Within the last year, the Thoma Foundation has expanded its historic arts-centered grantmaking to include a wider focus on education, including career and technical education (CTE), college access, and entrepreneurship development. In conjunction with the recent arrival of our new Director, Holly Harrison, we are currently reviewing the Foundation’s strategic directions. As we reaffirm our commitment to creating opportunities for young people across our target geographic regions, our board has asked us to place special emphasis on the southern half of New Mexico and to take stock of the current role of philanthropy in the educational ecosystem of this region. To this end, we are organizing a convening that will bring together fellow funders, educational stakeholders, and nonprofit leaders in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Wednesday, November 17 and Thursday, November 18.
In addition to inspiring statewide and regional funders to intensify their work in education in Southern New Mexico and spark conversations around potential funder collaborations, we also aim to bridge the gap between educational stakeholders, nonprofit leaders, and funders by encouraging open and transparent conversations about community needs, youth opportunities, and capacity building. As part of this work, on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 17, we are inviting a panel of leading local teachers, students, administrators, and higher education representatives to kick off our convening. We would be honored if you would join us for this discussion and for a dinner to follow.
Additionally, we would like to invite you join us on Thursday, November 18 when we will be inviting local nonprofit leaders for a morning panel and breakout sessions, with catered lunch to follow.
We are still finalizing the venues for these events and will let you know as soon as these details are public.COVID-19 safety has been a critical concern throughout our planning process, and our policy regarding safety precautions can be found below.
We would appreciate your RSVP via the form below as soon as possible (November 4, 2021, at latest).