What Chamiza Foundation does

The Chamiza Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1989 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by Gifford and Joann Phillips in collaboration with Alfonso Ortiz, an Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo elder and University of New Mexico anthropology professor. The foundation's mission is to ensure the continuity and living preservation of Pueblo Indian culture and traditions, serving all 19 federally-recognized Pueblo tribes in New Mexico plus Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in El Paso, Texas (collectively referred to as the 20 Pueblos). It operates as a grantmaking entity with no technology product; its core offering is philanthropic grant funding distributed through two annual funding cycles, with average individual grants ranging from $3,000 to $15,000.

Funding is directed toward language preservation and revitalization, traditional architecture and building, sustainable agriculture, traditional arts and crafts instruction, tribal and ancestral history, oral histories, youth education and leadership, and intercultural exchange. The foundation employs a distinctive trust-based model in which it entrusts decision-making authority to Pueblo communities — an approach described in foundation materials as "unprecedented" and rare within philanthropy. Applications are submitted via email ([email protected]) as PDFs and reviewed by the Board of Directors at scheduled meetings, with grants awarded twice annually.

The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Amanda J. Montoya (appointed June 2018, a tribal member from Taos, Ohkay Owingeh, and Isleta Pueblos) with a small staff of 11-50 employees based at its Santa Fe headquarters. Revenue derives from the foundation's endowment and donations rather than commercial operations; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The foundation maintains relationship-based outreach through site visits, community engagement, an annual Pueblo Symposium, and a newsletter, supplemented by a WordPress website, Facebook, and Instagram presence. Notable partnerships include Meow Wolf (financial and youth arts programming, since 2019) and No Reservations Productions (producing the first Chamiza Legacy Film debuting Fall 2026).

Name

Chamiza Foundation

Legal name

Chamiza Foundation

Website

https://chamiza.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Chamiza Foundation is a private family foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico that provides grant funding (averaging $3,000–$15,000) to support cultural preservation across 20 Pueblo Indian tribes in New Mexico and Texas, focusing on language revitalization, traditional arts, and youth education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Cultural preservation grants
• Pueblo community funding
• Foundation grant programs
• Indigenous cultural support

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Foundation Philanthropy: The Chamiza Foundation operates as a private family foundation that provides grant funding to support the preservation and continuity of Pueblo Indian culture and traditions. The foundation receives donations and distributes grants to eligible Pueblo communities and organizations. Revenue is derived from the foundation's endowment and donations, with grant awards typically ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 on average.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chamiza Foundation provides philanthropic grant funding to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in Texas, supporting cultural preservation, language revitalization, traditional arts, education, and community well-being. Beyond direct grants, the foundation offers targeted program initiatives such as the annual Pueblo Symposium and is developing a legacy film project documenting Pueblo cultural and historical narratives.

Product overview

Chamiza Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1989 that provides grant funding and support programs to New Mexico's 19 Pueblo Indian Tribes and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in Texas. The foundation focuses on preserving Pueblo culture and traditions through funding in areas including language preservation and revitalization, traditional architecture and building, sustainable agriculture, traditional arts and crafts instruction, tribal and ancestral history, oral histories and storytelling, youth education and leadership, and intercultural exchange and education. The foundation does not offer a technology product but rather provides grant awards (typically ranging from $3,000 to $15,000) to eligible Pueblo communities and organizations serving Pueblo communities through a two-cycle annual grant process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chamiza Foundation Grant Program Core grantmaking program that provides funding to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, and qualified non-Pueblo organizations for cultural preservation, language revitalization, traditional arts, education, and community well-being initiatives.
• Annual Pueblo Symposium Annual symposium program hosted by the foundation that brings together Pueblo communities, partners, and stakeholders around cultural preservation and community well-being themes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 community members empowered by learning the Tewa language at Ohkay Owingeh in 7 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and notable.

