Initiatives

Our Initiatives

Over the next few years, the One Albuqueque Fund aims to fund critical programs to address some of the core challenges our city faces.

homelessness & housing

The primary need of individuals and families experiencing homelessness is a home. Once housed, individuals and families can move forward with their lives. It will take approximately $13 million to fund enough housing vouchers to make a meaningful, permanent change in the homelessness epidemic. The City is already investing millions to help address these needs, but significant support from the community is needed as well to truly transform the current situation.

Workforce Support and training

To support our local small businesses, we need to ensure that they have the tools necessary to grow and expand. We will help establish a job- training fund that local businesses can apply to for assistance in hiring an additional employee – growing by an “increment of one.” We will also fund mentorship and advisement opportunities to help support entrepreneurs get off the ground, especially in the creative economy, by strengthening the newly created Job Training Albuquerque program and our partnerships with CNM.

Black community investment

The Black Community Investment Fund was created to make direct investments to support local Black-owned businesses and organizations in Albuquerque. In 2021 a steering committee, comprised of business and civic leaders from Albuquerque’s Black community led a process to design a framework, criteria, and objectives to direct the first phase of funding distribution. Applications were made available to Black-owned businesses and nonprofits serving Black communities. Businesses could apply for funding for necessary expenses including rent, mortgage payments, utilities, equipment lease payments, and payroll. Nonprofit organizations could qualify for funding to support services rendered as vital to Albuquerque’s Black community. Based on the steering committee’s recommendations, the One Albuquerque Fund awarded $300,000 among 12 Black-owned businesses and nonprofits that serve the Black community. This disbursement was Phase I of $1M in total grant funding from the Black Community Investment Fund; Phase II funding distribution is anticipated for the year 2023, following fundraising efforts in 2022.

Business and nonprofits selected to receive funding in Phase I included:

High Desert Community Arts
Kamaria Creations
Kutz of a Dream Barbershop
Morning Star Missionary Church
Nexus Brewery
Rude Boys Cookies
Triay Arts
Umoja Behavioral Health PC (UBH)
Utopia Dental Care
Versatile Solutions Group, LLC
AA Greater Albuquerque Chamber
Community Mentorship Networking

Youth Opportunity and Programs

While the City has only tangential ability to impact the classroom and school day, there is substantial opportunity to assist with before and after school programs, and summer programs. Efforts on this front will focus on utilizing the hundreds of programs and partnerships the city is already engaged with and providing scaling funds to fill out, and increase, opportunities at existing programs such as swim lessons, library programs, meals and nutrition, and open-space activities to name a few.

Public Service Support & recruitment

We are working with the City of Albuquerque to address the issues around public safety and where funds are being allocated to. We are supporting organizations, individuals and departments that provide pubic services to keep our community safe and healthy.