The Greater Good: News From The Greater New Orleans Foundation- Edition 96

September 30, 2026

Foundation’s Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund Awards $213,000 to Support Older Adults

Courtesy of  Clover

Recently, members of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund Committee met to award $213,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations that help older adults live dignified, meaningful, and independent lives.

Throughout its existence, Pratt-Stanton Manor, a nonprofit assisted living facility for older adults in New Orleans, worked hard to create and maintain a happy and healthy living environment for older adults and developed programs that helped them enjoy this most important phase of life. When it closed its doors in 2008, proceeds from the sale of the building helped to create the Pratt-Stanton Manor endowed fund at the Foundation. Today, earnings from the endowed fund allow for a grantmaking program to help support nonprofit organizations in the Greater New Orleans region working tirelessly in our community to help seniors with such basic needs as food, housing, and daily activities. Since grantmaking began, the Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund has made over $2.4 million in grants to support older adults.

The Foundation is proud to announce that the following grants will be given as part of the 2026 Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund grantmaking:

The Greater New Orleans Foundation offers philanthropic legacy planning services. If you are inspired by the Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund and would like to explore how you can leave a lasting philanthropic legacy to support the issue areas and organizations you love, please reach out to Ashley Floyd at ashleyf@gnof.org.

Greater New Orleans Foundation Invites You to the 2026 COHN | GNOF | NOLA | ARTS Awards to Celebrate Winner, Ben Depp

The Greater New Orleans Foundation cordially invites you to the 6th Annual COHN | GNOF | NOLA | ARTS Awards at the Marigny Opera House on October 13, honoring Ben Depp, a New Orleans-based photographer.

The annual award is presented to an individual artist or group from our region whose work in the visual arts, performance, music, or culinary arts is judged to best exemplify how the arts can challenge and inspire us, and in so doing, enrich our lives. Past honorees include Aron Belka, artist (2021); MaPó Kinnord, sculptor and educator (2022); Dave Hurlbert, theatre impresario and co-founder of the Marigny Opera (2023); Dr. Michael White, Jazz clarinetist and educator (2024); and Arvinder Vilkhu, President & Executive Chef of Saffron Nola (2025).

As the winner, Mr. Depp will receive an honorarium of $13,000. The COHN | GNOF | NOLA | ARTS Award, presented annually, is made possible due to a generous bequest from Marianne and Dr. Isidore Cohn, Jr. To RSVP, click here.

Learn About the Foundation’s Expert Investment Advisory Services for Nonprofit Cash Reserve and Endowment Funds

Please join the Greater New Orleans Foundation on October 8 from 12-12:45 pm for a free webinar designed to help nonprofit leaders and boards understand how creating an agency reserve or endowment fund can support long-term organizational success.

An agency fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation is a charitable fund set up by or for your organization to build long-term financial strength. Whether you’re establishing an endowment, investing in a reserve fund, preparing for future growth, or strengthening your organization’s financial sustainability, the Foundation is your local philanthropic partner. We provide expert investment management services and strategies to help our nonprofits thrive for generations. We especially encourage executive directors, CEOs, CFOs, development professionals, board members, and finance committee members to participate. To learn how an agency fund can help your organization plan for the future, click here to register!

Join the Foundation, Tulane ByWater Institute, and the Southeast Louisiana Adaptation Forum Organizing Committee on October 14

Courtesy of Billiot Photography & Video 
The Greater New Orleans Foundation and Tulane ByWater Institute invite you to the Southeast Louisiana Adaptation Forum Fall 2026 Member Meet-Up on October 14 from 4-7 pm. This gathering is an opportunity to learn about Forum Membership and programming, build new relationships across sectors and parishes; and celebrate the growing regional collaboration that drives our collective impact.

This event is for all practitioners, community leaders, researchers, and partners from nonprofit, government, business, philanthropic, and academic sectors who are advancing climate adaptation and transformative green infrastructure throughout Southeast Louisiana. Happy hour beverages and light snacks will be provided.

The Southeast Louisiana Adaptation Forum is led by a diverse Organizing Committee and administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation and Tulane ByWater Institute. It is an emerging regional collaborative that engages and connects people to accelerate implementation of transformative green infrastructure and climate adaptation projects, to support regional and cross-sector professional coordination, and to build capacity of the region’s practitioners through shared learning. To RSVP, click here.

