Support Kids ‘n Parks with Your Tax Refund

Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico State Parks urges you to make a difference in the lives of others by donating just a few dollars of your tax refund to an incredibly worthwhile program benefitting all school children. Kids and State Parks go together like New Mexico and sunshine!

The Statewide Outdoor Classroom Program provides students with hands-on, curriculum-based outdoor experiences. One of the program’s most successful components is the Transportation Grant program that provides funding to schools to help pay for the cost of buses to get students to a state park where they

experience outdoor education programming. The program is heavily funded by taxpayers through the Kids ‘n Parks Personal Income Tax Check-off.

Since 2008, State Parks has provided outdoor classroom experiences for more than 173,000 kids statewide. In 2017, $12,833 was awarded to 35 different schools resulting in 2,275 students visiting the parks and receiving outdoor education programming. Overall, more than 15,000 students visited New Mexico State Parks in 2017 for outdoor education programming.

To make a contribution using a tax refund, check off the box that reads, “Refund donations” on the New Mexico Personal Income Tax Return (PIT-1) and attach a PIT-D, New Mexico Voluntary Contributions

Schedule. If you are not due a refund, contributions may be directly sent to the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, State Parks Division, 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505.