Bi-annual Trolley Tours give us the opportunity to showcase the organizations and awards the Foundation funds each year as well as show our gratitude to our generous donors. Since 2015, the Foundation has invited hundreds of donors on these tours around the community visiting more than 70 grant recipients for a firsthand look at how their giving makes an impact. Grantees and supporters connect in a way that fosters personal interaction and deeper connection. And, of course, everyone has fun!
In May 2022, donors took tours of New Day Youth and Family Services’ Drop-In Center and the Assistance League of Albuquerque, and enjoyed a performance and lunch with Flamenco Works. These meet and greets are so valuable, particularly for some of the smaller, grassroots groups that might not get as much public attention as the larger, more visible ones.
A second tour in August focused on introducing younger members of our giving community to places that work with and on behalf of kids. Children were invited to take a Trolley Tour with their parents, grandparents or other adult family member donors. They visited ALMA Summer Institute, a nonprofit art organization that creates large-scale handmade ceramic tile mosaics using the apprenticeship model, where they were invited to make their own mosaic coasters. Then they went to youth learning space Warehouse 505 to watch a skating demonstration and see the facility’s impressive t-shirt printing studio, followed by a visit to Fusion Theater for performance-related games. Finally, the group visited Kids Cook!, a local organization that brings together families through the act of cooking nutritious meals in schools and in the community, where guests participated in a salad-making class that served as lunch.