Library Foundation of New Orleans Created with Support from the Foundation’s Mergers Fund
Courtesy of New Orleans Magazine
The Greater New Orleans Foundation joined City officials and local leaders and the two nonprofits that have long-provided support to the New Orleans Public Library—Friends of New Orleans Public Library and the New Orleans Public Library Foundation—as they announced that the two organizations have merged to create a single nonprofit organization that will be known as the Library Foundation of New Orleans. This merger was made possible with the support and partnership of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Strategic Restructuring and Mergers Fund. This fund helps nonprofits scale their impact and provides the tools, training and “Mission Accelerator” grants needed to navigate everything from reimagined operations to full-scale mergers.
“Moving strategic partnerships forward, especially those that include restructuring and consolidation, doesn’t come easy; the processes require bold leadership, expertise, and resources,” said Kellie Chavez Greene, Vice President for Programs at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, who played a critical role in facilitating the merger discussions. “We are grateful to the donors who’ve invested in our Mergers Fund so that we can support exciting efforts like the consolidation that created the Library Foundation of New Orleans.”
In 2020, the Foundation, in partnership with the University of New Orleans, released The State of Nonprofits in Southeast Louisiana: The Impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic, which found that two-thirds of all local nonprofits reported experiencing financial losses resulting from the pandemic, 84% said they were anticipating financial difficulties, and 23% stated they would be open to a merger, quite a surprise in a sector where consolidations have generally been resisted. Recognizing these challenges and opportunities for consolidation, the Foundation established the Strategic Restructuring and Mergers Fund.
This merger combines the financial assets of both organizations, which will increase the Library Foundation of New Orleans’ ability to pursue larger projects, secure new funding opportunities, and streamline operations.
The New Orleans Public Library operates a 15-location system with a collection of more than 466,000 items and enriches the community with access to free services and resources. It is currently in year six of a ten-year plan that focuses its efforts on improving programs for early literacy, workforce development, and digital and mobile outreach to patrons.
The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library began in 1957 as an all-volunteer organization raising funds for library support. Over the years, it has added staff positions to add capacity and consistency to its fundraising, which has focused mainly on individual donors and used book sales. The New Orleans Public Library Foundation was founded in 1990 to create a professional fundraising enterprise for the library. To learn more, click here.
Foundation Hosts Spring Gathering in Celebration of the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity
The Foundation along with Ann Marr and Erika McConduit, Foundation Trustee, hosted a cocktail reception on May 13 to celebrate the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity and the remarkable impact of local organizations advancing opportunity and equity in our community. This reception brought together a group of over 75 community leaders, donors, and grantees.
The Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity is one of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s leadership grantmaking initiatives, and honors Dr. Norman C. Francis, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, who was the first Black student at Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law and later became Xavier University’s first Black and lay president, serving 47 years from 1968 to 2015. He also served as Chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, established after Hurricane Katrina to lead Louisiana’s recovery. Dr. Francis’ work as an educator, administrator, and civil rights leader has had a profound impact on the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the City of New Orleans, our region, and our nation. Dr. Francis also served as a trustee of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
In 2020, the Foundation established the Greater Together Fund for Racial Equity, which has raised and granted over $3.3 million to nonprofits working to dismantle unjust systems and build wealth in the Black community. In 2024, the Foundation recognized the need to make grantmaking in this area a permanent part of our strategy, and the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity was established with initial gifts from two major local banks, First Horizon and Hancock Whitney. In August 2025, the Foundation announced a $250,000 challenge grant to the Endowment, encouraging others in our community to participate in raising these critical funds. To learn more about the Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowment for Racial Equity, click here.
Learn More About Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans
Tonight, May 20, Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans (EPNO), a program of the Greater New Orleans Foundation created to inspire and engage our region’s next generation of philanthropists, invites you to learn more about joining our 2026 cohort at the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy!
EPNO alumni, past grantees, and prospective EPNO cohort members are invited to join us for refreshments, interactive activities hosted by two past EPNO grantees, and to learn more about joining this year’s EPNO cohort. To RSVP for this event, click here.
Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans (EPNO) cohort! Click here to learn more about EPNO or apply today.
Since 2011, over 600 alumni have gone through the EPNO program.
French Quarter Terrorism Attack Memorial Commission Proposes Permanent French Quarter Memorial
Courtesy of Axios
The French Quarter Terrorism Attack Memorial Commission and the Governor’s Office of Victims Advocacy presented its final recommendation for a memorial honoring the victims and survivors of the New Year’s Day Terrorist Attack in 2025 to the family-led Fourteen Foundation at a press conference at the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy on April 15. These plans come after months of hearings, meetings of the Commission, and public input.
