The Museum of New Mexico Foundation supports the Museum of New Mexico system, generating private philanthropic support for exhibitions, education programs, research, acquisitions, retail and licensing to advance the art, history and culture of New Mexico.
Museum of New Mexico Foundation’s recent giving is built around sustained support for the Museum of New Mexico system, with multi-million-dollar grants each year directed to the institutions it serves in Santa Fe. The largest recent award in the data was $8,846,579 to Museums of New Mexico for support of the museum, followed by $6,196,816 for the same purpose in 2023 and $4,589,734 to Museum of New Mexico in 2025. That pattern shows a funder working through ongoing institutional support rather than one-off project grants. The foundation’s role is tied to the Museum of New Mexico system and related cultural institutions, including the four state museums in Santa Fe, New Mexico Historic Sites, and the Office of Archaeological Studies. Its supported work includes exhibitions, education programs, research, acquisitions, operations, and collections-related activity. The focus is not limited to museum display; the grants also underwrite the behind-the-scenes functions that keep cultural institutions operating and expanding. Leadership is listed as Frieda Simons.
Museum of New Mexico Foundation supports museum operations and collections work through large institutional grants. In the recent grants list, it gave $4,589,734 to Museum of New Mexico for support of the museum, matching the foundation’s emphasis on general operating and institutional support. Its archaeology-related giving is also explicit through the Office of Archaeological Studies Support program, which funds archaeological research, educational outreach, and specialized laboratory work. The foundation’s stated focus areas include museums, historic sites, archaeology, education, exhibitions, collections, and conservation, and its active programs show how those priorities are translated into support for exhibitions, research, acquisitions, preservation, and educational programming. Endowments are another part of the model, providing annual income for exhibitions, acquisitions, education, operations, and other cultural programming.
Grant sizes are large and tightly clustered: p25 is $5,393,275, the median is $6,196,816, and p75 is $7,521,698. The recent grant record shows repeated support across multiple years, with the same museum system appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That indicates recurring institutional funding rather than a pattern of isolated awards. The foundation is not reported to fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its active endowment program also points to a long-term funding structure built around managed endowment funds and annual income for cultural institutions.
$3.9M
$54.9M
$16.2M
$7.7M
Most grants fall between $5.4M and $7.5M, with a median of $6.2M.
25th Percentile
$5.4M
Median
$6.2M
75th Percentile
$7.5M
About 100% of grants go to recipients in NM.
FRIEDA SIMONS
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Giving is entirely local in the provided data: 100% of grants go to recipients in New Mexico, and New Mexico is the top state by grant count. The recent grants list names Santa Fe as the recipient city for each of the three largest awards. The foundation’s active programs also center on New Mexico, including the Museum of New Mexico system, New Mexico Historic Sites, and the Office of Archaeological Studies. No non-U.S. recipient country appears in the grant record.
It supports the Museum of New Mexico system, New Mexico Historic Sites, and the Office of Archaeological Studies. The foundation’s stated focus areas include museums, historic sites, archaeology, education, exhibitions, collections, and conservation.
The grant-size distribution is high and fairly concentrated: p25 is $5,393,275, the median is $6,196,816, and p75 is $7,521,698.
No. The geographic scope of giving is local, and 100% of grants in the provided data go to recipients in New Mexico.
Yes. The recent grant record shows support for the museum system in 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating recurring institutional funding across multiple years.
Its active programs center on division support, managed endowments, and support for the Office of Archaeological Studies. The foundation also funds general operating and institutional support, along with exhibitions, acquisitions, education, research, preservation, and related cultural programming.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO | SANTA FE, NM | $3,911,637 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE MUSEUM |
| MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO | SANTA FE, NM | $4,589,734 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE MUSEUM |
| MUSEUMS OF NEW MEXICO | SANTA FE, NM | $8,846,579 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE MUSEUM |
| MUSEUMS OF NEW MEXICO | SANTA FE, NM | $6,196,816 | 2023 | SUPPORT THE MUSEUM |
MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO
$3,911,637SUPPORT THE MUSEUM
MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO
$4,589,734SUPPORT THE MUSEUM
MUSEUMS OF NEW MEXICO
$8,846,579SUPPORT THE MUSEUM
MUSEUMS OF NEW MEXICO
$6,196,816SUPPORT THE MUSEUM