News

The 2013 grant guidelines are available from the Santa Fe Community Foundation website here

GRAMMY ® winning legends Asleep at the Wheel to perform

Santa Fe, NM – January 4, 2013 – The Buckaroo Ball Foundation has announced that the next Buckaroo Ball will be held at Buffalo Thunder Resort in Santa Fe on Saturday June 15^th, 2013.  The event, which has raised $7 million for children at risk in Santa Fe County, is in its 19^th year.   Headlining the Ball is Asleep At The Wheel, whose GRAMMY awards and 25 albums have put them solidly at the top of everyone’s Favorite Band To Dance To.  Warming up the crowd for Asleep will be the wide-awake Buckarettes, the self-described, “fun-loving and talented bunch of gals”.

Tickets, at $160 each with discounts for full table purchases, are now available at www.BuckarooBall.com or by calling the Buckaroo 2013 hotline at 505.652.2013

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation, which is now under the wing of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, also announced its grantees from the 2012 Ball.

These local organizations are:

Food Depot

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

National Dance Institute New Mexico

New Vistas

Santa Fe Performing Arts Company and School

Self Help, Inc.

Spanish Colonial Arts Society

The Family YMCA

Youth Media Project

Youth Shelters and Family Services

Carol Thompson, Buckaroo Ball chair, remarked, “The 2013 Ball is going to be superb. We’ve been thrilled with the support we are getting from Buffalo Thunder and from Governor Rivera. The Ball is always a landmark social event for Santa Fe, a wonderful evening when people come out to enjoy each other’s company, participate in our auctions, dance the night away and support the kids.”

-ENDS-

The Santa Fe Community Foundation and the Buckaroo Ball
have issued their Grant application and guidelines for 2012 

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund will accept Arts and Basic Needs applications 
from Monday, April 2nd through Tuesday, May 1st at 5pm.

Proposal Criteria

Charitable Goals and Purposes:  The Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund raises and distributes funds for non-profit organizations, or public bodies providing services to children at risk in Santa Fe County.

2012 Funding Priorities:  In 2012, the Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund is seeking proposals from nonprofits in the areas of Arts and Basic Needs.  

We define art as any of the visual, media or performance arts, any program promoting creative self-expression or using art as therapy.

We define “basic needs” as food, shelter, clothing, safety or legal assistance.

Proposed Grant Range: $5,000 – $8,000:  Applicants may apply for funding for one program per year. There is no multiple year funding.

Organization Eligibility: Each applicant must possess tax -exempt status under Section 501(c )(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be registered with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Organizations, or be a public body (such as a public school or other governmental unit) providing services to at-risk children and/or agencies operating under the umbrella of another 501 (c)(3) organization (fiscal sponsor).  Agencies which received funding from the Buckaroo Ball Fund in 2011 are not eligible for the 2012 grant cycle (those agencies will be eligible for future consideration).

Required Application Attachments:  All applicants to the Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund must provide the following about their organization, project, coalition or group, along with their application and budget:

• IRS Determination Letter
• Federal tax ID Number
• Applicant organization’s most recent financial statements
• Proof of registration with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Organizations

Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund selection criteria for proposals:  We seek to support programs that serve at-risk children and youth with the greatest needs, in an efficient manner, and that have the deepest impact on the child and our community.  Applicant agencies must:

• Serve children and youth at risk, ages 0-18
• Operate within Santa Fe County
• Have a minimum of a five-year history of operations

We will give preference to programs that:

• are year-round or after-school
• serve the greatest number of children & youth
• provide a significant impact on those children & youth
• collaborate with other local organizations
• avoid duplication of services in the community
• demonstrate a sustainable presence in the community, by having a strong board of directors as well as financial accountability and stability
• have a clear and concise mission statement
• actively seek additional funding from sources other than the Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund

Ineligible Requests:

Operating Funds. We will consider funding programs which are program directed, and we may elect to provide operating funds (e.g., salaries and administrative overhead) for program-specific staff and operations. We will not provide operating funds for the organization’s general staff or operations.
Capital Directed Funding.  We will not consider funding for capital expenditures.
Individual and For-Profit Organizations. We will not provide grants to individuals or
for-profit organizations.
Religion. We will consider grants to church-based humanitarian programs which serve children at risk; however, we will not consider grants to religious organizations for their regular religious activities.
Adults. We will consider only programs directly serving children and youth.
Advocacy. We will not consider programs that are political in nature. We will not fund political or lobbying organizations, or those supporting the candidacy of a particular individual.
Sponsorships for Special Events. We will not sponsor items or activities associated with an organization’s special events.
Individual Public Schools. Each year, we will consider a single program submitted or selected by the central administration of a public school district, but we will not consider proposals submitted directly by individual schools or their staff. We will consider applications submitted by 501 (c) (3) organizations that are outside the school system but provide programs within the public schools.
2011 Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund Grantees.  Agencies which received funding from the BBFF in 2011 are not eligible for the 2012 grant cycle. (Those agencies will be eligible for future consideration.)

