New Mexico Genealogical Society

What New Mexico Genealogical Society does

The New Mexico Genealogical Society (NMGS) is an Albuquerque-based nonprofit membership organization founded in 1960 to promote and support genealogical research focused on New Mexico families, with particular emphasis on Hispanic lineages tracing back to the 1598 Oñate Spanish colonial settlement. It serves amateur and professional genealogists seeking access to transcribed and indexed historical records including church baptisms, marriages, and burials, censuses from 1707-1913, naturalization records, land grants, and surname studies. The society is governed by volunteers, with a small named leadership team including the journal editor Jordan Jones and DNA Project administrators Miguel A. Tórrez, Henrietta M. Christmas, and Daria C. Landress.

The society's product portfolio centers on the quarterly New Mexico Genealogist (NMG) scholarly journal, first published in 1962, complemented by two comprehensive digital archive collections spanning 1962-2001 (157 issues, over 5,000 graphic images, approximately 100,000 indexed names) and 2002-2015 (volumes 41-54). The NMGS DNA Project, launched in 2015 and hosted on FamilyTreeDNA, validates genealogies using Y-DNA and mtDNA testing to confirm paper-trail research. Additional offerings include a bimonthly email newsletter, an e-Research resources hub with finding aids, educational video content on YouTube, specialty publications such as the Santa Fe Plaza Historic Deeds Study, and a back-catalog of books on church records, censuses, and naturalization records sold through Amazon and organized by New Mexico county. Distribution is split between the nmgs.org digital storefront and the Amazon marketplace, with the website and Facebook page serving as top-of-funnel discovery channels.

Revenue is generated through membership dues (which bundle the quarterly journal), one-time digital downloads of journal issues ($8 for older issues, $15 for the April 2026 issue), one-time perpetual licenses for the 1962-2001 and 2002-2015 archive bundles ($45 and $35 respectively), specialty publications such as the Santa Fe Deeds study ($20), and book sales through Amazon at $18-$65 per title. The society has no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed financial statements; it operates as an independent community organization with strategic ecosystem relationships including FamilyTreeDNA, the Santa Fe Archdiocese, FamilySearch.org, the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center, New Mexico State University's Rio Grande Historical Collections, and Mountain West Digital Library.

Name

New Mexico Genealogical Society

Legal name

New Mexico Genealogical Society

Website

https://nmgs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The New Mexico Genealogical Society is an Albuquerque-based nonprofit founded in 1960 serving genealogists researching New Mexican ancestry. It publishes the quarterly New Mexico Genealogist journal, sells digital archives spanning 1962-2015, and operates the NMGS DNA Project on FamilyTreeDNA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genealogical Research Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Business Associations (813910), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Genealogical research
• Family history
• Historical records
• Genetic genealogy
• Archival publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues that include the quarterly New Mexico Genealogist journal as a membership benefit.
2. Journal Sales (Digital Downloads): Sale of individual NMG Journal issues as digital downloads for $8.00 per issue. Also includes complete journal archives (1962-2001 for $45.00, 2002-2015 for $35.00).
3. Book Sales via Amazon: Sale of genealogical publications including church records, censuses, surname books, and naturalization records through Amazon marketplace at various price points ranging from $18 to $65.
4. Specialty Publications: Sale of specialty digital downloads such as the Santa Fe Plaza Historic Deeds Study for $20.00.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The New Mexico Genealogical Society is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes and supports genealogical research in New Mexico. It publishes the quarterly New Mexico Genealogist journal, sells digital archive collections and specialty publications, and operates the NMGS DNA Project (hosted by FamilyTreeDNA) that validates New Mexico genealogies using Y-DNA and mtDNA testing.

