Local Foundation Awards $1M in Grants to Nonprofits at Critical Time
For Immediate Release December 10, 2009
CONTACT: Martha Landrum | 504-598-4663 | martha@gnof.org
New Orleans – The Greater New Orleans Foundation announced today the 49 nonprofit organizations to receive funds from the Community IMPACT Program in an awards ceremony held at the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
“Thanks to the generosity of many of our donors, we were able to use the income from some of our endowed funds to support 49 of the most effective nonprofit organizations serving our region-to give them a lift at a critical time when chartable giving by individuals, foundations, and corporations is down,” said Dr. Albert Ruesga, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
The Community IMPACT Program, in its first year, is designed to identify and support effective nonprofit organizations that strengthen the fabric of the Greater New Orleans region. The ultimate goal of the Community IMPACT program is to create a resilient, sustainable, vibrant, and equitable region in which individuals and families flourish and in which the special character of the New Orleans region and its people is preserved, celebrated, and given the means to develop.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation received almost 400 letters of interest from nonprofit organizations applying for grants in the following six categories: arts and culture; children and youth; civic engagement and nonprofit support; education; health; and human and social services.
Foundation staff reviewed all letters of interest and then invited 65 nonprofit organizations to submit full proposals. The application process included a site visit by a staff member of the program department, a careful study of all financial information for the organization, and a review by the Foundation’s grant committee.
For more information on the Community IMPACT Program and to view a list of all 49 grant recipients, please visit http://www.gnof.org/programs/community-impact/grants-awarded/.
The Foundation is also posting the list of nonprofit organizations that were invited to submit a proposal yet did not receive funding from the Community IMPACT Program.
“We simply did not have enough resources to award grants to all the worthwhile nonprofit organizations who are contributing to the health and vibrancy of our region,” said Ellen Lee, senior vice president of programs. ”We whole-heartedly applaud their contributions, and we want to encourage generous citizens to view the list on our website for possible year-end contributions,” said Lee.
That list is available at http://www.gnof.org/tis-the-season/.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation is the community foundation serving the 13-parish Greater New Orleans metropolitan area. We design and lead initiatives that improve the region, connect donors to community needs, identify and support great nonprofits, and strengthen civil society.
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