Cornerstones Community Partnerships

What Cornerstones Community Partnerships does

Cornerstones Community Partnerships is a 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico that preserves the architectural heritage and cultural traditions of New Mexico and the greater Southwest through hands-on restoration of historic adobe and earthen structures. Its core technology domain is traditional Southwestern construction — including mud plastering, lime-based mortars, stone masonry, and roof systems — executed under the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation. The organization delivers programming through volunteer workshops, condition assessments for sites such as the White Sands National Park Visitor Center, Chew Kee Store Museum, and Elephant Butte Dam Site Historic District, and serves as prime administrator of the National Park Service's $750,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program across seven rural New Mexico counties.

The organization's business model mixes grant funding, donations, and modest product sales. The principal revenue stream is federal and state grants — primarily the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service, which is largely passed through as subgrants (planning grants up to $75,000; construction grants up to $200,000) on a cost-reimbursement basis. Supplemental revenue comes from tax-deductible individual donations and a small e-commerce line of educational publications (Adobe Conservation Handbook, Flood Disaster Guide, Jim Gautier notecards) and branded apparel priced $15–$60. No fees are charged for community preservation workshops and training programs, which rely on volunteer labor.

Cornerstones serves rural Northern New Mexico communities, youth volunteers and interns (including international participants), federal land management agencies (National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation), educational institutions (Luna Community College, St. Michael's High School), and nonprofit partners such as Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and Fiddletown Preservation Society. The organization generates go-to-market motion through community engagement, the biennial New Mexico Historic Preservation Conference (200+ attendees across five states), and the Mud Blast newsletter. It is led by Executive Director Jake Barrow and governed by Board President Gregg Henry, with program delivery directed by Issac Logsdon and supplemented by contracted expertise in traditional building trades.

Name

Cornerstones Community Partnerships

Legal name

Cornerstones Community Partnerships

Website

https://cstones.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cornerstones Community Partnerships is a 501c3 nonprofit in Santa Fe, New Mexico that preserves adobe and earthen historic structures across the Southwest through volunteer workshops, restoration projects, and grant administration. It serves rural communities, federal agencies, and educational institutions using traditional building methods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• Adobe construction training
• Cultural heritage conservation
• Preservation grant administration
• Traditional building techniques

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Grants: Primary revenue stream from federal grants including the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant ($750,000) from the National Park Service and Save America's Treasures grants. Grants fund subgrant programs to communities and direct preservation projects.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting preservation work. The organization is a 501c3 non-profit.
3. Educational Products and Publications: Sales of adobe conservation handbooks, flood disaster guides, notecards featuring New Mexico mission churches, and branded merchandise including shirts. Prices range from $15 to $60 for books and $25-$36 for apparel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cornerstones Community Partnerships preserves historic adobe and earthen structures in New Mexico and the greater Southwest through hands-on restoration projects, condition assessments, and traditional building workshops. It trains volunteers, youth, and interns in lime plastering, stone masonry, and other heritage craft techniques, while administering the federal Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization subgrant program across seven rural New Mexico counties. Supplemental revenue is generated through sales of conservation handbooks, photographic notecards, and branded merchandise, supported by individual donations and tax-deductible contributions.

