Cancer Foundation for New Mexico

The mission of the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico is to help save lives by providing the support needed to enable every northern New Mexican with cancer to access treatment in Santa Fe.

We seek to make cancer treatment possible for the northern New Mexicans by eliminating financial barriers to accessing treatment, such as the inability to cover non-medical costs associated with travel, including gas mileage and overnight lodging. We also provide grocery cards to qualifying patients and support groups for cancer patients and their loved ones. Our goal is to ensure that all northern New Mexicans, despite socioeconomic background, have access to the treatment they need to prolong life and promote recovery.

To ensure that all qualifying northern New Mexicans have access to cancer treatment, we provide mileage reimbursement and paid hotel stays. In addition to eliminating the financial burdens associated with frequent travel, this ensures that patients can focus on rest and recovery after treatment. Grocery cards are also distributed to those who qualify in order to ensure patients and their families have access to nutritious foods. Support groups are offered at no cost, regardless of financial need, to cancer patients, their caregivers, and loved ones. Emergency funds for extenuating circumstances that may interfere with a patient's ability to access treatment may also be available.

We provide trained volunteers to provide support during treatment and information on community resources.
We work closely with the two cancer treatment centers in Santa Fe, CHRISTUS St. Vincent Cancer Center and Nexus Health Oncology, to identify non-medical patient needs. Two licensed social workers are employed by the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico and work to qualify patients and administer program services.

The Cancer Foundation for New Mexico was founded in 2003 and has grown substantially over the last 20 years. During Fiscal Year 2022, the Foundation reimbursed over 370,000 travel miles, paid for 1,021 nights of lodging, distributed 1,542 grocery cards to patients undergoing treatment. Professionally led support groups were also held for patients, families and caregivers.

The Executive Director is uniquely positioned to understand the population we serve, having a background in oncology nursing and having held leadership positions with healthcare organizations both nationally and internationally. The board of directors is comprised of 15 professionals whose diverse backgrounds and experience ensure sound governance of the organization in accordance with its mission. The Foundation's operating budget continues to grow -- $1.4 million, with 84% of expenses going directly to program services (FY2022).

To date, not one single patient who qualifies for our help has been turned away.

The demand for our services continues to grow. In an effort to ensure financial longevity despite a changing economic landscape, the Foundation is continuously diversifying its sources of revenue. Widely recognized throughout the community for the success of its annual fundraising events, the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico continues to set a precedent for innovative donor and community engagement strategies.

Over the last 15 years, the annual Sweetheart Auction has grown from modest means to become the largest and most anticipated charity auction in Santa Fe. The 2022 Sweetheart Auction was the most successful to date, witnessing a post-COVID crowd of 575 attendees and raising over 60% of the Foundation’s annual revenue for life-critical patient services and programs. The event was supported by a small staff, a committed Board of Directors, over 120 volunteers, 90 event sponsors, and 600 item donors.

The Foundation has also established the 10/10 Visionary Fund, a permanently restricted endowment with the goal of raising $10 million over 10 years. Once this goal is met, revenue generated from the endowment will cover operating costs, allowing all other revenue generated through fundraising efforts to be earmarked for life-saving patient programs: travel reimbursement, overnight lodging, grocery cards, support groups, and volunteer training. This will ensure that the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico will deliver on its mission for generations to come, despite economic conditions. To date, not one single patient who qualifies for our help has been turned away.