INVESTING IN NEW MEXICO'S CREATIVE FUTURE
Your Give Tuesday & Year-End Donation Builds Year-Round Creative Access!
Our 2025 festival was a resounding success, proving that the AFME Foundation's educational programs—from professional masterclasses to vital literacy workshops—are the "gold-standard" and are wildly popular among New Mexico students.
But this success has a precarious foundation, meaning our crucial student programming is vulnerable to seasonal funding gaps. A five-day festival is not enough to build a career. We need a secure, year-round framework to truly turn talent into opportunity.
🌟 Your Giving Tuesday Gift Ensures Year-Round Impact
Your Giving Tuesday gift is more than a donation; it’s an investment in Year-Round Operational Capacity for our educational pipeline. It's the critical fuel that ensures these "gold-standard" programs run consistently for 12 months, not just for five festival days. This consistent support is what builds a true career pipeline for New Mexico students.
Goal: Raise $5,000 by December 31, 2025 to turn festival-level success into a sustainable, year-round structure.
Need: Immediate, unrestricted support to fund the operations that keep our student programs running.
✨ Choose Your Impact: Sponsor a Skill
Every dollar directly supports our Foundation’s educational programming and year-round festival operations, ensuring we can provide consistent training, mentorship, and discovery for students searching for their creative voice and career path.
Donation of $75: Funds one high-school student's enrollment in a Masterclass on foundational skills like screenwriting or camera operation.
Donation of $150: Underwrites the stipend for a professional mentor to guide one student through a quarterly creative project.
Donation of $500: Sustains the operational cost for one full-day Creative Literacy Workshop for middle school students, helping them discover various career paths.
Donation of $1,500: Sponsors the cost of materials and facilities for an entire "First Look" Table Read Series for emerging writers.
Help us turn festival success into a 12-month career pipeline for New Mexico students. Donate now!
🎁 Year-End Tax Contribution Considerations
As the AFME Foundation is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your contributions are generally tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor to confirm the deductibility of your specific contribution.
Your tax-deductible contribution will go towards:
-
Preparation and production of AFMX’s annual festival.
-
Travel, hotel accommodations, and appearance fees for celebrity and esteemed guests.
-
Marketing and advertising - locally, regionally, and nationally.
-
Licensing for showcased films at the annual festival.
-
Music performances and special events.
-
Internships and career development for local students and creative professionals.
-
Free festival passes for students other non-profit organizations and families in need.
-
Speaking engagements with industry professionals at schools and universities.
-
Operations and logistics for all year-round community outreach, career development programs, and events.
To ensure your gift counts for the 2025 tax year, keep these critical deadlines and methods in mind:
Credit Card/Online Gift: 11:59 PM (Donor's Local Time) on December 31, 2025.
The deduction is valid on the date the charge is made, not when you pay the bill.
Check (USPS Mail): Must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2025.
If you use a private carrier (FedEx, UPS), the check must be physically received by AFME before December 31.
Wire Transfer: Must be received in AFME's account by December 31, 2025.
Initiate the transfer several business days in advance (e.g., by December 27–28) to account for bank processing times.
Gifts of Appreciated Stock: Transfer must be received by AFME's brokerage account by December 31, 2025.
It is strongly recommended to initiate stock transfers by mid-December (e.g., December 8–12) as they can take up to two weeks to process. Donating appreciated securities is often the most tax-efficient method.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) from IRA: Funds must leave and clear your IRA account by December 31, 2025.
If you are age 70½ or older, you can generally transfer up to $108,000 directly from your IRA to charity, which can satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) without increasing your taxable income (no deduction is taken).
IMPORTANT: To receive a deduction for any gift over $250, the IRS requires a written acknowledgment letter from the AFME Foundation. We will provide this documentation for all qualifying year-end gifts.
Thank you for your partnership in securing the creative future of New Mexico's next generation of filmmakers and storytellers.
