Anchorum grants designed to make an impact

Hats off to the idea of giving with the notion of making an impact — especially when the money is directed toward alleviating the more difficult problems in New Mexico.

That’s why the announcement, made earlier this summer, of the first round of impact grants from Anchorum St. Vincent is so exciting. Anchorum, the nonprofit that owns half of Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, recently awarded $700,000 in grants to 18 nonprofits in seven counties in Northern New Mexico.

The idea is to give away significant amounts of money each year to the nonprofits doing the heavy lifting of improving conditions on the ground in Santa Fe, as well as villages and rural areas in the north.

The first round went to nonprofits working in the areas of senior health and wellness, adult behavioral health, educational

attainment and housing. All are critical needs in Northern New Mexico, with the money being handed out through a competitive grant process. That’s new, and it’s just the beginning.

Over the next three years, Anchorum will give away some $2.1 million grants through a competitive process. Other millions will be spent in direct grants to the larger nonprofits, such as United Way of Santa Fe County, Homewise and Communities In Schools Santa Fe.

What this amounts to is an all-out effort to change lives, assist people in feeling more secure and improve Northern New Mexico.

At the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, the $69,000 grant is being spent to help hire a counselor to handle mental health referrals. At Kitchen Angels, the $25,000 will provide an additional 2,809 meals for seniors. Mesa to Mesa will spend its $25,000 grant to repair the homes of the elderly of Northern New Mexico. At The Mountain Center, the $57,000 grant will pay for a therapist and behavioral health provider.

And think how much this grant is needed: the $25,000 to Reading Quest to offer 833 hours of tutoring for children in public schools reading below grade level. The successes of this program will mean more children graduating on time and ready for college or work. Strategies that work can and should be duplicated in other classrooms so that children read at proficiency.

All of this is essential to building stronger, healthier communities.

What makes it so exciting is that managers at Anchorum St. Vincent are doing more than handing out money. They are helping recipients learn how to ensure results with money spent. They looked for groups that were spending money well. They want to introduce do-gooders to each other, building relationships across the many groups so that ideas can be shared and expanded.

The goal, eventually, is to convene the people who are making a difference in Northern New Mexico and spark new ways to serve. At some point, Anchorum plans to use some of its $140 million endowment to actually invest in new ventures itself, perhaps providing funding for housing, education or to attract a firm that will bring in work.

All of this offers a broader view of what it means to improve the health of a community, moving from helping sick people get well to improving community conditions so people stay healthier in the first place. We look forward to hearing, in the months and years ahead, of lives that improved because these grants were made. Exciting times indeed.