About Us

Letter from the Executive Director and Board President

Dear Community Members,

2007 was a landmark year for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Foundation. However, the year began with a great challenge.With the Laboratory under a new contract and management team, the stakes were high for the Foundation. At risk was the annual support from the Laboratory, received under the previous LANL contract with the University of California (UC). From 1998-2006, the LANL Foundation was the principal entity responsible for "fostering and managing Laboratory community financial support" for Educational Enrichment, Educational Outreach, and Community Outreach program activities totaling $3 million annually. Under this contract, the Foundation awarded more than 1,600 grants totaling $26 million to school districts and countless nonprofits throughout Northern New Mexico.

Keeping the promise to Northern New Mexico, the LANL Foundation worked closely with Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), the new LANL contractor, to ensure that educational funding for local communities would continue under the new Laboratory contract. LANL leadership partnered with the National Nuclear Security Administration to structure an agreement for community support that resulted in the signing of a new institutional agreement with the LANL Foundation on July 2, 2007. Under this agreement, the Foundation has been authorized up to $3 million to provide Educational Enrichment and Educational Outreach funding for a wide variety of education program in theareas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to this funding, LANS has also provided a corporate gift of $700,000 for seven years to support additional educational outreach grants ($250,000), match contributions to the Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund (up to $250,000), support the Northern New Mexico Math and Science Academy ($100,000), and establish the Espanola Regional Quality Center ($100,000).

In addition to this historic agreement, 2007 was a year of dreams and promises fulfilled by the Foundation. Construction work began in March for the Foundation's new headquarters overlooking the beautiful Espanola Valley. This Center for Educational and Nonprofit Leadership promises to be a catalyst for educational,government, and nonprofit excellence in our region. The 7,100-square-foot building was designed with several meeting rooms and state-of-the-art conference facilities to enable communityleaders to meet and solve complex local issues while building a vision for the future.

The Los Alamos Employees' Scholarship Fund received a major gift from UC, a pledge of $200,000 per year for seven years totaling $1.4 million, to support UC Nonresident Fee Scholarships. These awards assist local students who are admitted to one of the UC campuses by paying for out-of-state tuition fees.

The First Born Program, the Foundation's newest initiative, began replicating the Grant County First Born model in the counties of Rio Arriba and Taos with joint funding from the State of New Mexico and a collaborative of regional foundations. This program's goal is to maximize the human potential of every child through home visiting and the education of new parents and caregivers.

With the continuation of educational funding through the new Laboratory contract, the LANL Foundation was able to award 93 Educational Enrichment, Educational Outreach, and Small Educational Outreach grants totaling $3,376,598 to schools, nonprofits,and Pueblo/Tribal communities supporting STEM education,learning, and community development in Northern
New Mexico.

Thanks to the stewardship of the UC Office of the Treasurer's Endowment Pool, LANL FoundationÕs portfolio continues to grow at an impressive rate, with total assets now approaching
$70 million.

The LANL Foundation Board of Directors, staff, nonprofit organizations,local governments, colleges, schools, and a myriad of volunteers all work together on a daily basis to implement the Foundation's vision:

“Investing in Human Potential
Helping our Children Learn
Nurturing their Dreams
Strengthening our Communities”

Those of us who are given the opportunity to partner with our neighbors and serve our communities to improve the lives of our children are perhaps the most fortunate of all. Thank you for your continued support.


Sincerely,