News & Insights

NEW ORLEANS (May 6, 2026) – The Greater New Orleans Foundation (Foundation) announced that while the final numbers won’t be confirmed for several weeks, initial returns indicate that the Foundation’s 13th annual GiveNOLA Day generated a record-breaking over $8.2 million in donations with over 1,000 participating nonprofits on May 5. The total number of online contributions exceeded over 49,700 donations at the close of the 24-hour period. GiveNOLA Day 2026 was hosted by Baptist Community Ministries (BCM), powered by Entergy, with major support from Delta Utilities and Ochsner Health, and sponsorships from three dozen other generous corporations and philanthropists. GiveNOLA Day has become a cornerstone of community spirit and giving, drawing widespread participation and support from individuals, businesses, and civic leaders.

The full list of results can be found on www.GiveNOLA.org. 

Participants in the 2026 GiveNOLA Day Nonprofit Bus Tour pose outside of The 18th Ward’s Trinity Community Center. | Courtesy of Justen Williams 

To view all photos from GiveNOLA Day 2026, click here.

“At the Foundation, we believe everyone can be a philanthropist, and GiveNOLA Day proves this point and is a clear demonstration of the generosity of our community. At this critical time when our nonprofits need us now more than ever, I am proud to say our region stepped up to support the nonprofits who are the backbone of our community and make our region stronger,” said Andy Kopplin, President & CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “As we mark 13 years of GiveNOLA Day, we are especially thrilled to celebrate another incredible year. With 1,005 registered nonprofits participating and the record-breaking over $8.2 million raised, this year’s GiveNOLA Day served as yet another reminder that our region is filled with good people who work tirelessly and give selflessly to help our region. I am thankful to all who took the time to give and grateful for their generosity. And none of this would be possible without our amazing sponsors, especially our host sponsor, Baptist Community Ministries, and Entergy, who powers GiveNOLA Day. I look forward to continuing this success in 2027.”

“For us at Baptist Community Ministries, supporting GiveNOLA Day for the 13th consecutive year is truly an honor,” said Inman J. Houston, President & CEO, Baptist Community Ministries (BCM). “It’s the perfect way for us to celebrate our 30th year of grantmaking. Seeing the growth of this initiative over the years has been a true testament to our community’s collective spirit of giving. Congratulations to all the nonprofit organizations that participated. We are thrilled to continue supporting your phenomenal work.”

GiveNOLA Day provides support for over 1,000 nonprofits in the thirteen-parish region (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes). These participating nonprofits work on a broad range of issues, including arts & culture, animal welfare, community improvement, education, environment, health, housing, human services, public safety & crime prevention, and youth development.

Since its inception and including this year, GiveNOLA Day has raised more than $79.5 million for regional nonprofits. The majority of gifts are $100 or less, which shows that even small gifts add up to a huge impact.

Every dollar donated on GiveNOLA Day 2026 was stretched with additional “Lagniappe Fund” dollars and prizes provided by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, its generous GiveNOLA Day sponsors, and donors.

GiveNOLA Day Bus Tour participants listen to a representative from Arts New Orleans. | Courtesy of Justen Williams 

“At the Greater New Orleans Foundation, we acknowledge how fortunate we are to live in one of the most generous regions in this country. GiveNOLA Day proves this to us each year,” said Alex Gershanik, Board Chair, Greater New Orleans Foundation. “Over the past 13 years, the people of this region have raised more than $79.5 million for the local nonprofits serving our community, with 100% of contributions and sponsorship dollars going to the participating nonprofits. I want to thank all of the generous sponsors and donors who contributed to making GiveNOLA Day 2026 such a success.”

“Every year, GiveNOLA Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate our region,” said Kea Sherman, Vice President of Customer Service and Economic Development, Entergy New Orleans. “Entergy has been a proud sponsor of GiveNOLA Day since its inception 13 years ago, and every year we are amazed at the generosity of this community. Thank you to the Greater New Orleans Foundation for hosting this initiative, the nonprofits for the incredible work they do, and most of all the donors for their constant support. We couldn’t do this without you.”

“Delta Utilities is excited to support GiveNOLA Day as a sponsor,” said Sarah McLaughlin Porteous, Vice President of Communications and Community Development at Delta Utilities. “We serve thousands of customers across the Gulf Coast, including many right here in New Orleans, and giving back to the communities we serve is deeply important to us. Local nonprofit organizations play a vital role in building strong, resilient communities, and GiveNOLA Day is a meaningful way to support the important work they do every day.”