Please apply using only this form

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation has announced that this year’s Buckaroo Ball will take place on Friday June 15^th at 6:30pm at the Farmers Market Pavilion in the Santa Fe Railyard. This is the Ball’s second year at its new, in-town location. Tickets are $100, with discounts for tables of ten. Tickets are available now

In addition to its signature live auction, the event will mark the return of the Ball’s silent auction, always a hallmark of previous Buckaroo Ball events. Dancing will be to South By Southwest, supported by Don Richmond. Appetizers will be provided by Whole Foods Market Cerrillos Road, with the main menu from the Hotel Santa Fe.

This year’s Presenting Sponsors are Hotel Santa Fe Hacienda and Spa, Chalmers Capitol Ford Lincoln, Los Alamos National Bank and Barker Realty.  On Saturday, June 16^th, the Foundation is hosting a free Buckaroo Barn Dance at the iconic Water Tower in the Railyard at 6pm. Headlining the Barn Dance is the Paula Nelson Band, a firm Santa Fe favorite playing their only Santa Fe date this year. Paula’s father Willie Nelson played the first ever Buckaroo Ball!

The Buckaroo Ball has raised $7 million for organizations supporting children at risk in Santa Fe County since its inception 17 years ago. In 2011 the Foundation granted $112,000 to 13 Santa Fe organizations.

“Taking the Buckaroo Ball downtown to the Railyard in 2011 was a great success,” said Foundation chair Carol Thompson. “Our guests really enjoyed the ambiance, the music and the opportunity to greet old friends. This year, we want to raise even more funds for local children at risk and create an even more enjoyable night.”

ENDS

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation, which revived its signature event in June after a two-year break, has granted a total of $112,000 to organizations in Santa Fe County that address the needs of children at risk.

“We really wanted to show our support for kids in these difficult times,” said Foundation chair Carol Thompson. “Children are the most vulnerable section of our population, especially during periods of economic hardship.  For example, around 1400 children attending schools in Santa Fe were homeless at various points during the 2010/2011 school year.”

“The Buckaroo Ball Foundation was started to help kids who were in need of care, nourishment, shelter and encouragement, and we are delighted to be able to continue that tradition,”Thompson added, “The Foundation has raised $7 million since it started, and we aim to keep raising more for many years to come.”

Buckaroo Ball Foundation 2011 grants will support the following organizations:

Cooking with Kids, Inc.

Fine Arts for Children and Teens (FACT)

Food for Santa Fe, Inc.

Gerard’s House

Impact Personal Safety

New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project

Outside In Productions

Partners in Education for the Santa Fe Public Schools

Santa Fe Community College ENLACE-AVID Program

Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association

St. Elizabeth’s Shelter

Villa Therese Catholic Clinic

Wings for Hope

The Buckaroo Ball (www.buckarooball.com) was founded in 1997 and has grown into one of the largest fundraisers in the Southwest.  The Foundation has raised $7 million since the first Ball, and is currently planning its next Ball for New Mexico’s Centennial Year of 2012.

Great story announcing the newer, slimmer Buckaroo Ball in the Santa Fe New Mexican today.

“In the last two years we got hurt by the economy, just like everyone else did,” Carol  Thompson said. “We had to cut back. We took a long, hard look at the event and considered the needs of the nonprofit community and the children at risk we raise money for who still need us, and asked, ‘What can we do to bring the Buckaroo Ball back but make it compatible to the economy?’

“We came up with the idea of ‘A Little Bit of Buckaroo Ball’ all over the Railyard as a community event.”

In the past, tickets for the three-day event reached $700 each. Tickets for the opening night gala at the Farmers Market Pavilion this year — including music by South by Southwest and food from the Hotel Santa Fe — are $100.

July 20, 2010 – In an innovative new partnership, the Buckaroo Ball Foundation, Inc., which has awarded over $6.75 million in community funding since its first Ball in 1994, has joined with the New Mexico Community Foundation to continue the Buckaroo Ball Foundation’s work of supporting children at risk.

After a strategic review of its options, the Board of the Buckaroo Ball Foundation, Inc., decided to cease independent operations and become a donor-advised fund of the New Mexico Community Foundation, with the ability to raise funds and distribute those funds annually to qualifying organizations.  The Buckaroo Ball Foundation Fund will be advised and administered by an advisory board and will begin with an endowment of $1.25 million brought over from the current Buckaroo Ball Foundation, Inc.

The Buckaroo Ball Foundation today also announced a total of $115,750 in grants to 12 Santa Fe County agencies (listed below).  These agencies were designated beneficiaries of the 2009 Buckaroo Ball, which was canceled last year.

“We still care deeply for the needs of at-risk children, and want to continue to support agencies that share our concerns and objectives,” said Carol Thompson, a native of Portales, NM, who will chair the Buckaroo Ball Foundation advisory board, “While details of the Fund’s grant making policies have still to be finalized, we are clear in our mission and we intend to continue generating funds through various events and other activities to provide much needed resources for children at risk.”

