News & Insights

While Southeast Louisiana is no stranger to disasters, the volume of adversities in 2020 has tested us all. However, community foundations like GNOF are uniquely positioned to help communities tackle shared challenges like respond quickly and effectively to disasters. With the partnership of generous individual, corporate, and philanthropic donors, we have made impactful grantmaking, provided critical technical support to nonprofits, elevated important issues in the public discourse, and collaborated with government and business leaders to solve critical challenges in the midst of the disasters. The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Disaster Response and Restoration Strategy Fund and supporting initiatives ensure Southeast Louisiana and other Gulf Coast communities are stronger when confronted with disasters. Our disaster grantmaking is grounded in equity, sustainability, resiliency, and community engagement.

Nonprofit organizations across the New Orleans region offer important community services in a diverse array of areas. Most are dependent on financial support from businesses and individuals to continue their operations. But during the COVID-19 pandemic that financial support has been under strain. How community groups are coping is the focus of the next installment of the continuing WYES series Living in the New Normal: Challenges for Nonprofits.

Because of the previous generosity of our community to the Greater New Orleans Foundation, our team worked quickly at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to get funds flowing to people and families in desperate need of help. Let me tell you more about the programs you helped fund—and introduce you to people who were helped because of your generosity and compassion.

We’re proud to provide grants that create real impact. That’s why we’re the steward of more than 900 donor-advised and donor-designated funds. Our donors make between $20 million and $30 million in grants to diverse nonprofits throughout the Greater New Orleans region, based on their specific areas of interest. View our most up-to-date list of current and upcoming grant opportunities here.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – DePaul Community Health Centers (DCHC) recently received a $100,000 grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s (GNOF) Response and Restoration Fund to conduct COVID-19 virus rapid testing for both patients and staff. Dr. Michael G. Griffin, President and CEO of DCHC, believes that GNOF’s financial support is timely.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) announced $450,000 in grants from its new Greater Together Fund for Racial Equity. The announcement was made during a virtual event that can be viewed here.

Greater New Orleans Foundation Announces $3 Million Greater Together Fund for Racial Equity at Celebration of Black Philanthropy

Impact 100, an initiative of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, announced on November 17 that its $100,000 transformative grant will be awarded this year to Eden House. Impact 100 is a group of one hundred local women who have committed to giving $1,100 per year for the purpose of making a single transformative grant to a local nonprofit every year. These transformative grants will be game-changers for the recipient nonprofits. Over time, these nonprofits also will be game-changers for our city and region.

Guest Column: COVID-19 Exposed Failures in Affordable Housing. NEW ORLEANS – A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control moved to protect our nation’s health by calling for a pause on most COVID-19-related evictions through the end of the year. This was sorely needed because supplemental federal unemployment benefits have expired and Congress has not renewed this critical assistance at any level.

In the News: Donors and Foundations are Increasingly Supporting Movements. The Greater New Orleans Foundation is investing $3 million in racial equity work through its Greater Together Fund for Racial Equity.