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GREATER NEW ORLEANS FOUNDATION

Greater New Orleans Foundation

Contact information:
K&B Plaza

1055 St. Charles Avenue,
Suite 100

New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504-598-4663

Fax: 504-598-4676

Website: http://www.gnof.org/

Type of foundation: Community

Types of grants: Program development and support, seed funding, matching grants, capital, technical assistance, capacity-building, emergency.

Description: The Greater New Orleans Foundation serves the 13-parish region of metropolitan New Orleans. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Foundation has become more proactive in its grantmaking, serving as a convener and bringing local and national expertise and funding together to meet the needs of New Orleans. The Foundation focuses on the following areas:

  • Community Revitalization: competitive grants to create quality, affordable housing.
  • Environment: this area makes grants only through a Request for Proposals process.
  • Regionalism: supporting community-based affiliate foundations in St. Bernard, Plaquemines and Jefferson.
  • Community IMPACT: a competitive grantmaking fund that makes grants in the areas of arts/culture, children and youth, civic engagement and nonprofit support, education, health and human and social services.
  • Economic and Workforce Development: focusing on supporting regional revitalization efforts through federal funding and building a minority middle class.
  • Special Initiatives: bringing together key stakeholders and funders (both local and national) to collaborate in addressing key problems and needs.

The Foundation administers several competitive grant cycles throughout the year. Some that are likely to be of particular interest to public media include:

  • The Selley Foundation, which supports projects that improve the lives of people in the Greater New Orleans area, including arts and culture.
  • The Freeman Challenge, which assists organizations with creating an endowment or building upon an existing one.
  • Community IMPACT Program.

For updates on upcoming grant opportunities, organizations can subscribe to the Foundation's email newsletter.

The Foundation has teamed up with two local public radio stations – WWNO and WWOZ – to produce broadcasts highlighting the work of local nonprofits. WWNO is producing the Community IMPACT Series, a weekly program of 4-minute stories. WWOZ's series is available online.

Read about the Foundation's new Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.

Sample grants:

  • $175,000 to the Urban Institute to design and implement a monthly speaker series (2008).
  • $48,000 to WYES Channel 12 to support the One Community initiative (2007).
  • $10,000 to WYES Channel 12 to support the My Heart My Home marathon (2009).
  • $10,000 to Renew Our Music Fund – Sweet Home New Orleans for the Performance Subsidy Program (2008).
  • $7,000 to the Charitable Film Network to support the environmental justice video competition (2009).

Fit for public broadcasting: There is a good fit for public media outlets serving the New Orleans metropolitan region. The Foundation is capitalizing on media partnerships to get the word out about its work and the work of local nonprofits. There may be more opportunities to partner with the Foundation related to its work of convening stakeholders to address major local/regional issues.

Eligibility: The Greater New Orleans Foundation awards most grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that support projects and programs that benefit citizens, meet community needs and test new ideas in the Greater New Orleans area. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals, for-profit organizations, endowment campaigns, annual fundraising or membership drives.

Deadline: Deadlines vary by fund. See How to Apply, below.

How to apply: The Foundation provides a list of its competitive grant opportunities. This list includes deadlines and links to guidelines which vary by fund.

Giving range: Competitive grants range up to $1,000,000. Most are below $100,000. (The largest recent grants have been for housing recovery projects.)

Assets: $214.7 million (2009)

Total giving: $19.2 million (2009). This includes $12.3 million in donor-advised grants and $6.9 million in Foundation grants.

View 2008 Annual Report (PDF).