Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle, Impact 100, Hosts Kickoff Breakfast Featuring Mayor Helena Moreno
Courtesy of Billiot Photography & Video
The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s women’s giving circle, Impact 100, hosted its Kickoff Breakfast at The Gallery on September 17 featuring New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. To view photos from the event, click here.
Celebrating its 14th year of grantmaking, Impact 100 is a group of local women who commit to giving $1,100 each and together making a single transformative grant to a nonprofit along with 15 smaller grants to other local nonprofits. Recipient nonprofits use the grants to increase their impact and grow their network of supporters. Since its inaugural year, Impact 100, sponsored by Villere & Co., has granted more than $1.725 million to nonprofits across our region through the collective power of women coming together to support our community.
This year’s program featured a fireside chat with Mayor Moreno and updates from Oji Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of People’s Housing+ (2025 Impact 100 winner,) and Dawn Bradley-Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer of New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter (2014 Impact 100 winner.) Mayor Moreno participated in a fireside chat with Impact 100 Co-Chairs Amanda Berger and Rena Jolly and spoke about the power of women in philanthropy, the impact of the local nonprofits in our community, and the importance of collective giving.
Impact 100 would like to give special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Villere & Co., as well as The Gallery for their support with this event. It’s not too late to register for Impact 100 2026. Register here!
The Idea Village Named One of TIME‘s America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators 2026
Courtesy of The Idea Village
The Idea Village, a local startup accelerator serving the Gulf Coast, announced on August 18 that it has been named one of TIME‘s America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators 2026, a national recognition honoring the country’s top-performing startup hubs. The ranking evaluates incubators and accelerators across the U.S. using three core criteria: alumni evaluations, track record, and recommendations from experienced entrepreneurs and startup investors. The recognition places The Idea Village among the nation’s leading organizations helping entrepreneurs build, grow, and scale transformative companies.
The Idea Village supports entrepreneurs at every stage of company building through a comprehensive suite of programs designed to accelerate growth. Since its founding, the organization has served more than 23,700 entrepreneurs throughout the Gulf South, helping startup founders get their ideas off the ground and scale them to success. Alumni companies have collectively raised more than $550 million in capital, while in the past five years alone, participating ventures have raised $97 million, created 505 jobs, and generated more than $41 million in annual revenue.
In partnership with the Foundation, Idea Village is building an endowment to ensure the long-term sustainability of their work supporting our region’s entrepreneurs. To learn more, click here.
Grant Opportunity: Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans Seeks Letters of Intent from Potential Grantees
The 2026 cohort of Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans (EPNO), a program of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is now accepting letters of intent (LOI) from nonprofit organizations working in arts & culture, health, and human rights & justice. Eligible nonprofits must have 501(c)(3) status or have a fiscal sponsor, be located within the Foundation’s 13-parish service area and have a budget at or below $1,000,000. LOIs are due September 24. To submit an LOI, click here. Please email EPNO@gnof.org with any questions.
EPNO is a high-energy, six-month program that brings together individuals in the Greater New Orleans region to collaboratively and collectively make changes in our communities by learning and giving together. Each EPNO Impact Team grants funds to organizations tackling problems within their chosen Impact Area.
Through this dynamic experience, community members across the region build the skills, perspective, and confidence to become impactful nonprofit supporters for the benefit of our community. Since 2011, over 600 alumni have gone through the EPNO program.
Foundation Staff to Present at Society of Louisiana CPAs Cypress Summit on September 24
Courtesy of Society of Louisiana CPAs
Two members of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s philanthropy team are presenting at the Society of Louisiana CPAs Cypress Summit on September 24. Ashley J. Floyd, Major Gifts Officer at the Foundation, and Nathan Alvarez, Donor Relations Officer at the Foundation, will address summit attendees at a breakout session called “The Future of Philanthropy: Building Impact, Equity, and Legacy Across Generations” between 2:25 pm and 3:15 pm. The summit will take place from 8:00 am - 4:35 pm at the Marriott Baton Rouge (5500 Hilton Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.)
In the breakout session, participants will learn how philanthropy is changing as younger donors increasingly step up as community leaders; explore how donor-advised funds, planned giving vehicles, and charitable planning tools help create lasting community impact; and learn how to align financial tools with personal and family values, especially across generations.
