About Pivotal New Mexico
Pivotal New Mexico builds the capacity of New Mexico nonprofit and public organizations so that they are better resourced to achieve their charitable and social missions. We have three program areas available to assist organizations. Our Talent Academy is an intensive grant writer training program. The Cooperative Network is an online platform of funding notices, grant writer best practices, and other essential information needed to successfully pursue funding. Our third program, Grow New Mexico, provides essential advisory services to organizations to help them get over the hurdles they face in finding funding.
About The Grant Plant
The Grant Plant (TGP) is a New Mexico-based women-owned small business. Its mission is to provide superior and affordable resource development services that assist not-for-profit organizations and agencies to better the quality of life for their constituencies. TGP has written more than $150M in funded proposals since 2003 with an ROI of 6,500%. TGP provides grant research, writing, editing, and reporting in the areas of health and human services, education, advocacy and social justice, arts and humanities, community and economic development, and youth development. Through its resource development efforts, TGP doesn’t seek to simply expand its business volume, but to contribute to the culture and well-being of people, with a priority focus on New Mexico.
Staff leading this project
Terry Brunner
Pivotal President/CEO
After spending more than 20 years in New Mexico public policy and community development, Terry helped found Grow New Mexico as a fiscally-sponsored project of Pivotal New Mexico (formerly The Grants Collective) to continue his work to advance New Mexico communities. After two years, Grow New Mexico and The Grants Collective officially merged and Terry became CEO. Prior to founding Grow New Mexico, Terry spent 7 years as President Obama’s appointee to the position of USDA New Mexico State Director for Rural Development. During that time, he managed investments of more than $1 billion in housing, small business, renewable energy, and utilities in rural areas throughout New Mexico. Before his time at USDA he served as former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman’s State Director for 7 years. Terry holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona and a M.A. in Latin American Studies with an emphasis in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico.
Terry Brunner
Pivotal CEO
Tara Gohr
TGP President/CEO
Tara Gohr is President/CEO of The Grant Plant, Inc., seeing it though dramatic growth in size and impact since 2003. A local small business entrepreneur, Tara has been recognized as a Top-Performing CEO, Woman of Influence, Forty Under 40, and a Haute Innovator, and is a graduate of Leadership Albuquerque. She is a member of the Grant Professionals Association and co-founded Pivotal New Mexico, which she led as co-director from 2015-2019. As CEO of TGP, Tara oversees 11 staff, strategic goal-setting and pursuing, and annual finances of approximately $800,000.
Tara Gohr
TGP President/CEO
Erin Hielkema
TGP Vice President/CoO
Erin Hielkema is Vice President and COO, having co-led TGP since 2003, working with clients across sectors such as healthcare, juvenile justice, education, and economic development, among others. She co-founded and co-led The Grants Collective (2015-19) to advance area grant professionals’ capacity for large-scale grant seeking, helping secure $30M in funding for nonprofits. Ms. Hielkema is a Top Performing COO (2017), currently oversees project management for TGP, and is a member of the Grant Professionals Association and the National Grant Management Association. She volunteers at Impact & Coffee (a nonprofit capacity building group) and on local fundraising boards.
Erin Hielkema
TGP Vice President/CoO
Robert Blanquera Nelson
Program Manager
Robert joined Pivotal in 2016, previously having worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 10 years as a consultant for startup nonprofits and as program manager for Rio Grande Food Project and Heading Home. He is active in the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) New Mexico, serving on the board, and sits on YNPN’s National Board, serving on its Network Engagement and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committees. Robert holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology.
Robert Blanquera Nelson
Program Manager
Wendy McCoy
TGP Resource Development Officer
Wendy McCoy joined TGP in 2008 and is a Resource Development Officer II, overseeing the company’s prospect research. In this role, she leads TGP’s efforts to make the community aware of grant opportunities, matches organizations with potential funders, and does strategic analysis on funders’ affinity and capacity for TGP’s clients. She is previously a Research Associate within the Pennsylvania State University Agriculture Department and an Environmental Consultant working on mine-impacted streams. She loves spending time with her two daughters and trail running, just embarking on a new hobby running ultras (50+ mile races).
