Women’s Cottage Industries
In 2003, NMWF established its Women’s Cottage Industries Program to support projects and organizations, especially in under-served rural areas of New Mexico, that encourage and develop women’s creativity and talents, and leads them to establish cottage industries. Examples of cottage industries include furniture manufacturing or restoration; catering; crafting fiber arts, pottery, metal art, jewelry, or other crafts; or service businesses.
Our support takes many forms. As a grantmaking organization, we give grassroots-type awards, generally ranging from $2,000–5,000, to nonprofit organizations and programs that strengthen and support groups of three or more women coming together to develop cottage industries within their local communities. Our 2007/2008 grantee organizations are:
- Art for the Heart, Penasco
- Colonias Development Council, Chaparral Family Development Center, Chaparral
- Empowering Our Communities/Snack Runner Enterprises, Bernalillo
- Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center, Espanola
- Magdalena Arts, Magdalena
- Palomas Family Cooperative, Columbus
- The Promised Land, Estancia
- Kewa Co-op, Santa Domingo Pueblo
- Sew Right, Albuquerque
- Southwest Creations Collaborative, Albuquerque
- Southwest Women’s Fiber Arts Collective, Silver City
- Tejedoras de Las Trampas, Las Trampas
- Torreon Community Store, Torreon
- Tres Manos, a program of CAA of Southern NM, San Miguel
- Warehouse 21, Santa Fe
- Women’s Intercultural Center, Anthony
Alongside our grantmaking, we provide education and mentoring in areas such as business planning, organizational development, English Language skills, and fundraising through the WE Learn™ Program. We help women develop and market their products, open shops, and learn the art of display and merchandising.
Our third strategy is to create innovative product venues, including our Rag Rug Festivals & Design Collectives, and cultivate partnerships with small community museums and their gift shops throughout the state in support of women artisans and their crafting.
