How do we stay hopeful, creative, and energized in these times? How do we counter the distortions and false storylines that dominate our newsfeeds? One way is to connect, gather, and convene in person to remind each other of our collective power. And gathering is something NMW.O has been doing a lot lately. 

For instance, NMW.O staff presented at the annual Solidaire convening, which took place at Tamaya in early September. We also attended and presented at Feminist Funded '25, the Women’s Funding Network convening in Washington, DC, and participated in the recent statewide Women’s Safety Summit hosted by the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women. Additionally, in recent months, program staff held meaningful check-ins with many of our grantee and movement partners across the state.  

Now is the time to stay connected to our communities and movement leaders who are guiding us toward a future of abundance for all New Mexicans through strategic local solutions. Now is the time to center inspired narratives of resistance. Some would prefer that we stay in a trance, that we forget who we are. We must refuse these forces by coming together and remembering the words of writer and activist Arundhati Roy, “We are many, they are few. They need us more than we need them.” 

This month, NMW.O participated in Feminist Funded '25, a conference hosted by the Women’s Funding Network. The pre-conference activities included a Hill Day of Action, during which NMW.O’s Senior Director of Grantmaking & Community Partnerships, Renee Villarreal, and Development Director, Rachel Rodriguez, visited with all five members of the New Mexico Congressional delegation and their staff to discuss how we can be resources for one another in these times.  

Renee also presented a conference session, “Funding Collective Care in Times of Chaos,” in collaboration with Carmen James Randolph, Founding President & CEO of the Women’s Foundation of the South. The conversation invited participants to explore how women’s funds are mobilizing resources toward care as a strategy for gender justice. Creative practices were shared by everyone—including reframing “sick time” as wellness time, sending “love boxes” to grantees during the 2020 Covid pandemic lockdown, and expanding professional development funds to be used for personal development. 

Renee also highlighted NMW.O’s Healing Awards and other investments in community care we have made in response to this moment. Healing and collective care is not only about sustaining our movements but also about living our values of care and love for our communities in a time of increasing violence and hateful rhetoric. 

Earlier this month, NMW.O President and CEO, Sarah Ghiorse, and Senior Director of Grantmaking & Community Partnerships, Renee Villarreal, attended the Solidaire Network’s annual retreat held in New Mexico.

Sarah shared remarks at the opening plenary about power building in New Mexico before movement leader Alicia Garza took the stage to remind us of the urgency of this work, advising: “Move the money. We do not need 20 meetings... You need to pull the fire alarm and get all your folks ready. The terrain that we are on requires us to move decisively.”  Veteran climate activist Jane Fonda and Palestinian poet Naomi Shihab Nye were also in attendance, energizing the crowd with their messages of hope and beauty.  

We are grateful to be part of this powerful network of colleagues and friends from across the country, where we continue to deepen the connections that Solidaire nurtures - movement relationships that are rooted in love and justice.   

Members of the Fostering Gender, Racial and Healing Community of Practice gathered in person last week in Santa Fe for a day of reflection and strategy. We began by making “alignment bundles” with herbs and flowers harvested from members’ gardens, moving afterward to a conversation about funding cuts and increased pressure to protect and preserve services, programs, and policies in New Mexico amid the current national political reality.  

We recognized the collective heaviness while also naming the resilience of our communities. The day ended with a discussion about what it means for funders and donors in New Mexico to step into bold generosity in these ungenerous times. Members agreed that this is the time to tap into our collective imagination, creating new ways to support the brave work being led by our grantee partners to improve the lives of all New Mexicans.