Grants are a vital funding source for the town's various projects and activities across all departments. The Town seeks grant funding to support infrastructure, programming, special projects, and more.
Often misconstrued as "free money", much to the contrary, grants come in the form of a legally binding contract for a specific project scope. Grant money is usually received on a reimbursement basis, meaning that the town must complete the work to stringent standards before receiving a reimbursement of a portion of expenses involved. Grants are generally provided on a matching basis, and the percentage of match varies from grant to grant. Typically, the town is expected to put up from 10-50% of a project cost and the grant provides the other portion. However, because grant amounts are awarded based on cost quotes (not final contract), the town must often absorb additional project costs due to rapidly rising costs of materials and construction.
The Town most frequently works with the NM Department of Finance & Administration, NM Department of Transportation, NM Tourism Department, and Santa Fe County. Occasionally, the town receives grant funding from other state and federal departments that support municipalities.
Grant tracking and management is a meticulous and sometimes complicated process. The Grants Coordinator works within the Finance department.
As of September 2025, the town is managing 27 grants and the associated projects and programs. Grants help to supporting the following:
- Animal Shelter upgrades
- Dumpster Days
- Law Enforcement retention and training
- Library fixtures, equipment, and materials
- Marketing opportunities
- Park development
- Road improvements
- Trails development
- Youth programming