In the months following Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures that devastated New Orleans, GNOF was the recipient of tremendous generosity from private individuals, corporations, and foundations from around the globe.  A great American city was in crisis and philanthropists recognized that GNOF, as a trusted community foundation and local resource, would be an effective partner.  The outpouring of generosity was truly unparalleled: GNOF received nearly $30 million in new funds, much of which was designated to support the stated principles and priorities of the Foundation.

In order to leverage this generosity, GNOF’s board created a five-year strategy to strengthen the capacity of New Orleans’s non-profit sector and in some cases encourage the creation of new, more responsive institutions. 

GNOF balances its grant making to meet the immediate needs of non-profits, which are stabilizing a community in crisis, with larger strategic grants aimed at strengthening new institutions that have the potential to create long-term systemic change.  In 2006, GNOF's full range of grantmaking exceeded $21 million.  Large strategic grants were made to the Ashe Cultural Center for $100,000, New Schools for New Orleans for $500,000, the Unified New Orleans Plan for $1,000,000, and the establishment (with $1,250,000) of affiliate community foundations in two of the region’s hardest hit parishes, Plaquemines Parish and St. Bernard Parish. 

Concurrent with the strategic grants noted above, GNOF engaged in grantmaking that strengthened a variety of non-profit institutions, as well as new and emerging organizations with innovative leadership.  That grantmaking is anticipated to continue for the next three years and beyond in the following key areas: Community Revitalization, Education, and Regional Economic and Workforce Development.