August 27, 2008
Albuquerque Journal
Kudos to Foundations of UNM, Hispanic Center (Editorial)
With a queasy economic outlook and political hopefuls sponging up spare change, it's got to be a tough environment for fundraisers. But two state foundations outdid themselves during the past year — the University of New Mexico and the National Hispanic Cultural Center foundations.
The UNM Foundation, which had plateaued in the low $40 millions early in the decade, shot up to the $72.5 million in private contributions during the 2006-'07 fiscal year. In the year just ended, it followed that act with an $85.5 million effort, easily clearing the $80 million bar set by regents for the foundation and President David Schmidly in his first year.
Along with doubling the donation total over the course of four years, the foundation has also grown its contributor base, good news as UNM goes into an extended capital campaign with hopes of raising perhaps as much as $500 million by the middle of the next decade.
Down the hill, a new institution with even deeper roots is breaking records, too. Local visits and the National Hispanic Cultural Center programs around the state have seen a steep increase from 2005-'06 attendance figures of 168,549 to 266,095 in the year just ended.
The NHCC Foundation is reaping increased donations as well, hitting $1.8 million in the '07-'08 and shooting for $2 million over the next 11 months.
The higher levels of private support for the center and UNM are hard-earned votes of confidence in two institutions of state government.