The Barney and Susie Cockburn Charitable Trust concentrates its giving on local educational scholarship programs and sustaining small community nonprofits in southeastern New Mexico, particularly in Artesia and nearby Roswell. Grants are largely directed to scholarship funds and to operational support for a handful of community organizations, indicating a focus on enabling student aid and keeping trusted local service groups functioning. The foundation prefers a small number of sizable awards rather than many small grants, often repeating support to the same recipients.
Concentrated giving: few, relatively large grants (many repeated to the same organizations) focused on scholarships and core operating support within a small geographic area.
The Barney and Susie Cockburn Charitable Trust directs most of its giving into educational scholarship programs and operating support for a small set of community nonprofits in Artesia and nearby Roswell. Recent grants show a clear pattern of sustained local funding: the trust awarded $80,901 each to Written in Red Inc for operations, Altursa International Foundation Inc of Artesia for educational scholarships, and Chase Foundation for educational scholarships in 2024. In 2025, it continued support with $80,000 to Written in Red Inc and $80,000 to Chase Foundation, alongside $40,000 awards to Altrusa International Foundation Inc of Roswell and Altrusa International Foundation Inc of Artesia for educational scholarships. That mix points to two recurring priorities: keeping local service organizations functioning and maintaining scholarship funds for students in the area. The trust’s grantmaking is concentrated in a small number of recipients, with repeated awards to the same organizations across years rather than broad one-time distribution.
Educational scholarships are a central theme in the trust’s recent grantmaking. It gave $80,901 to Altursa International Foundation Inc of Artesia for educational scholarships in 2024, then supported Chase Foundation with $80,000 for educational scholarships in 2025. The foundation also backed Altrusa International Foundation Inc of Roswell with $40,000 for educational scholarships, showing that scholarship support extends beyond Artesia itself while staying within southeastern New Mexico. Another thread is operational support for community groups: Written in Red Inc received $80,901 in 2024 and $80,000 in 2025 for operations, suggesting a willingness to fund the basic functioning of a local nonprofit over time. The trust also supports scholarship administration through organizations associated with local charitable funds and Altrusa chapters.
The trust gives in relatively large, concentrated awards: the 25th percentile is $60,000, the median is $80,000, and the 75th percentile is $80,901. Its pattern is not broad-based; the same recipients appear across multiple years, including Written in Red Inc and Chase Foundation. That repetition suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The trust is a charitable trust, not a funder of individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Its grantmaking is local, with every reported recipient in New Mexico.
$483K
$2.7M
$154K
$296K
Most grants fall between $60K and $81K, with a median of $80K.
25th Percentile
$60K
Median
$80K
75th Percentile
$81K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in NM.
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Notable grantees: CHASE FOUNDATION, WRITTEN IN RED INC, ALTURSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ARTESIA, ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ROSWELL, ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ARTESIA
All reported grants go to recipients in New Mexico, and 100% of grants are to organizations in the headquarters state. Artesia is the main recipient city, appearing with Written in Red Inc, Altursa International Foundation Inc of Artesia, and Chase Foundation. Roswell also appears through Altrusa International Foundation Inc of Roswell. The geographic pattern is tightly local, with giving concentrated in southeastern New Mexico rather than spread across multiple states or countries.
It supports local scholarship organizations and small community nonprofits. Recent grants include educational scholarships for Altursa International Foundation Inc of Artesia, Chase Foundation, and Altrusa International Foundation Inc of Roswell, plus operations support for Written in Red Inc.
Typical grant sizes are substantial: the 25th percentile is $60,000, the median is $80,000, and the 75th percentile is $80,901. The recent grant list shows awards clustered around those levels.
Yes. Written in Red Inc received grants in both 2024 and 2025, and Chase Foundation also received awards in both years. That pattern shows recurring support rather than a one-time grantmaking approach.
Its grants are local and entirely in New Mexico. Artesia is the main recipient city, and Roswell also appears in the recent grants list. The data shows 100% of grants going to recipients in the headquarters state.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRITTEN IN RED INC | ARTESIA, NM | $80,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CHASE FOUNDATION | ARTESIA, NM | $80,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ROSWELL | ROSWELL, NM | $40,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ARTESIA | ARTESIA, NM | $40,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WRITTEN IN RED INC | ARTESIA, NM | $80,901 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| ALTURSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ARTESIA | ARTESIA, NM | $80,901 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| CHASE FOUNDATION | ARTESIA, NM | $80,901 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
WRITTEN IN RED INC
$80,000OPERATIONS
CHASE FOUNDATION
$80,000EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ROSWELL
$40,000EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ARTESIA
$40,000EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
WRITTEN IN RED INC
$80,901OPERATIONS
ALTURSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC OF ARTESIA
$80,901EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
CHASE FOUNDATION
$80,901EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS