Los Alamos National Laboratory employees donate $2.7 million this season

Los Alamos National Laboratory employees reported a $2.7 million total in donations and gifts through the 2025 Holiday Giving Campaign, the Laboratory announced December 19. The total represented a $100,000 increase from last year and included monetary contributions, scholarship funding, and more than 1,000 donated toys for children across Northern New Mexico.

The campaign directed $2.3 million to the Employee Giving Campaign for nonprofit organizations, not including a matching contribution from the Laboratory operator. The Los Alamos Employees Scholarship Fund received $376,349 to provide scholarships for New Mexico students pursuing two year, four year or graduate level higher education. The Toy Drive generated $30,441 in cash and more than 1,000 physical toys, supported by more than 120 volunteers and champions who organized collections and distributions.

Laboratory employees partnered with the nonprofit Northern New Mexico Toy Drive to distribute toys and purchased gifts to 14 agencies and organizations serving children and teens. Recipient organizations include 100 Percent Mora, Barrios Unidos, Boys and Girls Club Española Pojoaque, Casa Familia, Children Youth and Families Department, CYFD Santa Fe Española Taos, Jemez Pueblo, Las Cumbres, Portfolio Resident Services, Presbyterian Medical Services, Santa Fe Indigenous Center, Santo Domingo Pueblo, St Elizabeth Homeless Teen Center, and Villa Therese Clinic.

Laboratory operator Triad National Security matched a portion of employee giving to charitable nonprofits based in the seven counties where most Laboratory employees live, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, San Miguel, Mora and Sandoval, and in Eddy County where the Lab maintains a presence. This year Triad matched at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar.

Employees also addressed food insecurity directly, donating $14,000 to The Food Depot, the Laboratory’s longstanding nonprofit partner. Lab Director Thom Mason commented, “Our employees’ generosity demonstrates why the Laboratory is a force for good in the region. Every donation makes a positive difference and strengthens the Lab’s relationship with nearby communities.”

The campaign’s mix of direct assistance, scholarship support and nonprofit funding has immediate effects on families facing holiday shortages and longer term implications for regional equity. Scholarships expand educational opportunity for local students. Food donations and toys relieve short term hardship that can compound health and developmental disparities. The campaign underscores how employer led philanthropy supplements stretched social services and underscores the need for sustained public and institutional investment to address systemic gaps in health, housing and education across Northern New Mexico.