Civic Engagement
OVERVIEW
Tremendous change is now afoot in the greater New Orleans area, and that means our work to promote civic engagement is more vital than ever.
The destruction and the systemic collapse brought about by Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures in 2005 made it abundantly clear that the status quo could no longer stand. People and communities that had long been marginalized quickly began to imagine new roles for themselves in the region’s recovery, driven by the desire to rebuild better and to ensure that the desperate needs laid bare by the disaster would be addressed.
However, these new efforts still must contend with persistent issues of mistrust across our community, weak social networks and a dearth of effective leadership to mobilize and galvanize residents.
That’s why we support programs to address these and other longstanding obstacles to civic engagement and help our diverse communities gain a meaningful voice in shaping their own future. Our goal is to empower citizens and community organizations as agents of positive change and as participants in the historic opportunities now unfolding here.
OUR WORK
Our goals for civic engagement are to increase community involvement and leadership in order to improve our region.
We support innovation in this arena through:
Coastal 5+1
Our program addressing the most pressing challenges shared by our region’s five coastal parishes — St. Bernard, Plaquemines, lower Jefferson, Terrebonne and Lafourche — and the coastal-dependent Orleans Parish. Read More >>
IMPACT
Our program to create a resilient, sustainable and equitable region where people may achieve their full potential and where our unique culture may flourish. Read More >>
Open Society Foundations
Our partnership with the Open Society Foundations supports the New Orleans Coalition on Open Governance, which brings together a range of community-based initiatives that aim to build a collective civic capacity that is more transparent and accountable.
Stand Up for Our Children
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is our partner in initiatives that advocate for policies and practices leading to a healthier start in life and better educational achievement for our children.
SNAPSHOTS
Implementing Powerful Ideas Advisor to the Mayor for Strategy and Development, Ashleigh Gardere
A collaboration between City Hall and 33 partner organizations—including the Greater New Orleans Foundation—successfully won a $2 million federal grant to study the revitalization of the Claiborne Corridor. Read More >>
The project will reconnect neighborhoods that have long been separated by the interstate highway.
“This grant was one of the first opportunities to show what it looks like for everyone to be at the table, and to demonstrate how powerful ideas are born when you have an inclusive group,” says Gardere. “The mayor talks about New Orleans as a city of infinite possibilities. Our partners have demonstrated what the space inside ‘infinite possibilities’ could look like.”
Broad Community Connections
Jeff Schwartz, visionary leader of Broad Community Connections, is using his community development skills to revitalize an urban corridor.
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