$1 Million for New Orleans Nonprofits

As the fourth anniversary of Katrina slides by, New Orleans is taking stock of its progress and all that's left to be done in the recovery effort. The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) is in on the action, launching the Community IMPACT Program, which will distribute $1 million in grant funding to nonprofits doing work in the region, according to a press release from the foundation.

GNOF, a community foundation dedicated to supporting the civic life of all 13 parishes of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area, intends to ensure that development in the region respects the special character of the place. The aim is to "create a resilient, sustainable, vibrant, and equitable region in which individuals and families flourish and in which the special character of the New Orleans region and its people is preserved, celebrated, and given the means to develop."

The organization's focus on community-based solutions reflects a belief, as expressed on the GNOF blog, that "small organizations are effective, and when they’re run by dedicated leaders, their loveliness borders on the sublime. What these organizations lack in scale, they more than make up for in their knowledge of their communities and their responsiveness to client needs."

The program will support projects in six categories: arts and culture, children and youth, civic engagement and nonprofit support, education, health, and human and social services. The deadline for letters of intent is September 22. Awards will be announced on December 11.

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