LGBTQ Grant County

Creating Belonging Across Generations in Rural New Mexico

LGBTQ Grant County was founded on a simple belief: everyone deserves to feel that they belong.

Located in rural southwest New Mexico in Silver City, our organization works to create connection, visibility, support, and celebration for LGBTQ+ people and their allies across Grant County and surrounding communities. While many people associate LGBTQ+ organizations primarily with advocacy or Pride events, our work extends beyond a single season. We focus on building community year-round, especially for those who often experience isolation due to geography, age, identity, or life circumstance.

Building a Stronger Foundation

When we applied for a Santa Fe Community Foundation Envision Fund grant last year, we requested support for infrastructure strengthening. As a small, volunteer-led organization, we recognized that sustainable impact requires a strong foundation. We needed to improve our financial systems, strengthen organizational capacity, and create the infrastructure necessary to support our growing mission.

We were deeply honored when the Foundation awarded us $9,000 — nearly double the amount we had requested. That investment became a catalyst for growth.

First, we were able to bring our bookkeeping and financial systems into alignment, creating stronger organizational accountability and positioning LGBTQ Grant County for future sustainability. While this work often happens behind the scenes, it is essential. Sound financial practices build trust, support strategic planning, and allow organizations like ours to serve communities more effectively.

The grant also allowed us to redesign our website, creating a more welcoming, accessible, and professional online presence. In a rural area where many LGBTQ+ individuals may not know where to find community, resources, or support, a website is often the first doorway to connection. Our new website will soon serve as a hub for events, educational programming, resources, and opportunities for engagement.

The grant also caught the attention of colleagues in the nonprofit consulting sector. Two have now offered a comprehensive organizational and board development seminar, and both have offered their services pro bono.

Most importantly, this strengthened foundation created space for us to expand programming in ways that directly serve our community.

Expanding Community Support Across Generations

One area of growth has been our work with LGBTQ+ youth.

This year, we launched an after-school program designed to provide connection, belonging, leadership development, and support for young queer people navigating adolescence in a rural environment. For many LGBTQ+ youth, finding peers who understand their experiences can be life-changing. The program creates a safe and affirming space where young people can build friendships, develop confidence, and recognize that they are not alone. It has also helped us build deeper relationships with area schools.

As William Hawkins, Superintendent of Silver Consolidated Schools, shared:

“I appreciate the continued work you do, and the care you bring to supporting youth and families in our community.”

At the other end of the lifespan, we launched an innovative end-of-life preparedness program for LGBTQ+ elders and those aging solo called Living Fully, Leaving Well.

Many LGBTQ+ older adults face unique challenges as they age. Some do not have children or traditional family support systems. Others may be estranged from family members or concerned about receiving affirming care during serious illness. Through workshops focused on advance care planning, healthcare decision-making, caregiving, legacy, and end-of-life preparation, participants are gaining practical tools while also discovering something equally important: community.

What began as a program about preparing for the future quickly became a space for meaningful conversation, mutual support, and connection among people who often feel unseen or isolated.

One participant shared:

“This program is giving me more than information. It gave me peace of mind. For the first time, I feel like I’m not navigating these questions alone.”

Another reflected:

“I came because I wanted help getting my paperwork in order. Each time, I’m leaving feeling connected to a community.”

These comments speak to something we have learned repeatedly throughout our work: information is important, but belonging is transformative.

Creating Belonging in Rural New Mexico

The Envision Fund at Santa Fe Community Foundation’s investment helped us strengthen our infrastructure, but the true outcome has been stronger community.

Today, LGBTQ Grant County serves people across generations — from youth exploring who they are to elders considering how they wish to age and be remembered. We create opportunities for connection through educational programs, community gatherings, cultural events, advocacy efforts, and our annual Pride celebration. We collaborate with schools, local businesses, nonprofit partners, healthcare professionals, and community leaders to foster a more welcoming and inclusive rural New Mexico.

In a time when many conversations about LGBTQ+ communities focus on division, we remain committed to building bridges. Our work is rooted in the belief that every person deserves dignity, connection, safety, and the opportunity to participate fully in community life.

The Foundation’s support arrived at a pivotal moment in our organization’s development. What began as an investment in infrastructure became an investment in possibility.

We still have a long way to go, but because of that support, we are stronger, more sustainable, and better equipped to serve our community than ever before.

We are profoundly grateful to the Envision Fund at Santa Fe Community Foundation and its donors for believing in the power of rural communities, for recognizing the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion, and for helping us create spaces where people can connect, belong, and thrive.

Together, we are building a future where no one has to wonder whether there is a place for them here.

They already belong.