Maura Taylor speaks at the 2019 Self Help 50th Anniversary Gala. Courtesy photo
SELF HELP NEWS RELEASE
Self Help, Inc. has announced the resignation of its executive director, Maura Taylor, effective in June. Taylor has served as executive director of the local nonprofit since 2018.
A Los Alamos native, Taylor grew up making pottery for the “Empty Bowls” soup luncheons which were previously a key fundraiser for Self Help. As director, she had a special impact assisting those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, developing Self Help’s remote volunteer program and successfully raising significant funding to increase the amount of aid Self Help could provide during the pandemic’s toughest times. She streamlined Self Help’s technology systems to manage client services and donor relationships, received numerous grant awards, oversaw Self Help’s 50th Anniversary Gala in 2019, and collaborated with numerous other nonprofits to improve social services in Self Help’s four-county service area.
“Leading Self Help has been an immense honor—the most important thing I’ve done in my life,” said Taylor. “I’m really proud of our work helping thousands of Northern New Mexicans in need during the pandemic, and of the strides we’ve made in infrastructure and sustainability in recent years.”
Self Help began in 1969 as an outreach of the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, assisting people with small seed grants to build economic self-sufficiency. It has evolved to emphasize small grant payments for clients in need of emergency funding to deal with utility payments, overdue rent, health care costs, car repairs, and much more; more than 400 area families each year receive such assistance. Seed money grants are still awarded to help low-income people pursue entrepreneurial and education opportunities, and thousands of referrals are giving to partner agencies for extra support.
“At Self Help, our clients are the heart of everything we do,” Taylor said. “They’re inspiring in their resilience during dark times, and we get to lend them a hand when they need it most. But I’ve also so loved getting to know our wonderful donors and volunteers—their outpouring of support has been inspiring, too. This is truly a community that cares.”
As the new executive director, Taylor’s replacement will be responsible for supervising daily operations at Self Help and ensuring that the organization has the financial stability and outreach capabilities to effectively achieve its mission of helping neighbors in need. The executive director works closely with the Board of Directors, who have initiated a search for a new leader.
For more information on the job posting, visit selfhelpla.org/careers.