Since 2012, nearly $4.6 million has been invested through the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Community Investment Fund in Grant County. The funds have gone to programs and projects that help foster sustainability and reduce dependency on any single industry by supporting initiatives that build community resilience and capacity. In 2021, $479,000 was awarded to the following grant recipients:
City of Bayard
Fire Rescue Unit – $55,000
Funding towards the purchase of a new fire rescue unit will provide a new, properly equipped vehicle to support effective emergency response in the region.
Future Forge
The Future Forge Makerspace – $20,000
Future Forge Makerspace provides Grant County residents access to technically sophisticated tools and equipment not readily available to the public to help develop and enhance trade skills. Funding will allow them to expand the space to meet community demand.
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National Center for Frontier Communities
Community Grant Writer – $45,000
To take advantage of funding opportunities and leverage additional dollars into Grant County, the grant writer will facilitate collaboration and relationship building to identify and develop project ideas that will improve community well-being and resilience.
New Mexico State University
Silver City Business Sprint – $15,000
The business sprint will teach existing businesses how to adapt, pivot and grow to create and retain jobs and attract additional investment into the local business ecosystem.
Silver City Mainstreet
Big Ditch Park Lights – $29,000
The installation of 16 new lights in Big Ditch Park will create a safer, more inviting environment with a goal to increase community use of the park and traffic to businesses in the downtown area. The park currently is underutilized.
Town of Silver City
Silver Center Recreation Center – $250,000
The new recreation center is a state-of-the-art facility that will offer increased recreational amenities for residents of Grant County.
Village of Santa Clara
Mainstreet Development – $65,000
The addition of a new building on Main Street will allow a business to enter the market, increasing the tax base and encouraging additional economic development.
For more information about Freeport-McMoRan community investments and programs, please contact Laura Phelps at lphelps@fmi.com or visit FreeportInMyCommunity.com.