Construction Begins on Affordable Housing Project in Central City, with Support from the Greater New Orleans Foundation  

Rendering provided by Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc. 

Foundation partners Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) and Mission Properties Foundation announced that construction has begun on a new 30-unit affordable housing community, adjacent to the New Orleans Mission, in Central City. The Greater New Orleans Foundation made a $750,000 investment in GCHP’s predevelopment fund from our Impact Investment Fund, which helped make this transformational development possible.

The community will provide long-term affordable housing for individuals, many of whom have participated in programs at the New Orleans Mission and are ready to transition to independent living. The community is being constructed to FORTIFIED Multifamily Gold standards and will include 25 efficiency apartments and five one-bedroom apartments, along with indoor bicycle parking, laundry facilities, a leasing office and operational space for staff and programming. The New Orleans Mission will continue to provide supportive services to residents, including vocational training and access to meals.

With this latest investment, GCHP and its partners will have invested more than $210 million along the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor since 2006. Construction is expected to be completed in late summer 2027.

Read what others are saying about this project:

New Schools for New Orleans Celebrations 20 Years and Major Wins for Orleans Parish Students 

Courtesy of New Schools for New Orleans  

This month, New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO), a longtime Foundation partner, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by reflecting on their work alongside schools, educators, families, and partners and looking ahead to the future of public education in New Orleans.

“For 20 years, our work has evolved alongside the needs of New Orleans public education. In our earliest years, that meant helping strong school operators launch and grow. As the system matured, our role expanded to include helping schools and the district use data, funding, facilities, and other resources more strategically. Today, that work is increasingly focused on sustainability: ensuring schools have the students, funding, facilities, and supports they need to serve their communities well, while also creating space for innovation and new solutions as student needs change,” the organization said in an email about a new report.  

The Greater New Orleans Foundation gave NSNO its first grant of $500,000 in 2006, which Founding CEO Sarah Usdin deployed to start the organization. Since then, the Foundation and its fundholders have given an additional over $2 million to NSNO.

NSNO reviews their accomplishments and progress made since 2006 in this new report. Some of the findings in the report include:

  • The organization has raised $235 million from philanthropy and federal grants.
  • NSNO has provided $2 million in teacher student loan forgiveness.
  • They have provided $179 million in direct support of schools, teachers, and students.
  • More New Orleans students are performing at grade-level. 4th and 8th grade LEAP results in ELA and Math have improved at close to or more than double the rate of the state over the past 20 years.
  • In 2025-26, there are almost no failing schools.
  • New Orleans has improved at double the rate of the state since the first post-COVID LEAP tests in 2021.

504HealthNet Launches Toolkit to Help Residents in the Region Find Trusted Healthcare Close to Home 

504HealthNet, a nonprofit network of community healthcare providers, launched a region-wide toolkit to connect families in the region with trusted community clinics, as healthcare coverage continues to change across the state leaving many residents uncertain about where to find affordable care regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. The “Get Connected, Stay Connected” campaign also encourages residents not to delay medical care because of uncertainty surrounding insurance coverage.

504HealthNet represents 26 community-based healthcare organizations, which provide a variety of comprehensive healthcare services, including primary care, behavioral health, dental care, vision services, and more. The campaign includes community outreach, social media, educational materials, and partnerships with community organizations to increase awareness of local healthcare resources. The toolkit makes it easier to locate nearby providers based on healthcare needs and location. The organization recommends this toolkit for anyone who interacts with communities in the region who may be impacted by federal and state policy changes, especially Medicaid members, individuals who are recently uninsured or underinsured, or individuals who are not currently connected to a primary care provider.

Emerging Leaders Kicks Off Ninth Cohort 

The Foundation gathered its ninth cohort of 33 Emerging Leaders for their first program session on September 24. Emerging Leaders is a six-month, leadership development program aimed at creating a pipeline of senior and executive leadership in the nonprofit sector of southeast Louisiana. This program equips participants with the technical and relationship-building skills, as well as the critical systems-level thinking, necessary to lead strong, healthy, and impactful nonprofits.

Because the Foundation’s research has documented a racial leadership gap in southeastern Louisiana, a gap witnessed in many regions across the country, Emerging Leaders elevates the voices of Black and Indigenous leaders and other leaders of color in this learning community and affirms their strengths and experiences and the unique challenges they face. The content and facilitation of this program is rooted in an analysis of justice, power, and equity. To learn more about Emerging Leaders, click here.

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.