• Laguna Community FoundationminorOthersListed as a funder resource on Chamiza Foundation's website for Pueblo communities seeking additional project/program funding. The Laguna Community Foundation's mission is to generate resources and charitable support for initiatives that strengthen the Pueblo of Laguna.
• LANL FoundationminorOthersListed as a funder resource on Chamiza Foundation's website. LANL Foundation provides competitive grants supporting schools, non-profits, Pueblos, Nations, and tribal communities in their seven-county service area in Northern New Mexico.
• Native Americans in PhilanthropyminorOthersListed as a funder resource on Chamiza Foundation's website. A Native-led organization reshaping the philanthropic sector by applying Indigenous values such as reciprocity and intergenerational support.
• New Mexico FoundationminorOthersListed as a funder resource on Chamiza Foundation's website. The only statewide foundation in New Mexico, working for 40 years to improve quality of life for all residents.
• Santa Fe Community Foundation (Native American Advised Fund)minorOthersListed as a funder resource on Chamiza Foundation's website. Committed to Native philanthropy by partnering with Native-led organizations and addressing inequities in the sector.
• The Grant PlantminorOthersListed as a grant support resource on Chamiza Foundation's website. Provides superior and affordable resource development services that improve quality of life in communities served by their clients.
• Groundworks NMminorOthersListed as a grant support resource on Chamiza Foundation's website. Organization dedicated to connecting, strengthening, and advocating for New Mexico's social sector.
• No Reservations ProductionsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamiza Foundation selected No Reservations Productions, headed by Jonathan Sims of Acoma Pueblo, to create the first-ever Chamiza Foundation Legacy Film, scheduled to debut at the Pueblo Symposium in Fall 2026.
• Indian Land Tenure FoundationminorOthersAnnounced summer internship grant opportunity for high school students in tribal land offices. National organization serving American Indian nations in recovery and control of their rightful homelands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Christensen Fund: Private foundation supporting Indigenous communities' rights, cultural diversity, and biocultural heritage worldwide. Directly comparable as a cultural-preservation-focused grantmaker with a strong Indigenous-programming mandate.
• American Indian College Fund: National Native-led nonprofit providing scholarships and support for American Indian and Alaska Native students. Comparable mission overlap in supporting Pueblo education, language preservation, and youth leadership pathways.
• First Nations Development Institute: Native-led national nonprofit strengthening American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian economies and communities through grantmaking, capacity building, and research. Highly comparable as an Indigenous-led grantmaking organization with cultural and economic-preservation missions.
• LANL Foundation: Northern New Mexico community foundation providing competitive grants to schools, nonprofits, Pueblos, and tribal communities in its seven-county service area. Listed as a funder resource by Chamiza, indicating direct ecosystem overlap.
• Lannan Foundation: A Santa Fe-based private family foundation supporting Indigenous cultures, art, and literature. Most directly comparable to Chamiza as a regionally-concentrated cultural-preservation grantmaker serving the same community and geographic base.
• Santa Fe Community Foundation: Regional community foundation in Santa Fe, NM, operating a Native American Advised Fund and partnering with Native-led organizations. Comparable as a regional place-based foundation with overlapping Indigenous-philanthropy programming.
• New Mexico Foundation: The only statewide foundation in New Mexico, with 40 years of operation across community needs. Listed by Chamiza as a funder resource; comparable as a regionally-focused community grantmaker.
• Laguna Community Foundation: Pueblo of Laguna-affiliated foundation generating charitable resources to strengthen its tribal community. Listed by Chamiza as a funder resource; directly comparable as a Pueblo-led tribal community foundation.

Others

• Native Americans in Philanthropy: Native-led sector organization reshaping philanthropy through Indigenous values like reciprocity and intergenerational support. Listed by Chamiza as a funder resource; comparable as a movement-aligned infrastructure peer rather than a direct grantmaking competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. foundations with a significant Indigenous Communities program. Comparable as a broader incumbent grantmaker operating overlapping Indigenous-philanthropy programming at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chamizafoundation505
• Instagraminstagram.com/chamizafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chamiza-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chamiza Foundation