Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico
Supporting the Arts Since 1954
Mission
The Foundation's mission is to "Support the artist and the creative process"
Ruling year
1958
Executive Director
Nic Knight
Main address
PO Box 1891
Taos, NM 87571 USA
EIN
85-0128634
NTEE code
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose (A20)
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid, Awards (B82)
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management (C32)
IRS filing requirement
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The term ‘struggling artist’ is all too accurate. In a world of technology and material innovation the creation and furtherance of values — especially esthetic values — becomes endangered. It is not that artists don’t exist in this technologically savvy and material world. Rather, it is that those who best exemplify these esthetic values have a very difficult time surviving in that world. If we lose what the artist offers us as commentary on the material world, then we have lost the compass that teaches us how to find direction in that world.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Artist Residency Program
The Foundation offers three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to people who specialize in the creative arts. Our eleven guest houses, or casitas, are fully furnished and provide residents with a peaceful setting in which to pursue their creative endeavors.
The Foundation accepts applications from painters, poets, sculptors, writers, playwrights, screenwriters, composers, photographers, and filmmakers of national and international origin.
Academic Scholarship Program
In addition to residency grants, further enhancing its commitment to the arts, the HWF offers academic scholarships to graduating high school students who wish to enter college as art majors. Each year at least two emerging art students from the Taos community are selected to receive the scholarship.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of awarded residencies
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Artists and performers
Related Program
Artist Residency Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The HWF holds 3 residency sessions per year, each lasting for 3 months. With 11 artist casitas on campus, HWF can grant a minimum of 33 residency sessions annually. 2020 impacted by Covid-19.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Artists and performers, Students
Related Program
Academic Scholarship Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This includes the total number of artist residency grants, plus total number of academic scholarships, annually.
Number of facilities improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Artist Residency Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The HWF campus includes several historical adobe-style buildings that serve as artist residency studios, office buildings, libraries, and common spaces.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Artist Residency Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This figure represents the annual Grant-in-Aid report for the HWF Residency Program, plus the awards from the HWF Academic Scholarship Program. 2020 impacted by Covid.
Number of testimonies offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Artist Residency Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Testimonials come from alumni of the HWF Residency Program. View testimonials at https://wurlitzerfoundation.org/alumni
Number of academic scholarships awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Artists and performers, Students
Related Program
Academic Scholarship Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The HWF Academic Scholarship Program can generally fund up to two new scholarships per year, while maintaining annual carryover awards for previously awarded students in good academic standing.
Numbered of staff who are satisfied to be an employee of the institution
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Artists and performers, Academics, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
All of our employees are satisfied and enjoy being employees of HWF!
Number of donors lending
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Numbers represent our fiscal year - April through March.
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Artists and performers, Academics
Related Program
Artist Residency Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Numbers represent residency grants only (not academic scholarship disbursements).
Number of new donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of list subscribers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of acres of land protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
HWF campus consists of mostly open fields bordered by trees, dotted with eleven artist residency casitas. These natural open spaces are still connected to a centuries-old network of acequias.
Acres of land managed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of website pageviews
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Straight from Google Analytics
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico offers a concept in the world of art which is rare and valuable. It operates as an incubator for innovation in the world of art generally and, in particular, in the worlds of visual art, music, and literature.
The primary goal of HWF is to uphold its mission "to support the artist and the creative process" by way of providing the time and space to create. The secondary goal of HWF is to provide opportunity to student artist wishing to pursue a career in the arts. The tertiary goal of HWF is to maintain and preserve the art, historical buildings, and land whereon our campus sits in the center of Taos.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
HWF performs this vital service to the fine arts by annually granting over thirty residencies of three months each to creative artists, permitting them to further their work in an environment which is at once private, protected, and also stimulating.
In addition, further enhancing its commitment to the arts, the Foundation offers two scholarships each year to graduating Taos High School students who wish to enter college as art majors. Thus, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation is an unusual and evocative organization committed to innovative art on several levels.
HWF is continually assessing the physical requirements of the campus, including the maintenance, restoration and preservation of its traditionally constructed adobe 'casitas'. In 2019 HWF began restorations on the centuries-old 'acequia' (irrigation ditches) to ensure that vital waters will feed the 15 acres of prime land well into the future.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In accomplishing our primary goal to provide artist residencies, HWF has implemented several guidelines and procedures to ensure grantees are given equal opportunity to apply, have a fair review, and be selected for a residency grant. HWF is capable of receiving residency applications through proprietary software integrated with our website, as well as by mail. Applications are reviewed by a selection committee consisting of professionals who specialize in the artistic discipline of the applicant. Numerous jurors serve on committees for each: visual arts, music composers, writers, poets, playwrights, and filmmakers. Jurors, who know nothing about the artist's demographics, score in five categories based purely on the merit of the applicant's creative work samples.
Artists in residence have no imposed expectations, quotas, or requirements during their stay on the HWF campus. The HWF’s residency program provides artists with the time and space to create, which in turn enriches the artistic community and culture locally and abroad.
In accomplishing our secondary goal to provide academic scholarships, HWF works with all of the high schools in the county of Taos, NM. The schools share the scholarship opportunity with students, who are given the opportunity to apply. HWF has a Scholarship Committee to review and award the scholarships.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since 1954, The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico has provided residency grants to thousands of artists, and academic scholarships to dozens of students.
Every year HWF provides at least 33 residency grants, and two academic scholarships.
For over 65 years HWF has maintained over a dozen historical buildings, along with 15 acres of prime land, to provide the space and time needed for artists to focus on their creativity. HWF also preserves the original home of Helene Wurlitzer. The home itself is an enduring example of classic Taos architecture.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico
Board of directorsas of 03/08/2022
Peggy Nelson
Bill Ebie
Peggy Nelson
Bill Ebie
Harald R. Hahn
Michael Knight
Janet Webb
Diane Reyna
Joseph E. Caldwell
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/08/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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