Self Help

What Self Help does

Self Help Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Los Alamos, New Mexico, founded in 1969 by members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church to support rural economic development in Northern New Mexico. The organization provides emergency financial assistance (the Emergency Basic Needs Program, distributing one-time microgrants for rent, utilities, transportation, and medicine), the SEED Money Program (small business and education grants for low-income individuals seeking self-reliance), the Techo Fund (housing assistance for LGBTQ youth ages 18-26), the Los Alamos Mental Health Access Website, and operation of the United Way 211 non-emergency helpline for Northern New Mexico. Programs are delivered directly to clients through phone, text, online intake, and partner referrals across Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Taos, and northern Santa Fe Counties.

The organization operates with a lean infrastructure: 1-10 paid staff supplemented by 50+ volunteers (including 10 dedicated intake volunteers who completed 402 client intakes in 2023). Underlying technology consists of standard nonprofit case management and cloud-based digital recordkeeping, modernized during COVID-19; no proprietary AI or advanced technical systems are deployed. Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic streams — individual donations (with a 50% Triad payroll-deduction match for LANL employees), foundation grants (Santa Fe Community Foundation, LANL Foundation, Los Alamos Community Foundation, Con Alma Health Foundation, New Mexico Children's Foundation), United Way partnership funding, fundraising events (Red Kettle, Empty Bowls, Atomic Follies), and endowment distributions from the newly established Acorn Fund. Services are provided at no cost to clients; eligibility for SEED grants is capped at 200% of the Federal Poverty Guideline.

In 2023, Self Help distributed over $165,000 in financial aid and served 400-500 families per year through its emergency program. The organization is governed by a 9-member Board of Directors, led since 2022 by Executive Director Diane Smogor, and holds Tax EIN 85-0209449. The Acorn Fund endowment was established at Los Alamos Community Foundation in 2025 to secure long-term financial sustainability.

Name

Self Help

Legal name

Self Help Inc.

Website

https://selfhelpla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Self Help Inc. is a Northern New Mexico nonprofit providing emergency financial microgrants, SEED small-business grants, mental health resource navigation, and the regional 211 helpline for low-income families across Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Taos, and northern Santa Fe Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services Nonprofit

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Income Support & Cash Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Emergency financial assistance
• Seed money grants
• Community nonprofit services
• Information and referral
• Self-sufficiency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Alamos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or monthly gifts. LANL employees can donate via payroll deduction with a 50% match from Triad. Donations are tax-deductible.
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Santa Fe Community Foundation, Los Alamos Community Foundation, New Mexico Children's Foundation, LANL Foundation, Con Alma Health Foundation, and others support special programs.
3. United Way Partnership: Funding through United Way of Northern New Mexico partnership, which also provides access to the 211 referral network.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual events including the Red Kettle campaign with Salvation Army, Empty Bowls Project, Atomic Follies Cabaret, and community fundraisers.
5. Endowment Income: Acorn Fund endowment at Los Alamos Community Foundation provides long-term sustainable income.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Self Help, Inc. is a nonprofit social service organization that provides emergency financial microgrants (rent, utilities, medicine, transportation), SEED Money grants for small business startup and job training, and information/referral services to low-income individuals and families in Northern New Mexico. All client services are delivered at no cost through direct intake (office visits, phone, online request form) and partner referrals, with the goal of moving families from crisis toward long-term self-sufficiency.

Product overview

Self Help, Inc. is a nonprofit social service organization offering a portfolio of assistance programs rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the Emergency Basic Needs Program (providing emergency microgrants for rent, utilities, and medicine), the Seed Money Program (supporting small business development and job training), the Techo Fund (housing assistance for LGBTQ youth), the Los Alamos Mental Health Access Website (mental health resource portal), and the 211 non-emergency helpline. These programs are complemented by fundraising initiatives like the annual Red Kettle Campaign. All services are designed to help families in crisis achieve long-term self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEED Money Program: Seed money grants that help low-income individuals and families initiate or repair a small business, begin job training or start other projects enabling financial self-reliance.
• Emergency Basic Needs Program
• Techo Fund

Products and services

• Emergency Basic Needs Program Self Help's largest program providing one-time emergency microgrants for basic needs such as rent, utilities, and medicine to 400-500 Northern New Mexico families per year. Grants serve as a bridge to self-reliance for low-income individuals and households experiencing temporary crises.
• Seed Money Program Seed money grants that help low-income individuals and families initiate or repair a small business, begin job training, or start other projects enabling financial self-reliance. Grants are small, paid directly to vendors, and provided on a one-time basis.
• Techo Fund Spanish for 'roof,' this fund provides funding to support LGBTQ youth (ages 18-26) in Northern New Mexico who are struggling with housing instability. Funds can be used to maintain housing, pay move-in fees, purchase furnishings, or secure emergency shelter.
• Los Alamos Mental Health Access Website A comprehensive mental health resource website managed in partnership with the United Way of Northern New Mexico, providing access to mental health providers, resources, and local therapist listings for the Los Alamos community.
• 211 Non-Emergency Helpline Service As Northern New Mexico's United Way 211 non-emergency helpline provider, Self Help connects individuals and families to critical local resources and services throughout the region.
• LAPD Emergency Basic Needs Program Program that allows Los Alamos Police Department officers to assist community members during off-hours emergencies with gas, meals, or hotel stays, delivered in partnership with Self Help and originating from the Los Alamos County Health Council in 2015.