“Ochsner Health is honored to yet again support GiveNOLA Day. We know that giving is good for your overall heart and health, figuratively and literally. It’s inspiring to see the region come together in GiveNOLA Day’s 13th year to give nearly 50,000 individual donations to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations across the 13-parish Greater New Orleans region,” said Emily Arata, System Vice President, Community Affairs, Ochsner Health. “We thank all of the participating nonprofits for their hard work and dedication on GiveNOLA Day and throughout the year.”

GiveNOLA Day 2026 Nonprofit Bus Tour participants walk into the Bridge House/Grace House thrift store. | Courtesy of Justen Williams 

Part of the excitement of GiveNOLA Day was the opportunity for nonprofits to compete for cash awards. While the results are not yet final and rankings may change as reconciliation is completed, preliminary results indicate this year’s winners will be:

Most Number of Unique Donors
(listed in first through fifth order for each category) 

• Small: Trap Dat Cat, Nola Kitten Nursery Inc, Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary, fstop504, and Santosha Village
• Medium: SpayMart, Be Loud Studios, ARNO Animal Rescue New Orleans Inc, Zeus’ Rescues, and New Orleans Rowing Club
• Large: Louise S. McGehee School, Team Gleason Foundation, Manning Family Children’s, WWNO New Orleans Public Radio, and Crescent City Schools

Largest Amount of Money Raised
(listed in first through fifth order for each category) 

• Small: Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary, Trap Dat Cat, Mid-City Ministries, Hadassah, and Nola Kitten Nursery Inc
• Medium: SpayMart, Louvis Services, Jefferson Community Foundation, Second Line Arts Collective, and Be Loud Studios
• Large: Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Louise S. McGehee School, Discovery Schools, and Son of a Saint

Each hour, one “large” nonprofit, one “medium”, and one “small” nonprofit won a $500 Rock-Around-the-Clock prize based upon a randomized drawing. The winning nonprofits can be identified here. 

*Note: Based on the operational budget entered when creating a profile, all nonprofits are divided into “small” (<$100,000), “medium” ($100,001 to $750,000), and “large” (>$750,001) categories. Results will not be finalized until reconciliation is complete.

Greater New Orleans Foundation Board Members Alex Gershanik (Board Chair), Stephanie November, and Erika McConduit pose for a picture on the GiveNOLA Day Nonprofit Bus Tour. | Courtesy of Justen Williams 

GiveNOLA Day 2026 Lagniappe Fund was hosted by Baptist Community Ministries and powered by Entergy. Additional sponsors of GiveNOLA Day 2026 were:

• Delta Utilities
• Ochsner Health
• Boh Bros Construction Co., LLC
• Merrill Lynch, The Eustis Group
• Lemle Learning Fund
• Gustaf W. McIlhenny Foundation
• Cathy and Walter Isaacson
• Mike and Lynn Coatney Family Foundation
• Verizon
• Jones Walker
• Lamar Advertising Company
• Louisiana Blue
• Aronson-Besthoff Fund
• Bellwether Technology
• Bruce Blakemore Poitevent Fund
• EisnerAmper
• Gallo Mechanical
• Elizabeth Boh
• Grayson Data Services
• LaFleur & Laborde
• New Orleans & Company
• Sean & Karen Aron
• The Palit Family
• The Boettcher Fund
• Trepwise
• Bridget & Bobby Bories
• Richard CPAS
• Christopher D. Villere
• Ambrose Fund
• BankPlus
• Carver Darden
• Jill Moses Kohlmann Allison Bach Fund
• John & Patty Elstrott
• Katie & Jimmy Gibert
• Morgan Stanley
• Roger Ogden
• Mosquito Authority
• Shapiro Family Foundation
• Sokolski Family Foundation

For more information about GiveNOLA Day, hosted by Baptist Community Ministries and powered by Entergy, visit www.GiveNOLA.org.

Connect with the Greater New Orleans Foundation on Facebook   (@greaterneworleansfoundation), Instagram (@GNOFoundation), and X (@GNOFoundation). Help spread the word with #GiveNOLADay.