New Mexico State University’s diverse student population, creative faculty, innovative programs and cutting-edge research projects have long made it a strong candidate for financial support from private corporations, foundations and organizations interested in helping the university achieve new levels of excellence.

During the past several years, 43 percent of private money contributed to NMSU has come from these sources. In fact, in the last five years, more than 3,000 gifts greater than $10,000 made to the NMSU Foundation have come from corporations, foundations, businesses, organizations or trusts.

Rebecca Sellars ’83 ’87 ’95, director of corporation and foundation relations for the NMSU Foundation, has been developing strong relationships with these funders for about 17 years.

“I have noticed the key to success is building connections and establishing relationships,” she says.

She can point to programs and scholarships from one end of campus to the other that are the direct result of corporate and foundation gifts. In many cases, corporations have hired NMSU graduates and later established scholarships to support students who can become future interns and employees.

“Our graduates have a good track record of arriving on the job well prepared for their new positions. That is a direct result of the guidance and mentorship they received while they were students here,” Sellars says.

As funding support from the state declines, securing these private funds becomes even more important.

“We are always looking for new funders who might be interested in our programs once they get to know us,” she says. “It is particularly helpful if you have alumni connections at these companies. It is not always necessary, but it can certainly help make giant strides towards securing and maintaining support.”

Stocker Family Foundation

The Stocker Family Foundation “joined the NMSU family” in 2004 when it made the first grant to support a theatrical production created by theatre arts professor Ruth Cantrell. Currently, Stocker concentrates on literacy enrichment for children and has funded the Literacy through Movement Program in the College of Education.

Kirsten Avelar, director of the college’s Pan American Dance Institute, says, “Seeing children become enthusiastic about reading and finding joy in the art of dance has been an invaluable gift that the Stocker Foundation has brought to our community through the NMSU dance program’s Literacy through Movement. Through Stocker, quality dance has been made accessible to our community’s youth and continues to breathe inspiration into their young lives.”

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

In 2010, NMSU’s School of Nursing received funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, marking the first time NMSU has received funds from this major organization.

Robert Wood Johnson is the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted solely to the public’s health and health care delivery. The foundation aims to confront the most pressing health and health care problems threatening society and is passionate about using its endowment to help create leverage for change.

“The funding from Robert Wood Johnson will enable NMSU to support five MSN (Masters of Science in Nursing) scholarships,” Sellars says. “This is wonderful since graduate scholarships are not easy to come by. The funding is renewable for up to three years and once the RWJ foundation gets to know an institution, it makes it easier to approach them for additional funding. RWJ is a very prestigious foundation and I am so pleased we have finally secured funding from them. It bodes well for the School of Nursing at NMSU.”