ProgressNow New Mexico is a left-0f-center communications hub advocating for left-leaning policy in New Mexico. It is the advocacy arm of the policy education group ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund, a charitable organization. ¹

Background

ProgressNow New Mexico, established in 2011, advocates for left-leaning campaigns on state and local issues. ² It is a state affiliate of ProgressNow, a national left-of-center advocacy communications campaign. ³

ProgressNow New Mexico campaigns for left-leaning policy, including abortion access and environmental issues. The group also publishes voter guides endorsing left-of-center candidates in New Mexico state and local elections. ⁴

Related Organizations

ProgressNow is a left-of-center advocacy group which both ProgressNow New Mexico and its related nonprofit ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund are affiliated. ProgressNow was founded in 2003 as the Rocky Mountain Progressive Network. ⁵

ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund is the charitable arm of ProgressNow New Mexico. The organizations share paid employees and an address. ^{6 7 8} ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund’s campaigns include abortion rights, increasing voter participation, environmental issues, and combatting disinformation. ⁹

The Center for Civic Policy, a charitable nonprofit founded in 2006, focuses on voting rights and environmental issues, and is related to ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund. ^{10 11} Additionally, the Center for Civic Policy shares an address with ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund and ProgressNow New Mexico: 625 Silver Ave SW 320, Albuquerque, New Mexico. ^{12 13 14} Melanie Aranda, the chief operating officer and founding member of the Center for Civic Policy, was a director at ProgressNow New Mexico from 2018 to 2020, according to IRS filings. ^{15 16 17}

The New Mexico Political Report, a news site that is web-hosted by ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund which focuses on abortion rights, environmental issues, and local politics, also lists the same address as ProgressNow New Mexico on its Facebook page. ^{18 19 20}

Dreams in Action NM, an advocacy group that works to increase the civic engagement of groups including immigrants, LGBT individuals, and women, also lists the same address as ProgressNow New Mexico on their IRS forms. ²¹ The Center for Civic Policy owns and operates the website of Dreams in Action NM, according to the website’s privacy policy. ²² Melanie Aranda, the chief operating officer of the Center for Civic Policy and the affiliated 501(c)(4) Center for Civic Action, and former director at ProgressNow New Mexico, is on the board of Dreams in Action NM. ²³

Activities

ProgressNow New Mexico and Fuse Washington publish an annual voter guide endorsing left-of-center candidates in New Mexico’s state and local elections. ²⁴ The voter guide aggregates endorsements from partner organizations, including Planned Parenthood Votes New Mexico, the Center for Civic Action, Dreams in Action NM, the Sierra Club, NEA New Mexico, and Equality New Mexico. ²⁵

In the June 2024 primary elections, the voter guide provided information on every contested Democratic race in the New Mexico state legislature. The voter guide’s recommendations are determined by criteria including candidates’ policy, partner organizations’ endorsements, and racial and other identity factors of the candidates. ²⁶

New Mexico Abortion Info, a website that provides information on abortion clinics in New Mexico and prepared responses for common arguments against abortion, provides a link to donate to ProgressNow New Mexico and other partner groups that support abortion in New Mexico. ²⁷

The New Mexico Political Report, a news outlet that lists the same address as ProgressNow New Mexico on their Facebook page, published a story on the New Mexico Abortion Info website, in which Jackie Aguirre, whose title is the “Reproductive Justice Manager” at ProgressNow New Mexico, explained the mission of the website, and added that the site would be updated monthly. ^{28 29}

Funding

ProgressNow New Mexico has received money from large left-of-center groups including the New Venture Fund, the North Fund, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. ^{30 31 32 33}

Leadership

Alissa Barnes is the executive director of ProgressNow New Mexico and ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund. Previously, Barnes worked for Roadrunner Food Bank, a food distribution center in New Mexico. ³⁴

Melanie Aranda was previously on the board of ProgressNow New Mexico in 2020. ³⁵ Aranda is the chief operating officer and founding member of the Center for Civic Policy and the co-director of the NM Civic Engagement Table. Aranda is on the board of Dreams in Action NM. ³⁶ Previously, Aranda worked as a volunteer for the Petroglyph National Monument Protection Coalition. Prior to founding the Center for Civic Policy, Aranda was vice president of an Albuquerque based political consulting firm that helped elect local left-wing candidates. ³⁷

1. “ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023 Schedule R.
2. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Page 1 Part I Line 1.
3. “New Mexico.” ProgressNow. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://progressnow.org/new-mexico/.
4. ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 2 Part III Line 4a.
5.  Roberts, Michael. “Making Progress.” Westword. August 9, 2007. Accessed March 20, 2019. http://www.westword.com/2007-08-09/news/making-progress/
6. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022 Schedule R.
7. “ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 1 Section C.
8. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Page 1 Section C.
9. “ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 2 Part III Line 4a.
10. “ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023 Schedule R.
11. “Center for Civic Policy.” Center for Civic Policy, August 14, 2023. https://civicpolicy.com/.
12. “Center for Civic Policy,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 1 Section C.
13. “ProgressNow New Mexico Education Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Page 1 Section C.
14. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Page 1 Section C.
15. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2020 Page 7 Part 7.
16. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2019 Page 7 Part 7.
17. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2018 Page 7 Part 7.
18. “Privacy Policy – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, September 28, 2016. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/privacy-policy/.
19. “Our Team – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, November 29, 2023. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about/our-team/.
20. New Mexico Political Report.” Facebook. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/NMpoliticalReport/.
21. “Dreams in Action NM,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022. Page 1.
22. “Dreams in Action NM’s Privacy Policy.” Dreams In Action NM. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://dreamsinactionnm.org/privacy-policy/.
23. “Dreams in Action NM, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023 Page 7 Part 7.
24. “New Mexico Progressive Voters Guide.” Progressive Voters Guide. Accessed July 24, 2024. https://progressivevotersguide.com/newmexico/?L=0.
25. “New Mexico Progressive Voters Guide.” Progressive Voters Guide. Accessed July 24, 2024. https://progressivevotersguide.com/newmexico/about.
26. “New Mexico Progressive Voters Guide.” (listed in Progressive Voters Guide). Accessed July 24, 2024. https://progressivevotersguide.com/newmexico/aboutnm.
27. “How You Can Help.” Respect – Resources. Accessed July 24, 2024. https://www.nmabortioninfo.com/copy-of-abortion-landscape-in-nm.
28. ^[1] Dunlap, Susan. “New Website Seeks to Combat Anti-Abortion Misinformation – NM Political Report.” NM Political Report -, June 7, 2023. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/issues/women/new-website-seeks-to-combat-anti-abortion-misinformation/.
29. “About – ProgressNow New Mexico.” ProgressNow New Mexico -, June 14, 2024. https://progressnownm.org/about/.
30. “New Venture Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021 Schedule I.
31. “North Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2021 Schedule I.
32. “Sixteen Thirty Fund,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022 Schedule I.
33. “The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation,” Return of Private Foundation (Form 990PF) 2019.
34. “About – ProgressNow New Mexico.” ProgressNow New Mexico. Accessed July 12, 2024. https://progressnownm.org/about/#sp-wf5l4u.
35. “ProgressNow New Mexico,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2020 Page 7 Part 7.
36. “Dreams in Action NM, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023 Page 7 Part 7.
37.  “Melanie Aranda.” Center for Civic Policy, June 9, 2023. https://civicpolicy.com/melanie-aranda-2/.