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Our Mission

Founded in 2004, New Mexico Community Capital is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to change the status quo in Native-owned business through tailored mentorship, financial literacy and digital skills programs, and specialized technical assistance and services for tribes and tribal enterprises. We seek to build and support a more equitable future, by providing economic and sustainability tools for success to Indigenous people in New Mexico, and throughout the U.S. 

Our programs are culturally appropriate, peer-to-peer based, digitally-focused, and results driven. This includes programs like the Native Entrepreneur in Residence program, the Financial & Business Basics program, and Digital Media and Marketing Basics. We are a Grow with Google and Google Cloud Partner, and this enables us to teach skills that address entrepreneur’s needs now, especially as we deal and work in a changing world. We structure our programs through an Indigenous lens, and bring core competencies of mentorship, peer leadership, culturally relevant applications and methods, and a “meet you where you’re at” perspective.   

Our vision for the next three years is to implement a regenerative model for excellence by being a nationally-recognized leader in training, teaching, mentorship and thought leadership in Indian Country. NMCC will demonstrate their unique value proposition that demonstrates the blending of today’s digital technology with Indigenous values and peer to peer learning.

Organizational History and Purpose

New Mexico Community Capital is an award-winning organization dedicated to providing knowledge and capital to help high-potential, high-growth and NM-based businesses.

Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2004, NMCC currently manages the NMCC Fund I, a fund that is set to close soon. The NMCC Fund l operates as a “Double Bottom Line” venture capital fund.  Our strategy is to invest in New Mexico companies that can deliver market-rate returns while creating social and economic improvement in the regions in which they operate. We accomplished this via this fund by investing in businesses with growth potential and by providing a level of operational expertise to help them create additional value. NMCC adheres to a strict investment discipline honed over 75 years of collective experience while at the same time leveraging public, private and not-for-profit resources to the benefit of community and economic growth.

NMCC targeted investments focused on basic human needs: water, energy, food/agriculture, and health – all areas where the investment team has deep experience and markets in which New Mexico holds a competitive leadership position.

NMCC, through its non-profit parent, also provides capacity-building services that are distinct from our investment activities. NMCC delivers an array of expertise ranging from finance to marketing and product development. We focus on helping businesses develop a clear vision and growth plan. We then help them translate this vision into specific, measurable and realistic action steps.

The advantages offered by NMCC’s unique organizational structure, allow us to develop partnerships that we believe will nurture future economies.  This has spurred formal engagement with Native American tribes and Pueblos because they offer enormous opportunity and leadership for this vision. NMCC’s Native Entrepreneur in Residence (NEIR) program was started in 2014 to implement this vision. This was followed by the Financial & Business Basics (FBB) program in 2018, and Digital Media and Marketing Basics in 2020. 

Thanks to the support of many partners, since inception, NMCC’s venture fund has:

  • invested over $10.6 million in New Mexico companies who have hired or retained 261 employees;
  • brought specialized business expertise and education to over 500 small businesses;
  • provided more than 600 well-paying jobs for residents of lower income areas, primarily lower wage workers who through our efforts are earning a higher wage and are more likely to have access to health care than their counterparts at similar companies; and,
  • provided business and management education to more than 1,000 high-potential entrepreneurs to improve their ability to attract financing needed for accelerated and long-term growth.

NMCC employs a team of service-oriented, highly qualified professionals whose work is complemented by a cadre of high-level business consultants.  A seven-member national Board of Directors oversees the organization.

Funders & Partners

New Mexico Community Capital (NMCC) is a private, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We are funded by private donations, foundations, organizations, and through federal, state, and city funding. For further information about supporting NMCC’s work, please go to the donate box at the top of the page or click here.

We would like to thank our funders and supporters that contribute to making our programs possible:

  • Equality Can’t Wait Challenge Hosts:
    • Pivotal Ventures, Melinda French Gates’ Investment and Incubation Company
    • MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett
    • Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
    • Challenge partnership: Lever for Change
  • W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  • U.S. Economic Development Administration
  • U.S. Department of Labor
  • Native American Agricultural Fund (NAAF)
  • US Bank
  • USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA)
  • Swift Foundation
  • Tamalpais Trust
  • National Congress of American Indians
  • Albuquerque Community Foundation
  • Administration for Native Americans (ANA)
  • Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI)
  • Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
  • Small Business Association (SBA)
  • Forest County Potawatomi Foundation
  • Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
  • New Mexico Foundation
  • Isora Foundation
  • Theodosia Ferguson
  • Nusenda Credit Union
  • Nourish
  • New Mexico Farmers Market Association
  • Amerind Risk
  • Novo Foundation
  • NDN Collective
  • Wells Fargo Foundation
  • City of Albuquerque: Downtown Storefront Grant

If you are interested in supporting our work and mission, please contact Liz Gamboa at 505-924-2820 or via email, liz@nmccap.org.

Our Team

Staff

Board of Directors