Plans outline a park-like memorial between roughly 500 and 1,200 square feet, with a major permanent installation and a smaller marker on Bourbon Street that would guide visitors to the main site. The memorial would list all 14 victims by name, recognize injured survivors, call for an illuminated installation with a QR code that links to biographical information, and pegs the project cost in the range of $2 million to 5 million.
Family members and the Fourteen Foundation are now weighing the commission’s recommendation alongside state officials. Officials at the briefing said the Fourteen Foundation and the governor’s office will work together on final site selection, fundraising and contractor choice to move the project into design and construction. To learn more, click here.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation began 2025 by responding to the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, for which we spearheaded a $3.1 million relief campaign to support those impacted by the tragedy. We were able to give 100% of the contributions received from more than 2,500 donors directly to victims and their families, thanks to unrestricted dollars that covered all other costs associated with the response effort. Foundation Chief of Staff, Karla Rivera, who led the Foundation’s response to the attack, was appointed by Governor Jeff Landry to serve on the Commission.
Regional Construction Sector Workforce Partnership, Convened by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Connects Prospective Employees to Career Opportunities
Courtesy of Billiot Photography & Video
The regional Construction Sector Partnership convened by the Greater New Orleans Foundation piloted a highly successful Interview Day on May 6 — bringing together construction companies, training providers, and workforce partners to connect their trainees directly to jobs and career opportunities in the industry.
The results were tremendous: 47 candidates attended the event. This reflected an 89% attendance rate among candidates invited. Nearly 60% of candidates either received a job offer or are continuing forward in the hiring process.
Construction companies who participate in the Sector Partnership co-created the Interview Day with training and workforce partners. In total, more than 20 organizations collaborated on the event, including six interviewing companies and nine training providers, including Chalmette High School, Jefferson Parish Schools, Joseph A. Cuillier Career Center, Louisiana Green Corps, Nunez Community College, New Orleans Career Center, Thrive New Orleans, Urban League of Louisiana, and unCommon Construction.
The regional Construction Sector Partnership, convened by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is an industry-led collaboration that launched in November 2024. Sector partnerships bring employers, training providers, workforce agencies, and community organizations together to address shared workforce challenges and build stronger talent pipelines aligned to regional industry needs. In addition to construction, the Foundation also convenes regional sector partnerships in healthcare and trade, transportation, and logistics. Click here to learn more
Join the Foundation and the Tulane ByWayer Institute on May 28 in Houma!
Courtesy of Billiot Photography & Video
The Foundation and the Tulane ByWater Institute invite practitioners from across sectors working to accelerate equitable implementation of green infrastructure and climate adaptation to the Southeast Louisiana Adaptation Forum Spring 2026 Bayou Member Meet-Up on May 28 in Houma. In April, the Southeast Louisiana Adaptation Forum hosted its first Member Meet-Up in New Orleans.
This gathering is an opportunity to build new relationships across sectors and parishes, learn more about Forum Membership and programming, understand an emerging data science and community knowledge project, 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. Please RSVP here to attend.
The Southeast Louisiana Adaptation Forum is led by a broad-based and diverse Organizing Committee and administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation and Tulane ByWater Institute.
This summer, the Foundation’s Paulette and Frank Stewart Board Governance Institute, part of our Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Effectiveness, has several enriching workshops and webinars to offer to the nonprofit leaders in our community! Check out the list of opportunities below:
- Thursday, June 4 | 10 am – 12 pm – Board Governance Fundamentals (A part of Stronger Boards Means Stronger Nonprofits: A Governance Webinar Series in partnership with JPMorganChase)
- Monday, June 8 | 5 – 8 pm – CEO/School Leader Succession Planning: The Importance, Purpose, and Plan (A part of the Charter Board Governance Series: Upskill and Reskill Your Charter Boards!)
- Saturday, June 20 | 10 am – 2 pm – The CEO Evaluation: Understanding the Process, Policy, and Contract Implications (A part of the Charter Board Governance Series: Upskill and Reskill Your Charter Boards!)
- Tuesday, June 23 | 11:30 am – 1 pm – Board Officers and Committee Chairs: Roles and Responsibilities (A part of Stronger Boards Means Stronger Nonprofits: A Governance Webinar Series in partnership with JPMorganChase)
- Thursday, August 20 | 11:30 am – 1 pm – How to Plan, Design, and Facilitate a Great Board Retreat – (A part of Stronger Boards Means Stronger Nonprofits: A Governance Webinar Series in partnership with JPMorganChase)
Join Jefferson Community Foundation at a Senior Citizen Expo on June 25!
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