Lineberry Foundation

The Lineberry Foundation is a mid-sized private foundation with $41 million in assets that distributes approximately $2.5-2.6 million annually across New Mexico. Unlike many foundations its size that make a few dozen large grants, the Lineberry Foundation appears to operate a high-volume, small-grant model — 233 grants in 2022, for example — making it one of the most broadly accessible funders in the state for organizations that can get on its radar.

The foundation is invitation-only, which means there is no application portal, no published deadline, and no formal LOI process. This sounds exclusionary but in practice reflects a foundation run by three working directors (each putting in 30 hours per week) who are deeply embedded in New Mexico's nonprofit landscape. They find their grantees through direct community knowledge, relationships, and field observation rather than competitive review processes.

Your approach strategy should center on visibility within New Mexico's nonprofit ecosystem. The foundation's directors — Kathleen Deubel (President), Deborah Salazar (Secretary), and Daniel Pick (Vice President) — are not remote institutional figures. They attend community events, serve on networks, and are known in the Albuquerque philanthropic community. The most effective path to funding is to be visible in the spaces where the foundation operates: nonprofit gatherings, Groundworks NM events, Albuquerque Community Foundation circles, and arts/cultural events in both Albuquerque and Taos.

The foundation's six focus areas — environment, arts and culture, health, visually impaired services, animal welfare, and services for the disadvantaged — are broad enough to encompass most New Mexico nonprofit missions. However, the foundation's emphasis on 'creative, innovative programs' that produce 'positive, lasting change' suggests they prefer organizations with clearly differentiated approaches rather than standard service delivery.

The Lineberry family's deep roots in Taos (Edwin Lineberry built the town's first grocery store, founded Centinel Bank, developed low-income housing, and contributed to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge) provide a cultural context for grantmaking that values practical community building and tangible impact over abstract institutional development. Frame your work in terms of concrete community outcomes rather than organizational capacity building.

Finally, the foundation's relationship with UNM through the Physician Retention Fund signals an interest in systemic workforce retention — keeping talented people in New Mexico. Organizations that frame their work in terms of retaining human capital within the state may find particular resonance.

The Lineberry Foundation's financial trajectory tells the story of a foundation that received a transformative contribution around 2015 (approximately $47.4 million, likely from Novella Lineberry's estate) and has since operated as a steady-state endowment distributing 6-7% of assets annually.

Total assets have stabilized in the $38-41 million range after peaking near $48 million in 2016. The decline from peak to current levels reflects sustained annual distributions rather than investment losses — the foundation has maintained positive net income in most years, with 2024 showing $4.76 million in revenue against $3.25 million in expenses.

Annual charitable disbursements have been remarkably consistent: approximately $2.4-2.6 million per year. In 2024, the foundation distributed $2,645,350, with $2.90 million in total charitable disbursements (89.1% of expenses). Revenue composition is investment-driven: asset sales (35%), other income (44%), and dividends (19%).

The most distinctive feature of the Lineberry Foundation's grantmaking is its volume. In 2022, the foundation made 233 grants — an extraordinary number for a $40 million foundation. At $2.1 million total giving, the average grant was approximately $9,000. This high-volume, small-grant model means the foundation touches an unusually large number of New Mexico organizations relative to its asset size.

Grant sizes typically range from $5,000 to $20,000, based on publicly documented awards. The $20,000 grants to the NM Children's Foundation and the per-physician Lineberry Physician Retention Fund awards represent the upper range of typical direct grants. The $5,000 grant to APA Las Cruces for the prison dog program represents the lower range.

The three-person board receives modest compensation ($20,000 each annually, $60,000 total) and commits approximately 30 hours per week — this is effectively a part-time, working board rather than a staffed foundation with separate program officers. Administrative costs are low, with 89% of expenses going to charitable purposes.

The foundation carries zero liabilities, suggesting a conservative financial management approach with no leverage or debt. This financial stability means grantees can expect continued, reliable funding levels for the foreseeable future barring significant market downturns.

The Lineberry Foundation occupies a distinctive position among New Mexico's philanthropic landscape — larger than most family foundations in the state but operating with the accessibility and community focus of a much smaller funder.