Thompson continued, “We chose New Mexico Foundation because they shared our goals, understood our objectives, and had a structure that works for us. The donor-advised fund concept allows us to continue to do what we do best, confident that the administration, reporting and other ‘back office’ duties are handled with excellence.”

Jenny Parks, President and CEO of the New Mexico Community Foundation added, “We are delighted to welcome the Buckaroo Ball Foundation to our family of donor-advised funds.  They have a strong, well-earned reputation as an organization with a heart. The Buckaroos are dedicated to raising funds in a creative, groundbreaking way and then dispersing those funds thoughtfully, transparently and with minimal overhead.  We look forward to working with them as they continue, and potentially expand, their mission.”

For information on the New Mexico Community Foundation, visit www.NMCF.org

These agencies had been chosen to receive grants from the 2009 Buckaroo Ball, and were granted a total of $115,750 in today’s announcement;

FACT (Fine Arts for Children & Teens), Food Depot, Gerard’s House, Girls On the Run Santa Fe, Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Heart Gallery, IMPACT Personal Safety, La Familia Medical Center, New Vistas, Outside In, Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, St. Elizabeth Shelter.

Santa Fe, NM – September 24th, 2009 – The Buckaroo Ball Foundation today announced that it had made grants totaling $30,500 to agencies serving Santa Fe County at-risk children. To date the Foundation has made grants of over $6.75 million in Santa Fe County, mostly raised from the signature event, The Buckaroo Ball, which was first held in 1994.

The postponement of the 2009 Buckaroo Ball reduced the fundraising capacity of the Foundation considerably, but through direct solicitation and various events such as the Kentucky Derby Day Event among others, the Foundation has been able to support organizations which are themselves facing a severe financial shortfall.

Agencies receiving funds for this year are:

FACT (Fine Arts for Children & Teens), Food Depot, Gerard’s House, Girls On the Run Santa Fe, Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Heart Gallery, IMPACT Personal Safety, La Familia Medical Center, New Vistas, Outside In, Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, St. Elizabeth Shelter, UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center/UNM Foundation.

“After 15 years of cooperating closely with over 200 agencies that do superb work with children in Santa Fe, we felt a strong obligation to do all we could this year to raise as much money as we could in an economic downturn and to recognize the vital efforts of these agencies,” said Barbara Damron, Buckaroo Foundation Corporate Chairperson. “Making the decision to cancel the 2009 Ball was a difficult one, because we knew it would be challenging to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars we usually are able to obtain for these agencies. We hope that today’s grant announcement demonstrates our commitment to doing whatever we can to support the important work of caring for the welfare, health and development of children in Santa Fe County.”

Katrina Koehler, Executive Director, Gerard’s House said:

“Kudos to the Buckaroo Ball for continuing to raise money for at-risk youth during this economic downturn. This year’s grant to Gerard’s House will help fund our free weekly peer grief support groups and summer camps for children ages 7-10, and adolescents ages 11-14. All of these young people have experienced the death of a mother, father, brother, sister, friend, or other important person. It is powerfully healing for them to be in a safe, caring environment. They can work through their grief, supported by their peers who are also grieving, with play, talking and listening, art projects, memorializing rituals and drama.”

Alena Schaim, Exec. Director/Instructor, IMPACT Personal Safety said:

“Buckaroo’s support means that we will be able to continue providing bilingual classes to Agua Fria Elementary School children in staying safe with strangers and people they know, as well as help at-risk teen girls with the Self-Awareness School Support Group at Capshaw Middle School learn boundary-setting and self-defense skills. We know these skills change and save lives, so we are very glad to continue providing these important services to these two schools and others!”

David Lescht, Founder/Director at Outside In Productions said:

“Buckaroo Ball funding has been crucial to our Youth with Promise program which helps to transform high risk youth and juvenile offenders through a continuous series of music dance and visual art workshops.”

Sharon Askwith, Director of Development, La Familia Medical Center said:

“Pregnant women and children in Santa Fe County who are without health insurance and who do not have the ability to pay for medical/dental care are at-risk for both medical and dental problems. With support from the Buckaroo Ball Foundation, La Familia Medical Center’s ‘Healthy Children’s Initiative’ program’s goal is to provide the medical/dental care for these women and children regardless of their ability to pay for services.”

Deborah Tang, Executive Director, St. Elizabeth Shelter. said:

“The Buckaroo Ball grant will aid our Sonrisa Family Transitional Living Program that provides apartments at significantly below-market rents for homeless families with children. Children under five are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, and our Sonrisa program provides them with a home and full range of supportive services, including counseling, while their parents work with our staff to address and overcome the issues leading to their becoming homeless. Historically, 80 percent of families in the program successfully leave for permanent housing within their two-year stay limit.”

Buckaroo Ball Foundation is currently planning its 2010 signature weekend event Ball, and will announce details later this year.

ENDS.

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