By DIANE DENISH
Corner to Corner
diane@dianedenish.com
It’s the Christmas season in New Mexico—the time of giving, of luminarias glowing against winter nights and communities leaning into generosity. The question many of us quietly ask is: to whom should we be giving? Typically, we think first of family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors who have enriched our lives. These are the people for whom we might ask for a wish list or ask, “What do you want from Santa?”
But there are many other requests circulating across the state. December is when New Mexico community organizations send year-end appeals for local food banks; services for homebound neighbors like Meals on Wheels; children’s and youth programs; music and arts organizations; healthcare foundations supporting hospitals or fighting specific diseases; public radio and television; and rural newspaper foundations.
It is also the season when parishioners—from small churches in rural counties to large congregations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe—are asked to make pledges to their home churches for the coming year.
New Mexico has more than 7,000 nonprofit organizations, most of which rely heavily on year-end giving. An estimated 25–40 percent of individual donations arrive in December, making these final weeks critical. Requests typically begin in mid-November and run through the end of the year.
Nonprofits use emails and direct mail, sometimes followed by a final reminder before December 31. Appeals are often personal, built on longstanding relationships, and relatively limited in volume. On average, New Mexicans receive a handful to a few dozen nonprofit asks, usually from organizations they know or have interacted with. For donors, this season is also a time to consider whether a tax-deductible contribution might help reduce their tax liability.
Then there are political fundraising requests. Based on my experience as a political donor, political appeals in December are amplified and aggressive, arriving constantly by text and email to hundreds, if not thousands, of past supporters.
The reasons are straightforward: looming Federal Election Commission and state reporting deadlines, combined with candidates’ and political action committees’ desire to show strong year-end numbers. Appeals come not only from local or state candidates but also issue committees, national parties, and candidates in other states.
Political fundraising carries a sense of urgency—sometimes real, sometimes manufactured. Phrases like “We need your help to reach our midnight deadline,” “Here’s what’s at risk if we don’t meet our goal,” or “Just $5—that’s all” appear constantly. In the 36 hours I worked on this column, I received a dozen political fundraising texts. One estimate suggests politically engaged individuals receive over 100 political fundraising messages in December alone.
While fewer political candidates exist than nonprofits in New Mexico, you would never know it from the volume of year-end political appeals.
Where should donors put their money? Some can support both nonprofits and political campaigns, but here is my suggestion: candidates could encourage supporters to give to nonprofits instead—organizations that feed the hungry, house the homeless, support the arts, strengthen communities, or advocate for causes they believe in.
Full disclosure: my daughter reminded me when I was a candidate, I asked for money in December. Over time, however, I sometimes hosted events collecting food for pantries or toys and clothing for children. Personally, I have supported nonprofits for years, adopted families for holiday gift programs, and just yesterday in a family tradition of drive by giving I handed a cheerful homeless gentleman in McDonald’s a $20 bill before he mounted his bike and started his day. He smiled, so did I.
That’s the difference in the season of giving. Supporting nonprofits with a clear purpose or giving directly to someone in need feels good in a way political giving often does not.
So, this season, let political giving take a back seat—and make yourself, and someone else, smile.