Key differentiators: The Lineberry Foundation's $2.6M annual giving places it as a mid-tier funder in New Mexico — smaller than the community foundations and Lannan, but comparable to Frost and larger than Con Alma. Its invitation-only model is shared with Lannan but contrasts with McCune, Frost, and the community foundations, which all accept open applications. The foundation's distinctive advantage is its high-volume grantmaking (233 grants in 2022 vs. typical counts of 30-80 for peers) and its unique focus on the visually impaired, which no peer funder specifically targets. Its Taos roots also give it a cultural credibility in Northern New Mexico arts circles that Albuquerque-based funders may not share.

The Lineberry Foundation's most notable recent activity is the continuation of its high-volume grantmaking model and the 2025 Lineberry Physician Retention Fund awards at UNM.

In fiscal year 2024, the foundation distributed $2,645,350 in charitable grants, up modestly from $2,402,125 in 2023. Total assets were $40.93 million with zero liabilities and $4.76 million in revenue. The three-person board of Kathleen Deubel (President), Deborah Salazar (Secretary), and Daniel Pick (Vice President) continued to manage operations with $20,000 annual compensation each.

The 2025 Lineberry Physician Retention Fund awarded $20,000 each to ten physicians who completed training at UNM School of Medicine and chose to practice in New Mexico. This endowed program, separate from the foundation's annual grantmaking, represents a long-term investment in New Mexico's healthcare workforce. The 2025 recipients span specialties from family medicine to surgery, all practicing within the UNM Health System.

Specific documented grants in the recent period include $20,000 to the New Mexico Children's Foundation (2023), $5,000 to APA Las Cruces for the prison dog rehabilitation program, and continued sponsorship of NDI New Mexico's dance education programs. The foundation's 2022 filing showed 233 grants totaling $2.1 million, illustrating its breadth of community impact.

The foundation's financial position remains stable with consistent investment returns funding annual distributions of approximately 6.5% of assets — above the IRS minimum 5% payout requirement, demonstrating genuine philanthropic commitment rather than minimum-compliance giving.

The post-founder leadership transition appears fully complete. Both Edwin and Novella Lineberry have passed, and the current board has operated independently for multiple years, establishing its own grantmaking patterns while maintaining the founders' vision of broad community support across New Mexico.

The Lineberry Foundation does not have a formal application process. Here is what New Mexico organizations need to know about positioning themselves for funding.

1. This is invitation-only — but the door is not locked. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, but it actively identifies grantees through community engagement. Being visible and well-regarded in New Mexico's nonprofit sector is your application.

2. Geography is the first filter. The foundation funds exclusively in New Mexico. Out-of-state organizations with New Mexico programs may be considered, but organizations without a clear New Mexico connection should not pursue this funder.

3. Align with one of the six focus areas. Environment, arts and culture, health, visually impaired services, animal welfare, and services for the disadvantaged. The foundation's website emphasizes 'creative, innovative programs' — differentiate your approach from standard service delivery.

4. Think small and specific. With 233 grants totaling $2.1 million in 2022, the average grant was approximately $9,000. The typical grant appears to range from $5,000 to $20,000. Position your request around a specific project or program component rather than general operating support for your entire organization.

5. Get known by the directors. Kathleen Deubel, Deborah Salazar, and Daniel Pick are working directors (30 hours/week each) who are active in the Albuquerque and New Mexico nonprofit community. Attend nonprofit gatherings, Groundworks NM events, and sector-specific convenings where you might naturally intersect with them.

6. Leverage the Taos connection if relevant. The Lineberry family built much of Taos's early infrastructure and contributed to its arts legacy. Organizations in Taos or Northern New Mexico with cultural or community development missions have a natural alignment with the family's values.

7. Demonstrate concrete, measurable community impact. Edwin Lineberry was a builder — grocery stores, banks, housing, bridges. The foundation appears to value tangible, practical outcomes over theoretical frameworks. Frame your work in terms of specific people served, problems solved, and communities improved.

8. If you serve the visually impaired, take note. This is a rare and distinctive focus area for the Lineberry Foundation that few other New Mexico funders specifically target. Organizations in this space should make this funder a priority.

9. The Physician Retention Fund model suggests interest in workforce retention. If your organization's work contributes to keeping skilled professionals in New Mexico — not just physicians, but educators, social workers, or other critical workforce — this framing may resonate.