The conference provides an opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with professionals from a variety of industries and presents another way to earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE). To register and learn more, click here.
Recent Data Shows Impressive Transformation of New Orleans Public Schools Since 2005
Data released by Educate Now!, a New Orleans–based nonprofit focusing on education reform, illustrates the unprecedented growth in New Orleans public school education since 2005. For young people in Orleans Parish, these improvements can lead to a stronger workforce, more economic opportunity, and a reduction in crime. This data analyzed the results of state testing, graduation rates, TOPS scholarships, and workforce readiness. Some of the findings include:
- When analyzing English and Math state testing scores, Orleans Parish students climbed from 67th place (out of 68 districts) in 2005 to 39th place (out of 69 districts) in 2026.
- One in three freshmen now earns a TOPS scholarship. Total TOPS awards rose from 721 to 1,156 even as the freshmen class shrank by 37%.
- More graduates are ready for the workforce with the graduating class of 2026 completing 1,869 internships compared to 17 in 2016, and credentials earned for high-wage, high-demand pathways increasing from 235 in 2022 to 1,083 in 2025.
- 59.5% of Orleans Parish students scored Basic or above in ELA and Math in 2026 compared to 39.5% in 2005, while the statewide share grew by 2 points in that period.
- Comparing the graduating classes of 2005 and 2025, there were 2,000 fewer freshmen this year but 210 more graduates.
- The share of students reaching the Mastery level more than tripled, with only 11.5% of Orleans Parish students reaching Mastery in 2005 compared to 37% today.
Grant Opportunity: Round Two of Community-Led Green Infrastructure Grantmaking Program Closes on Sept. 30!
The Greater New Orleans Foundation and its subsidiary, the New Orleans Community Support Foundation, invite organizations to apply for round two of the Community-Led Green Infrastructure grantmaking program. Last year, the Foundation launched the grantmaking program, supported by federal funding, to support community-driven solutions that reduce flooding, improve water quality, and strengthen resilience in Southeast Louisiana’s most vulnerable communities. In round 1, we awarded $1.025 million in grants to 12 organizations across four parishes. In round 2, the Foundation will be granting up to $725,000 overall.
On September 1, the Foundation kicked off the two-step application process for round 2 of the program, beginning with an Expression of Interest questionnaire to ensure eligibility and alignment with program objectives. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application later this fall. The questionnaire is now live here through September 30.
Four Community-Owned Implementation Grants of $150,000 each will be awarded to support community-led green infrastructure projects that address stormwater management and flood mitigation in vulnerable communities. Two Community Evaluation & Storytelling Grants of $62,500 each will be awarded to support community-led evaluation, storytelling, and communications efforts that document the impact, lessons learned, and community benefits of existing green infrastructure projects. To learn more about the grantmaking program, please read this blog post.
Join Us for a Board Governance Intensive in New Orleans on October 6 and 7 and Covington on October 13 and 14!
The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Paulette and Frank Stewart Board Governance Institute is co-hosting two Board Governance Intensives focused on building impactful and inclusive boards in October.
Designed for board members, executive directors, and senior staff, these intensives focus on strengthening nonprofit governance, building inclusive practices, increasing engagement, and maximizing impact focusing on essential governance topics. The Board Governance Intensive offers opportunities to reflect on your board experience and plan concrete action steps.
The Foundation’s Institute, in partnership with JPMorganChase, is hosting the first Board Governance Intensive workshop on October 6 (9:30 am–4 pm) and 7 (9:30 am-12:30 pm) at the Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy (919 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130.) Organizations are required to register in teams of 2-4, and the fee to participate is $100 per organization. However, we never want funding to prevent participation. We have a small pool of funds available for partial scholarships for qualified organizations. To learn more and register, click here.
The Foundation’s Institute and the Northshore Community Foundation are co-hosting the second Board Governance Intensive workshop on October 13 (9:30 am-4 pm) and 14 (9:30 am-4 pm) at the Northshore Community Foundation (807 N. Columbia Street, Covington, LA, 70433.) While individual registration is available for this free workshop, we strongly recommend attending as a team of two or three. To learn more or register, click here.