Empower! Black Futures Community Fund announces inaugural grants

Empower! Fund awards $41,000 to seven organizations supporting Black life, arts, and culture in New Mexico

As part of Juneteenth 2025, the Empower! Black Futures Community Fund of the Santa Fe Community Foundation is proud to announce its inaugural round of grantmaking. The grants, which total $41,000, support seven organizations uplifting Black life, arts, and culture in New Mexico.

“I’m honored to share the recipients of our very first grant cycle,” said Raashan Ahmad, chair of the Empower! Black Futures Community Fund advisory committee. “This is more than a milestone, it’s a love letter to the power of community, culture, and collective imagination. From preserving our stories and traditions to building financial tools for freedom, these projects reflect the brilliance and resilience that lives in us. We’re proud to stand behind this work and walk alongside those creating the future we all deserve!”

The Empower! Black Futures Community Fund follows a community-driven approach to equity, creativity, and systemic change. Its advisory committee — comprised of Black leaders from throughout the state — guide the fund’s grantmaking in support of three priority areas: promoting community development; fostering Black artistic expression and preserving cultural heritage; and building financial literacy for generations to come.

The inaugural grantees reflect a rich cross-section of work in all three of the fund’s priority areas:

Promoting community development

• Many Mothers – Black Women and Birth Workers Bi-Monthly Retreat

Fostering Black artistic expression & cultural heritage

• Mwgaza Mwangaza Athletics' African Runners as Artists and Cultural Ambassadors
• Santa Fe Soul Festival
• New Mexico Black Leadership Council – Black History Documentary Film Project
• New Mexico Black Leadership Council – The Syndicate

Building financial literacy

• Juneteenth Renaissance Institute – Black is Enough Skill-Building Symposium
• Umoja ABQ – Liberty in Financial Education Project

“These inaugural grants reflect a deep commitment to celebrating Black culture, investing in financial strength, and advancing equity throughout New Mexico,” said Christopher Goett, MSW, President & CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. “We’re very honored to be the home of this initiative and grateful to the advisory committee for their vision and leadership.”

The Empower! Black Futures Community Fund is the Foundation’s newest identity-based giving circle, joining a legacy of community-led philanthropy that includes the Native American Advised Fund (est. 1993) and the Envision Fund (est. 1997), which supports LGBTQ+ causes statewide.
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To learn more about the Empower! Black Futures Community Fund and to make acontribution, please visit: santafecf.org/empower.

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Contact: Lily Horwath
Director, Marketing & Communications
Santa Fe Community Foundation
lhorwath@santafecf.org

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