Greater New Orleans Foundation Receives Donation to the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund from American Safety, LLC, the Official Disaster Relief Partner of the New Orleans Saints
Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Saints
Just over a year ago, early on New Year’s Day 2025, our community and nation faced the horror of a senseless terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. While our city has faced countless challenges, this one was unprecedented. Alongside our city government and countless partners, the Greater New Orleans Foundation team immediately mobilized, launching a fundraising campaign to support the victims of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack and their families. In record time, we raised and distributed $3.1 million directly to the families of those who lost loved ones and other individuals significantly impacted by the attack, with 100 percent of all donations going to the victims.
The Foundation’s ability to respond to hurricanes, tornadoes, and tragedies like the one on New Year’s Day 2025 is accelerated by the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund, which was recently awarded a generous $17,750 donation from American Safety, LLC, the Official Disaster Relief Partner of the New Orleans Saints. American Safety, LLC contributed $50 for every point scored during the 2025 Saints season. Founded in 2019, American Safety, LLC provides transportation, disaster preparedness and recovery support, environmental and industrial services, and serves as a general contractor for clients across the Gulf South.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation and the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation established the endowed Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation in June 2024. Mrs. Benson’s investment helps ensure that the Foundation is positioned to play an immediate role in aiding our region’s most vulnerable citizens whenever the next disaster strikes.
Each time our community is impacted by a disaster in our thirteen-parish region of Southeast Louisiana, the Foundation immediately issues grants from the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund to support nonprofit organizations on the front lines working to help thousands of our neighbors in their moment of need. These first dollars hitting the ground are crucial to aiding our region’s families when they are most vulnerable, and these grants are announced each time the Greater New Orleans Foundation kicks off its fundraising efforts following a disaster, inspiring others to see what might be possible with their financial support.
Like our swift mobilization efforts following the New Year’s Day terrorist attack, we are proud to have a proven track record for responding to disaster and tragedy in our community. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we led the Unified New Orleans Planning effort, which unleashed billions in federal funding and we also raised a $23 million housing fund to help build nearly 10,000 units of affordable housing. The Foundation raised and distributed approximately $10 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including $1,000 checks to nearly two thousand hospitality workers, and over $8 million in response to Hurricane Ida.
While the Foundation plays a critical role in disaster response within our region and beyond, our impact goes much further. As a community foundation, we work hard to advance charitable giving through initiatives like GiveNOLA Day and donor-advised funds; strengthen nonprofits with grantmaking and best-in-class leadership training for their staff and board members; and lead transformational civic projects like the BioDistrict New Orleans, industry sector partnerships for workforce development to build a bigger middle class, and promoting stormwater management and nature based solutions to minimize flooding and make Greater New Orleans the most resilient coastal community in America. We strive to embody the vision, generosity, and long-term resilience of the communities we serve.
Alongside our friends and neighbors in our region, the Greater New Orleans Foundation has proudly stood as a pillar in this community for over 100 years. We know none of our efforts would be possible without the generous people of Southeast Louisiana. Through donations big and small, we collectively create a ripple effect that strengthens our entire region, reminding us that we don’t face tragedy alone.
If you’d like to help people in our community recover more quickly after disasters, we encourage you to join American Safety LLC by making a donation to the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund by visiting gnof.org. Please specify the “Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund” when making your donation.