Product overview

The New Mexico Genealogical Society offers a portfolio of products and services focused on genealogical research for New Mexico families. The core offerings include the New Mexico Genealogist (NMG), a quarterly scholarly journal published three times per year, and comprehensive digital archive collections spanning 1962-2001 and 2002-2015. The society operates the NMGS DNA Project hosted by FamilyTreeDNA for genetic genealogy validation using Y-DNA and mtDNA testing. Additional products include a bimonthly newsletter, educational video presentations, e-Research online resources, and publications including books sold through Amazon covering county-specific baptism, marriage, burial, and census records, as well as free ebook downloads on cemetery records.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Mexico Genealogist (NMG): The society's quarterly scholarly journal filled with genealogical and historical information about New Mexican ancestors.
• NMGS DNA Project

Products and services

• New Mexico Genealogist (NMG) Journal The flagship quarterly scholarly journal of the society containing genealogical and historical information about New Mexican ancestors, including family genealogies, extracted vital records, oral histories, and profiles of New Mexican individuals. Included with membership and available for individual purchase.
• NMGS Journal Archives 1962-2001

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FamilyTreeDNAcoreTechnology or IntegrationFamilyTreeDNA hosts the NMGS DNA Project, providing the platform for Y-DNA and mtDNA testing and analysis. The project uses FamilyTreeDNA's testing services to validate genealogies tracing back to New Mexican origins.
• Santa Fe ArchdiocesecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMGS has a working relationship with the Santa Fe Archdiocese for accessing historical church records. The society follows Archdiocese rules regarding record publication cut-off dates (typically 1900 for published records).
• Hispanic Genealogical Research Center (HGRC)minorOthersThe Great New Mexico Pedigree Database is owned and available on the HGRC website. NMGS refers researchers to HGRC for database access and guidance on making changes.
• FamilySearch.orgcoreTechnology or IntegrationNMGS recommends FamilySearch.org as the primary free resource for genealogical research, including census records, church records, and microfilm access. They provide finding aids to FamilySearch microfilm collections.
• New Mexico State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rio Grande Historical Collections at NMSU houses microfilm of prenuptial investigations from the Archivos Historicos del Arzobispado de Durango, which NMGS references for genealogical research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• FamilyTreeDNA: DNA testing platform that hosts the NMGS DNA Project and provides Y-DNA/mtDNA testing infrastructure. Directly enabling NMGS's genetic genealogy program rather than competing with it; included as the most relevant ecosystem participant.

Broad incumbents

• Federation of Genealogical Societies: Umbrella organization supporting hundreds of local and regional genealogical societies like NMGS. Comparable as a membership-based nonprofit serving the genealogy ecosystem, though operating one level above individual societies.
• Ancestry.com: Dominant commercial genealogy platform offering record databases, family trees, and DNA testing with subscription revenue. Adjacent rather than directly competitive as a free/paid nonprofit vs. global subscription model, but addresses the same genealogist customer base.
• MyHeritage: Commercial genealogy platform with DNA testing, family trees, and historical record subscriptions. Comparable as a destination serving genealogists researching multi-region and international ancestry, including Hispanic lineages.
• FamilySearch.org: Free global genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, providing census, vital, and microfilm records along with family tree tools. Comparable information-service destination referenced by NMGS itself; non-commercial but functionally competes for the same researcher audience.
• Daughters of the American Revolution: Large heritage/membership society publishing a magazine, operating a genealogy-focused library, and maintaining archival records. Comparable as a peer-reviewed publishing member organization with archival holdings, but with a much broader lineage-based scope.

Direct peers

• New England Historic Genealogical Society: Region-specific genealogical society publishing a quarterly journal (American Ancestors), maintaining libraries and archives, and offering member research services. Closely mirrors NMGS's structure with regional focus, archives, and journal.
• Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico: Already a content partner of NMGS (hosts the Great New Mexico Pedigree Database), this organization focuses on Hispanic genealogy in New Mexico with overlapping audience and similar archival mission. Highly comparable as a niche NM genealogy nonprofit.
• National Genealogical Society: National-level membership society publishing a quarterly scholarly journal (NGS Magazine), hosting conferences, and offering educational resources. Direct comparable as a genealogy membership organization with peer-reviewed publishing and book sales.
• Southern California Genealogical Society: Regional genealogy society that publishes a quarterly journal, sells books and digital archives, hosts educational events, and serves genealogists with a distinct regional focus. Operationally very similar to NMGS at a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/NewsNMGS/?ref=bookmarks
• Xx.com/NewMexGenSoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Mexico Genealogical Society