Product overview

Cornerstones Community Partnerships operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of historic preservation products and services centered around adobe and traditional building conservation. The core offerings include the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program (a $750,000 subgrant program for rural preservation projects), hands-on training through the Adobe Construction Course and Preservation Workshops, and professional condition assessment services. Complementary revenue-generating products include educational publications (Adobe Conservation Handbook, Flood Disaster Guide), Jim Gautier photographic notecards, and Cornerstones-branded merchandise. The organization also provides community engagement through its Mud Blasts newsletter and maintains an Assistance Inquiry Form for organizations seeking preservation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adobe Conservation: A Preservation Handbook A comprehensive handbook covering adobe conservation techniques and preservation practices for historic structures, sold via the Cornerstones website with ground package shipping at $51.95.
• How to Save Your Adobe Home in the Event of a Flood Disaster Practical guide providing procedures for protecting and recovering adobe homes during flood events, sold via the Cornerstones website with media mail shipping at $15.00.
• Jim Gautier Note Cards Photographic notecards featuring New Mexico mission churches and landscapes by late photographer Jim Gautier, sold at $31.00 with USPS shipping; proceeds support Cornerstones programs.
• Cornerstones Apparel Long sleeve shirts and branded merchandise featuring Cornerstones identity, sold at $25.00 in-person or $36.00 with shipping through the website.
• Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program Subgrant program awarding planning grants up to $75,000 and construction grants up to $200,000 on a cost-reimbursement basis to eligible nonprofits, local governments, tribal entities, religious institutions, and educational institutions across seven rural New Mexico counties.
• Preserving Heritage: Adobe Construction Course Hands-on educational course teaching traditional adobe construction techniques, preservation methods, and building practices, including the 18-month Luna Community College Adobe Model Home program that awarded certificates to 16 students in December 2025.
• Historic Preservation Workshops Various hands-on workshops covering historic preservation techniques including adobe plastering, stone masonry, lime mortar preparation, and scaffolding, delivered at field sites in New Mexico and the Southwest.
• Condition Assessment Services Professional site visits and condition assessments for historic structures, evaluating foundations, walls, floors, plasters, roof systems, and drainage with detailed documentation and preservation recommendations, delivered to federal agencies such as the National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 students certified from Adobe Model Home program at Luna Community College
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Administering Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program from National Park Service to support subgrants for historic preservation projects in seven rural New Mexico counties. The partnership strengthens rural communities through rehabilitation of historic places following Secretary of Interior's Standards.
• Luna Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner18-month Adobe Model Home construction course partnership resulting in 16 students receiving certificates. Luna College Foundation and multiple sponsors funded the project. Program completed December 2025 during Winterfest celebration.
• Rocky Mountain Youth CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration for historic preservation training workshops at Elephant Butte Dam Site Historic District. Youth Corps members trained in lime-based mortar preparation and stone masonry preservation techniques. Partnership began in 2022.
• Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for preservation work at Elephant Butte Dam Site Historic District, including rehabilitation of Civilian Conservation Corps-era stone casitas. Cornerstones provides technical expertise in traditional building methods.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNOLS hosted wilderness medicine training course for Cornerstones field staff in February, providing WFA certification and skills for medical situations in remote field settings.
• Fiddletown Preservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstones contracted to assess and assist with restoration of Chew Kee Store Museum, a unique Chinese American architectural heritage site in Fiddletown, CA with rammed earth walls lined with late 1800s newspapers.
• New Mexico Historic Preservation DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Viva Vegas '25: New Mexico Historic Preservation Conference at New Mexico Highlands University with approximately 200 participants from five states. Cornerstones served as conference host.
• St. Michael's High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing preservation partnership since 2005 for San Miguel Chapel restoration, including annual plastering maintenance and facade work.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Park Service - Historic Preservation Programs: Federal agency that administers preservation grant programs including the Paul Bru Historic Revitalization Grant. Comparable as the primary funder and partner ecosystem for Cornerstones' work; Cornerstones is essentially a sub-recipient and implementation partner for NPS programs.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The leading national nonprofit dedicated to saving historic places. Comparable to Cornerstones as both operate as preservation-focused nonprofits, but the Trust operates at a national scale with broader advocacy, while Cornerstones specializes in Southwest traditional building techniques. Jane Lewis on Cornerstones' board previously worked at the Trust's Villa Finale site.

Regional players

• New Mexico Historic Preservation Division: State government agency administering historic preservation programs in New Mexico, including Certified Local Government programs. Directly comparable as Cornerstones co-hosted the Viva Vegas '25 conference with this division and serves overlapping constituents in the same geography.
• Villa Finale Museums & Gardens: A National Trust historic site in San Antonio, Texas, focused on historic house museum preservation. Comparable as a heritage preservation nonprofit organization with traditional building expertise; Jane Lewis, now a Cornerstones board member, led this site from 2012-2025.

Emerging players

• Heritage Preservation Partners: A regional preservation nonprofit offering hands-on workshops, training, and consulting on traditional building methods. Comparable to Cornerstones in its volunteer-driven, craft-focused preservation model, though it operates in a different geographic region.
• EarthCraft Builders / Adobe Construction Traditions: Specialized adobe construction practitioners and educators in the Southwest. Comparable to Cornerstones in the narrow technical specialty of adobe building, though operating more as a commercial contractor and education provider rather than a nonprofit community-led model.

Direct peers

• HistoriCorps: A national nonprofit that engages volunteers in hands-on preservation work on public lands, often partnering with the National Park Service and Forest Service. Directly comparable to Cornerstones' community-led volunteer preservation model, federal agency partnerships, and training programs, though HistoriCorps operates across more states.
• Preservation New Mexico: Statewide preservation advocacy organization that co-hosts the biennial New Mexico Historic Preservation Conference with Cornerstones. Directly comparable as a nonprofit preservation advocacy and education organization serving the same New Mexico market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstones-community-partnerships

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Cornerstones Community Partnerships