes)? League members got to choose where these grants went! The Grant Selection Committee, a double placement, was open to all members in response to feedback that members wanted more opportunities to directly help our community and engage with our focus area.