Wendy McCoy
TGP Resource Development Officer
Aly Sanchez
TGP Director of Strategy and Organizational Development
Aly Sanchez has 23 years of grant writing experience including planning, request preparation, and reporting assistance for complex private, state, and federal awards. She has been with The Grant Plant, Inc. since 2008 and oversees project concept, strategy and compliance, team training and professional development, and processes/procedures and quality improvement. She is the Lead Educator in Pivotal New Mexico’s education program, and a member of the Grant Professionals Association.
Aly Sanchez
TGP Director of Strategy and Organizational Development
Linda Serrato
Pivotal Cooperative Network Manager
Linda is a first-generation college graduate with a Bachelors in Public Policy from Stanford University. She began her career organizing communities in eastern New Mexico for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Soon she moved to Washington D.C. to work on Capitol Hill for New Mexicans on natural resources issues. She helped develop legislation to expand public lands and ensured uranium miners in New Mexico received their fair compensation through the RECA policy. Since returning to New Mexico, Linda has continued working with traditional communities across Northern New Mexico including acequia groups, Native American communities, and unions to advocate for their needs. Linda organized the Santa Fe Families Belong Together vigil, is an active member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, an alumni and former board member for Emerge New Mexico, and a proud member of Raising Santa Fe.
Linda Serrato
Pivotal Cooperative Network Manager
Our Funders
Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation that makes grants in the areas of good government reform, early childhood education, agriculture reform and community funding. It works to catalyze high-impact outcomes using evidence to understand and solve systemic problems, engage stakeholders to drive policy reform, and create meaningful and lasting change. Thornburg Foundation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Anchorum St. Vincent is a nonprofit Community Health Impact Organization that is re-imagining health and well-being in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico. Anchorum plays a critical leading role in the community by applying a new model of health impact initiatives: It convenes like-minded philanthropic investors, nonprofits, community members, and other partners, then serves as a catalyst to make impact grants, and sound, purposeful impact investments in four key strategic areas—Social Determinants, Health Innovation, Infrastructure, and Extending the Community's Continuum of Care. Impact investments in these key areas will have measurable impact on our underserved citizens, generate social and financial returns, and directly improve the well-being of the people.
Testimonials
Allow me the opportunity to express my gratitude to The Grant Plant for their incredible writing and project management. We couldn’t ask for a better partner. The fact that TGP is women owned, headquartered in Albuquerque makes me incredibly happy to work with you. In my experience TGP is the best in the country and we are all very fortunate that you call Albuquerque home.
Large City Government
Grant Writing
Economic Development Director
I wanted to send my sincerest THANK YOU to you all for the grant workshop. What a gift! The information was wonderfully enlightening. I’m sharing lessons learned with our small team and our organization is stronger because of this opportunity. I’ve been writing grants for years and there is so much I didn’t know. Thank you all so much!
Nonprofit Organization
Grant Training
Executive Director
Aly Sanchez was amazing all the way through this process!
Small City Government
Grant Writing
Community Education Officer
Allow me the opportunity to express my gratitude to The Grant Plant for their incredible writing and project management. We couldn’t ask for a better partner. The fact that TGP is women owned, headquartered in Albuquerque makes me incredibly happy to work with you. In my experience TGP is the best in the country and we are all very fortunate that you call Albuquerque home.
Large City Government
Grant Writing
Economic Development Director
I wanted to send my sincerest THANK YOU to you all for the grant workshop. What a gift! The information was wonderfully enlightening. I’m sharing lessons learned with our small team and our organization is stronger because of this opportunity. I’ve been writing grants for years and there is so much I didn’t know. Thank you all so much!
Nonprofit Organization
Grant Training
Executive Director
Aly Sanchez was amazing all the way through this process!