MacKenzie Scott's Philanthropic Grants Recognize DreamSpring Clients in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Two DreamSpring clients are among the New Mexico-based nonprofits selected for MacKenzie Scott's 2024 round of Yield Giving Open Call philanthropic grants. Keshet Dance Company and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center were recognized for their work with charitable awards of $2 million each. DreamSpring is proud to have provided small business capital and support to these two impactful organizations along their entrepreneurial journey.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) is dedicated to addressing environmental issues in New Mexico, including the fight against uranium pollution in Native communities. During the pandemic, NMELC turned to DreamSpring for nearly $150,000 in emergency Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to keep the lights on and provide for its 12 employees. Today, the MacKenzie Scott donation ensures NMELC will continue fighting alongside their clients for clean air, land, and water across New Mexico.

Keshet is a nonprofit dance company with a mission to provide community-focused performing arts programming and dance education in Albuquerque. DreamSpring worked with Keshet in 2015, providing a nearly $50,000 term loan to help them establish themselves in their new Center for the Arts facility. The $2 million Yield gift will help Keshet further its work to expand equity, justice, and empowered bodies through creative movement.

“Mackenzie Scott is a renowned philanthropist, and these large contributions serve as validation that DreamSpring clients are changemakers in their communities. NMELC and Keshet are transforming the worlds of environmental advocacy and cultural arts, and DreamSpring is proud to have supported them along their journeys of impact,” says Amber Kani, DreamSpring Head of Stakeholder Engagement.

All together, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving charity distributed $20 million in grants to 10 New Mexico-based organizations from a total of $640 million nationwide. As a fellow mission-based nonprofit, DreamSpring congratulates the recipients of these awards and applauds the positive transformation each organization is making in communities across New Mexico and the nation.

For more information about DreamSpring and its clients, visit DreamSpring.org.

About DreamSpring

DreamSpring is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender dedicated to eliminating systemic wealth inequities and accelerating the economic inclusion and strength of underserved communities. Founded in 1994, the organization provides rapid access to capital and customized wrap-around support to the most vulnerable small business owners in 27 states, focusing on underrepresented communities including people of color, women, low- to moderate-income earners, people with disabilities, and start-ups. To date, DreamSpring has issued more than 47,925 loans totaling over $562 million to small businesses that support an estimated 67,632 jobs. Learn more at DreamSpring.org.