Foundation Celebrates Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity
Courtesy of VPJR
The Foundation hosted a cocktail reception at our Center for Philanthropy on March 17 to celebrate the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity and the remarkable impact of local organizations advancing opportunity and equity in our community. This special gathering brought together a group of over 85 community leaders, donors, and grantees — including Dr. Francis’ son, Patrick Francis, who spoke at the event.
The Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity is the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s leadership grantmaking fund in the area of racial equity. The fund honors Dr. Norman C. Francis, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, who was the first Black student at Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law and later became Xavier University’s first Black and lay president, serving 47 years from 1968 to 2015. He also served as Chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, established after Hurricane Katrina to lead Louisiana’s recovery. Dr. Francis’ work as an educator, administrator, and civil rights leader has had a profound impact on the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the City of New Orleans, our region, and our nation.
Courtesy of VPJR
In 2020, the Foundation established the Greater Together Fund for Racial Equity, which has raised and granted over $3.3 million to nonprofits working to dismantle unjust systems and build wealth in the Black community. In 2024, the Foundation recognized the need to make grantmaking in this area a permanent part of our strategy, and the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity was established with initial gifts from two major local banks, First Horizon and Hancock Whitney. In August 2025, the Foundation announced a $250,000 challenge grant to the Endowment, encouraging others in our community to participate in raising these critical funds.
Fund Advisor Spotlight: Samuel Barton Stewart III Memorial Foundation Donates $2 Million to City Park Conservancy
Courtesy of City Park Conservancy
The City Park Conservancy (CPC) recently announced a $2 million gift from the Samuel Barton Stewart III Memorial Foundation, a donor-advised fund of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The investment will support the rehabilitation and reimagining of the Park’s historic maintenance corral, which will become the S. Barton Stewart III Center and serve as a public gathering space beginning in late 2027. Future site enhancements surrounding the Center will improve views and access to Little Lake, the Pelican Greenhouse, and the broader north side of the Park. The S. Barton Stewart III Center project is also generously supported by the State of Louisiana.
In 2024, the Greater New Orleans Foundation began a partnership with the Samuel Barton Stewart III Memorial Foundation to help honor the legacies of Barton and Shirley Stewart. Working together, the foundations developed a multi-year grantmaking strategy that includes this significant investment in City Park and the S. Barton Stewart III Center, alongside additional commitments supporting workforce development and career pathways in the architectural and construction fields.
“The Greater New Orleans Foundation has been a proud and long-time supporter of City Park’s growth and success through our grant making, donor advised funds, and endowments,” said Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “We are particularly honored to partner with the Samuel Barton Stewart III Memorial Foundation on their significant investment in the City Park 2050 Plan, which will honor the Stewart’s legacy while providing a gathering space in the heart of City Park for generations to come.”
Read more about what people are saying about the Stewart Foundation gift here:
NOLA.com: New Orleans City Park receives $2M gift for renovations
Blog: Greater New Orleans Foundation Awards $1.025 Million through its Community-Led Green Infrastructure Grantmaking Program
The Greater New Orleans Foundation and its subsidiary, the New Orleans Community Support Foundation, are thrilled to announce the selection of twelve organizations across four parishes for the first round of funding through our Community-Led Green Infrastructure grantmaking program. A total of $1,025,000 will be distributed over the one-year grant period to support projects that advance stormwater and flood resilience in the region’s most vulnerable communities.
This federally funded program is designed to support community-based and nonprofit organizations working to reduce flooding and strengthen stormwater resilience. Three types of grants were awarded during this round: $50,000 for planning and design, $150,000 for implementation, and $62,500 for storytelling and evaluation.
The awardees are:
- Planning and Design: Freedom to Grow, South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, United Houma Nation, Urban Conservancy, Wake, and Woven Roots
- Implementation: Ironton Reconstruction & Development Board, Lowlander Center, New Wine Christian Fellowship, and Recirculating Farms
- Storytelling and Evaluation: Sankofa Community Development Corporation and Water Wise Gulf South
The Foundation will distribute $725,000 in grants during round two of this grantmaking program. Applications for the second round will open later this year. To read more about the projects that received funding, click here.
Join Us April 1 for Workshop Series Exploring Nonprofit Partnerships
As nonprofits increasingly explore how to become more sustainable, streamline operations, and expand their impact, more leaders are looking to strategic partnerships as viable strategies. The Greater New Orleans Foundation, in partnership with JPMorgan Chase Foundation, is excited to offer the Strategic Partnerships for Stronger Nonprofits series to help organizations explore and execute a strategic partnership or organizational restructure.
The first session is an introductory session in which attendees will build a foundational understanding of the broad continuum of strategic partnerships and organizational restructuring. The session will be held in person at the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy (919 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130) on April 1 from 9:00 am- 12:00 pm. Click here to register. Please note that your organization must participate in session one to qualify for participation in session two.
In session two, nonprofit teams that have identified a strategic partnership project they want to pursue will draw upon case studies and experiences from nonprofits in our region and dive more deeply into the assessment, agreement, and implementation phases of the strategic partnership process. This session will be held in person on June 18 from 9:00 am-12:00 pm at the Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy.
The Foundation has been actively investing in supporting nonprofit partnerships since 2018 through our Strategic Partnerships and Mergers Fund. Click here to learn more.
Foundation’s Board Governance Intensive Returns in April
Effective board leadership is crucial to an organization’s success. To help organizations improve their board governance, the Foundation’s Paulette and Frank Stewart Board Governance Institute is hosting a Board Governance Intensive workshop. The day and a half-long workshop will take place on April 22 from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm and on April 23 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm at the Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy. Attendance on both days is required. Organizations are required to register teams of 2-4 participants. This intensive will support teams of board members, executive directors, and senior staff who work closely with board members. Click here to register.
Grantee Spotlight: KID smART Celebrates New Center for Arts & Education
Courtesy of Eskew Dumez Ripple
Longtime Foundation grantee partner KID smART held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate their new permanent home, The KID smART Center for Arts & Education, on February 25. A recipient of grants from various Foundation programs, Kid smART received a 2025 Mission Accelerator Grant from our Nonprofit Leadership and Effectiveness Initiative to support creation of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan focused on ensuring the Center would be an active space, through partnerships with aligned organizations, and positioned for long-term sustainability.
Founded in 1999, KID smART’s mission is to engage children and educators in dynamic, creative, and relevant learning through the arts. Their flagship program, Creative Schools, embeds teaching artists in public school classrooms in partnership with academic instructors to co-plan and co-teach arts-integrated lessons. Through infusing core curriculum (math, science, language arts, and social studies) with arts-integrated instruction increases student engagement and enhances learning.
The KID smART Center for Arts & Education’s 10,000 square feet will be a community hub for arts education in the Bayou Road/7th Ward neighborhood, featuring dedicated studios for visual art, dance and movement, performing arts, and podcasting, as well as Kid smART’s offices and shared meeting spaces.
Read more about what people are saying about the new facility:
- New Orleans Magazine: KID smART Unveils New Center for Arts & Education Facility
- WGNO: KID smART Center for Arts & Education in New Orleans
Thanks for joining us for this edition of The Greater Good.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation Team