New Orleans Youth Climate Action Fund

The City of New Orleans, in partnership with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, has been selected for Round 1 (2026-27) of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF), reinforcing the City’s commitment to empowering young people as leaders in climate resilience. Through this initiative, New Orleans will receive $50,000 in grant funding to support at least 8 youth-led climate projects to be completed between November 2026 – March 2027. 

Click here to read the full announcement from Bloomberg Philanthropies of other cities internationally who were selected to participate. 

Goal 

To activate youth-led initiatives and address urgent climate challenges in the City of New Orleans. All projects must fit within one or more of the following New Orleans Climate Action Plan priorities: 

• Energy Efficiency 

• Transportation 

• Adaptation & Nature-Based Solutions 

• Circular Economy & Waste Reduction 

This program is a key step in embedding youth participation in the City’s climate action strategy by:  

• Providing youth with resources, mentorship, and funding to implement high-impact climate projects that align with the City’s Climate Action Plan.  

• Creating a platform for young leaders to co-govern climate initiatives and partner with city officials on long-term sustainability goals.  

• Develop a selection committee that includes City officials and community leaders to review applications and ensure an equitable grant process.  
• Sustaining successful projects beyond initial funding, allowing for long-term integration into City programs.  

Microgrants will be reviewed and awarded based on criteria such as:  

• Climate Impact: Projects must align with New Orleans’ Climate Action Plan and resilience goals.  

• Youth Leadership: Each project must have at least two young adults (aged 15-24 years) as project leads.  

• Equity & Sustainability: Projects should prioritize diverse, community-driven solutions and have potential for long-term integration into City efforts.  

How to Apply for Funding 

There is a total of $40,000 available for this round of funding to support projects to be completed by March of 2027. Grant sizes will range from $1,000 to $5,000.  

Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations located in Orleans Parish are eligible to apply.  

Applicants should submit their completed proposal (including supporting material) via the Foundation’s online portal.    

If your organization has already created a profile, simply log in with the same information and you will be able to apply.  If not, setting up a profile is a very easy process.  Creating a profile will allow you to track the status of your grants from the Foundation’s various programs in the future as we bring more programs online.  

Our technology partner, Foundant, has created a brief tutorial for applicants that may be viewed here.  

Grantmaking Schedule 

Grant requests must be received by 5:00 pm on the deadline date. The deadline and notification dates are:  

Application deadline:
September 10th, 2026  

Notification date:
October 7th, 2026 

For More information, please contact: 

• Department of Health & Human Services 

• Office of Youth & Families – Meshawn Siddiq, meshawn.siddiq@nola.gov, 504-658-2556 

• Office of Public Health & Policy, Public Health Emergencies & Environmental Health Division – Meredith McInturff, meredith.mcinturff@nola.gov, 504-658-2582 

• Greater New Orleans Foundation – for questions about the online application portal, please email grants@nocsf.org. 

The Youth Climate Action Fund is aligned with New Orleans’ first-ever Youth Master Plan, a 10-year (2020-2030) roadmap for creating and sustaining a positive youth development-focused, results-oriented New Orleans that works for all of our young people. 

• Click Here to learn about the Youth Master Plan 

This initiative also aligns with The City’s Parks Master Plan-The Big Green Easy. To learn more, click here.