Quantifiable outcome

• Assists 400-500 families per year with emergency microgrants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered key, core, foundational and supporting.

• Los Alamos County Social Services DepartmentkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024Collaborated on the Los Alamos Mental Health Access website redesign, funded in part by Con Alma Health Foundation. Project aligns with the County's Comprehensive Health Plan.
• United Way of Northern New MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf Help is a United Way Community Partner. The organization manages the United Way 211 non-emergency helpline for Northern New Mexico and receives grant funding through the partnership. The collaboration enables comprehensive service delivery across the region.
• Los Alamos Police DepartmentkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative agreement for the LAPD Emergency Basic Needs Program, allowing police officers to assist community members during off-hours emergencies with gas, meals, or hotel stays. The program originated from the Los Alamos County Health Council in 2015.
• Salvation ArmykeyGTM or Marketing PartnerSelf Help is Los Alamos County's Salvation Army outpost. Partners on the annual Red Kettle holiday fundraiser and bell-ringing campaign. Funds raised stay local to assist Los Alamos County households with rent and utilities.
• Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran ChurchfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding organization of Self Help in 1969. Church members created the organization to foster economic development and stability in Northern New Mexico. Continues to host volunteer appreciation events and community gatherings.
• Los Alamos County Social ServiceskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for resource identification and application assistance. Self Help article featured Los Alamos Social Services to help community members understand available resources.
• Los Alamos Small Business Development CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefers small business grant applicants to Self Help's SEED program and provides business development training and consultation to SEED recipients.
• Smith's Food and DrugsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal grocery stores in Los Alamos and White Rock host Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign bell-ringing stations during holiday season.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DreamSpring: Albuquerque-based community development financial institution providing microloans and small business support across New Mexico. Directly comparable to Self Help's SEED Money Program, which targets the same self-sufficiency-through-entrepreneurship outcome for low-income individuals.
• WESST Enterprise Center: New Mexico-based nonprofit providing microenterprise training, technical assistance, and small-business funding to underserved entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to Self Help's SEED grants and its partnership with the Los Alamos Small Business Development Center.
• The Food Depot: Northern New Mexico's food bank serving Santa Fe and surrounding counties with emergency food assistance. Comparable to Self Help's Emergency Basic Needs Program as a regional emergency-relief nonprofit addressing basic needs for low-income households in the same service geography.
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of New Mexico: Faith-based nonprofit providing emergency rent, utility, and basic-needs assistance to households in crisis. Directly comparable to Self Help's Emergency Basic Needs Program in both delivery model (small emergency microgrants) and target population (low-income families facing temporary crisis).
• Prosperity Works: New Mexico nonprofit focused on financial empowerment, asset-building, and economic self-sufficiency for low-income families. Directly comparable to Self Help's self-sufficiency mission, SEED grants, and benefits navigation services, though operating at a broader state level.
• Catholic Charities of Santa Fe: Faith-affiliated social services agency serving Northern New Mexico with emergency assistance, housing support, and case management. Directly comparable in mission, target population, and service geography to Self Help's emergency financial assistance and referral work.

Broad incumbents

• Los Alamos Community Foundation: Local community foundation housing Self Help's Acorn Fund endowment and providing regional grantmaking. Closely tied peer that anchors Self Help's long-term financial sustainability and shares its Northern New Mexico donor pool.
• Salvation Army New Mexico: National emergency assistance and social services organization that partners with Self Help on the annual Red Kettle campaign in Los Alamos County. Larger and broader in scope, but directly comparable on emergency basic-needs assistance and holiday fundraising models.
• Santa Fe Community Foundation: Regional community foundation that has awarded Self Help the Piñón Award and provides ongoing grants. A funder rather than a competitor, but deeply comparable as a Northern New Mexico philanthropy that channels donor dollars to community safety-net programs.
• United Way of Northern New Mexico: Regional United Way affiliate that funds Self Help and whose 211 helpline Self Help operates. Broader scope across health, education, and financial stability, but overlapping target populations, geography, and donor base make it a natural incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SelfHelpLA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/selfhelpla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Self Help