Foundations & Grantmakers in Louisiana
1,369 grantmakers in Louisiana reported grants on their latest 990s. The 459 that made at least 5 grants gave $534.4M. The largest by giving are Agenda for Children, The Greater New Orleans Foundation and Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Louisiana grants
Foundation giving in Louisiana at a glance
Active grantmakers
1,369
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$534.4M
from the 459 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$20K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$64K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Louisiana by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agenda for Children | New Orleans | $40.8M | 134 |
| 2 | The Greater New Orleans Foundation | New Orleans | $34.6M | 623 |
| 3 | Baton Rouge Area Foundation | Baton Rouge | $31.1M | 340 |
| 4 | The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund | New Orleans | $25.4M | 891 |
| 5 | Unity of Greater New Orleans Inc | New Orleans | $25.3M | 31 |
| 6 | Community Foundation of Acadiana | Lafayette | $18.6M | 324 |
| 7 | The Rapides Foundation | Alexandria | $16.5M | 41 |
| 8 | Louisiana Bar Foundation | New Orleans | $16.3M | 62 |
| 9 | Sugar Bowl | New Orleans | $12.5M | 9 |
| 10 | Community Foundation of North Louisiana | Shreveport | $11.3M | 191 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 5 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 63 · 21%
- Health 47 · 15%
- Human Services 39 · 13%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 24 · 8%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 23 · 8%
- Environment & Animals 18 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (41% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Louisiana
- Baton Rouge Area Foundation $31.1M · 340 grants
- Community Foundation of Acadiana $18.6M · 324 grants
- Community Foundation of North Louisiana $11.3M · 191 grants
- Northshore Community Foundation $2.7M · 83 grants
- Bayou Community Foundation $467K · 29 grants
- The Fifth District Community Foundation $80K · 56 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Louisiana
Foundations based in Louisiana whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketing Education Retail Alliance Inc | 68% (15) | 22 in 2025 | $18K |
| 2 | Danos Foundation | 66% (46) | 70 in 2024 | $3K |
| 3 | The St Bernard Project Inc | 64% (16) | 25 in 2024 | $83K |
| 4 | Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation | 63% (59) | 93 in 2024 | $53K |
| 5 | Randon Costello Scholarship Endowment Fund a Nonprofit Corpora | 60% (12) | 20 in 2024 | $2K |
| 6 | Rocker Family Foundation | 60% (25) | 42 in 2025 | $3K |
| 7 | Rittenberg Family Foundation | 56% (24) | 43 in 2025 | $4K |
| 8 | Mills Family Foundation Inc | 55% (46) | 84 in 2024 | $3K |
| 9 | Corporate Works of Mercy | 54% (13) | 24 in 2025 | $3K |
| 10 | Hyslop Shannon Foundation | 53% (23) | 43 in 2025 | $3K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 459 grantmakers in Louisiana with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Agenda for Children
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$22.7M
Grants
134
Total Given
$40.8M
The Greater New Orleans Foundation
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$513.0M
Grants
623
Total Given
$34.6M
Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Baton Rouge, LA
Assets
$342.7M
Grants
340
Total Given
$31.1M
The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$4.6B
Grants
891
Total Given
$25.4M
Unity of Greater New Orleans Inc
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$13.2M
Grants
31
Total Given
$25.3M
Community Foundation of Acadiana
Lafayette, LA
Assets
$183.5M
Grants
324
Total Given
$18.6M
The Rapides Foundation
Alexandria, LA
Assets
$363.1M
Grants
41
Total Given
$16.5M
Louisiana Bar Foundation
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$54.8M
Grants
62
Total Given
$16.3M
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$88.9M
Grants
9
Total Given
$12.5M
Community Foundation of North Louisiana
Shreveport, LA
Assets
$193.2M
Grants
191
Total Given
$11.3M
Baptist Community Ministries
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$397.5M
Grants
264
Total Given
$10.6M
Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation
Metairie, LA
Assets
$89K
Grants
93
Total Given
$9.6M
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Inc
Baton Rouge, LA
Assets
$4.6M
Grants
39
Total Given
$9.5M
National Network of Public Health Institutes Inc
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$13.6M
Grants
55
Total Given
$9.4M
The Alta and John Franks Foundation
Shreveport, LA
Assets
$220.4M
Grants
70
Total Given
$8.7M
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$25.1M
Grants
160
Total Given
$8.4M
Goldring Family Foundation
Metairie, LA
Assets
$199.2M
Grants
305
Total Given
$7.0M
Zemurray Foundation
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$101.2M
Grants
33
Total Given
$7.0M
Igivecatholic
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$119K
Grants
56
Total Given
$6.1M
The Huey & Angelina Wilson Foundation
Baton Rouge, LA
Assets
$170.5M
Grants
104
Total Given
$5.8M
Jewish Endowment Foundation
Metairie, LA
Assets
$100.1M
Grants
135
Total Given
$5.6M
Marshall Legacy Foundation
Metairie, LA
Assets
$34.9M
Grants
11
Total Given
$5.6M
Irene W & CB Pennington Private
Baton Rouge, LA
Assets
$21.8M
Grants
130
Total Given
$5.5M
Cenla Area Agency on Aging Inc
Alexandria, LA
Assets
$2.0M
Grants
18
Total Given
$4.9M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Louisiana
What are the largest foundations in Louisiana?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Agenda for Children ($40.8M across 134 grants), The Greater New Orleans Foundation ($34.6M) and Baton Rouge Area Foundation ($31.1M). Together the top 10 account for 43% of the $534.4M given by the 459 grantmakers in Louisiana that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Louisiana?
The typical grant is about $20K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $64K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Louisiana?
Yes. We found 6 community foundations in Louisiana with grant activity. The largest by giving are Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Community Foundation of Acadiana and Community Foundation of North Louisiana. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Louisiana foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Louisiana from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.