What We Do

When the Nusenda Foundation was developed in 2014, its vision was to realize the full potential of the communities in which we serve. Its intention was to place under one umbrella the causes that Nusenda Credit Union has rallied around for decades, and to formalize our processes so that our community investments can help our fellow New Mexicans grow and thrive in the most impactful and meaningful ways.

Through holistic and comprehensive partnerships with organizations across the state, we work together to champion programs that are carefully cultivated to authentically serve our unique and diverse population and the challenges they face. These programs remove barriers to education, healthcare, and economic success; and they support, in part, the arts, wildlife and the environment. These strategically focused alliances reap higher benefits than if we all worked alone.

In 2016 – 2017, we provided more than $2.5 million in community and financial impact and in-kind support to our community partners, which are instrumental in helping organizations in need, and embody our commitment to do well, so we can do good in the communities where we live, work, and play.

We also oversee large grants into our communities that provide resources for entrepreneurship, education, and community development projects. These grants came from organizations such as Living Cities, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the McCune Charitable Foundation, and the Albuquerque Community Foundation.

We invite you to explore our partner programs to learn more. You’ll also find information on applying for Community Rewards funding, or for Nusenda Credit Union/Foundation sponsorships.

The work that we do here at the Nusenda Foundation is just a sliver of the overall effort of a large group of New Mexicans who collaborate with the aim of positively impacting the lives, careers, and futures for generations to come in the Land of Enchantment.

Nusenda Foundation's Award-Winning Programs in the News

Award-Winning Financial Education Program Comes to NM

Dec 21, 2017

New partnership provides complimentary teacher training, state-standard approved financial learning for elementary school students statewide

In its continued efforts to support the financial education and success of New Mexico’s youth, Nusenda Credit Union has announced a one-year, pilot educational partnership with the University of Cincinnati Economics Center that will provide complimentary teacher training and financial education of elementary students statewide beginning in early 2018.

Nusenda Credit Union and UC Economics Center Partnership

$martPath is a complimentary, interactive, award-winning online teaching resource created by the UC Economics Center that helps educators learn best practices for teaching financial literacy - traditionally a challenging teaching topic. It was developed by leading practitioners, and all lessons are aligned to New Mexico Common Core State Standards for seamless integration into classroom instruction.

“Since the founding of our credit union more than 80 years ago, we’ve been committed to the education community,” said Nusenda President/CEO Terry Laudick. “We are dedicated to using financial literacy as a way to increase opportunities and economic health for New Mexicans.

“Our current program, geared toward middle- and high-school students, is utilized in 70 schools statewide, but we recognized a need to start teaching children about money even sooner. $martPath is geared specifically to that purpose.”

“$martPath will change the way in which financial education is delivered to students,” said Dr. Julie Heath, Executive Director of the UC Economics Center and a leading national financial educator. “Its interactive, online platform ensures that teachers and students statewide have complimentary and easy access.”

$martPath was created in 2016 and in that short amount of time has received two national curriculum awards. It also has boasted impressive impact metrics for both teachers and students.

The Ohio state legislature has funded a statewide program that also uses $martPath as the curriculum at the elementary school level, with 500 teachers trained in the past year and more on a waiting list. Statewide programs using $martPath also exist in Michigan and Florida.

The program has won awards from the National Association of Economic Educators (NAEE) and from the Institute for Financial Literacy. To learn more about $martPath, visit smartpathlearning.com.

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