IMPACT Grants

_NOTE: The Foundation will not accept new applications for IMPACT grants in 2023. The Foundation plans to announce an updated strategy and release an RFP for new organizations to apply for IMPACT funding across the five categories in spring 2024._

Impact Grants

To support the region in the following categories: arts & culture, education, youth development, health, and social services.

Purpose

Our donors make more than $23 million in grants to diverse nonprofits of all sizes throughout the region, according to their specific areas of interest.

IMPACT is the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s discretionary grants program. Its goal is to promote a resilient, vibrant, and equitable region in which the special character of the Greater New Orleans region and its people is preserved, celebrated, and given the means to thrive. Funding for IMPACT comes from a portion of our assets, field of interest funds, and unrestricted funds. We are committed to increasing the dollars we have available for IMPACT through our fundraising efforts; however, at this time our IMPACT funding remains limited.

In 2017 the Foundation made the decision to adopt a multi-year, renewal-based grantmaking strategy. By providing nonprofit organizations general operating support for multiple years, we are giving organizations what they need most—time and money. In collaboration with our nonprofit partners, we will be able to devote more attention to our community’s most pressing problems. Organizations that receive general support IMPACT grants will be eligible to renew their grants for an additional two years. This will create a rolling cohort of organizations working to help the Greater New Orleans Foundation to achieve its programmatic goals.

Priority Areas

Our priorities are informed by thoughtful analysis of pressing community needs, corresponding data, service delivery gaps, and best practices, as well as by available funding. We draw from the collective wisdom of our nonprofit partners, our staff, and the field of grantmaking. Accordingly, we have developed a theory of change statement for each area of funding. These theories of change statements guide our investments in the five program areas described below.

As we seek to be responsive and strategic, we will refine and adjust our priorities over time. Feedback and guidance are always welcome.

Arts & Culture

Support is available to organizations and programs that help preserve and grow Greater New Orleans’ unique, rich cultural heritage.

Priority will be given to work that aims to:

• Improve the quality of life and economic opportunities for indigenous culture bearers, artists, and performers.
• Advocate to preserve existing public support for the arts.

Social Services

Support is available to organizations that form and promote strategic partnerships to meet the needs of low-income individuals and families and help them move towards self-sufficiency.

Priority will be given to work that aims to:

• Provide high quality and well-coordinated social services related to crisis management and treatment; intake assessment and screening; early intervention; and job skills training, career planning, job retention, and career advancement.
• Improve communication, coordination, and collaboration between social service organizations so that individuals and families can be provided with comprehensive, wrap-around services through strong referral networks and shared practices.

Health

Support is available to organizations that increase access to healthcare services for low-income, disabled, and older adult individuals and organizations that work to increase access to mental health services.

Priority will be given to work that aims to:

• Help increase Medicaid/LACHIP, Medicare, or Affordable Care Act Marketplace enrollment for low-income, disabled, and older adult individuals in Louisiana.
• Advocate for equal access to quality primary care, behavioral health, and preventive healthcare for all.
• Increase access to trauma-informed and culturally relevant mental health services.

Youth Development

Support is available to organizations that ensure youth have access to high quality programs that extend learning beyond the classroom and build connections to caring adults, education, and employment.

Priority will be given to work that aims to:

• Provide youth workers with the education, tools, and professional development opportunities that will help improve their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the areas of social-emotional learning, trauma informed care, equity, and healing.
• Increase the advocacy capacity of youth serving organizations on issues such as juvenile justice reform, workforce training, appropriate educational options, and transition supports for opportunity youth— individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not connected to education or employment.

Education

Support is available to organizations that ensure all young people enrolled in public K-12 schools receive a rigorous, high quality education that prepares them for post-secondary education and entering the workforce. GNOF also supports organizations that advocate for adult literacy.

Priority will be given to work that aims to:

• Support the equitable provision of social-emotional academic instruction, trauma informed approaches, and mental health services to students in school settings.
• Advocate at the local and state levels for equitable policies regarding special education, school discipline, and diverse educational options that meet the needs of underserved students.
• Increase college matriculation, graduation, or post-secondary training and completion by encouraging students to explore options and supporting them through the enrollment process and beyond.

Amount

The average grant size is $20,000; grants may be larger or smaller.

Grants Types

IMPACT will support:

• General operations
• Programs
• Advocacy, including legislative, judicial, or executive advocacy; community organizing; community leadership development; and policy development

Special Funding

Grants will also be awarded in four special funding categories: Kahn-Oppenheim Trust, Michael R. Boh Fund, Gulf States Eye Surgery Fund, and Harold W. Newman Jr. Charitable Trust.

Harold W. Newman, Jr. Charitable Trust (up to $220,000) – Funding for organizations that provide health care assistance to residents of New Orleans whose U.S. adjusted gross income for the preceding tax year, when added to any tax-exempt income and income from a spouse for that same year, is at least $75,000 but not more than $200,000. The health care assistance must be for cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer’s.

Kahn-Oppenheim Trust (up to $130,000) – Funding for the development and/or improvement of public health outreach and education programs to inform people about ways to prevent diseases like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, HIV/AIDS, and others, insofar as these programs involve physical, nutritional, or dietary regimens.

Gulf States Eye Surgery Fund (up to $40,000) – Funding for organizations that defray the expenses of poor or indigent patients requiring or receiving eye surgery, care, or treatment.

Michael R. Boh Fund (up to $80,000) – Funding for organizations that help children and their families who have been rejected by the institutions that most children rely on for their development.

Priority will be given to organizations that demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Strong leadership at the staff and board level
• Good fiscal management
• Growing track record of success
• Commitment to equity for communities and populations in high need
• Thoughtful involvement of community members as leaders and advisors
• Key contributions to the health and vibrancy of the communities they serve
• Advocacy on behalf of underserved communities at the community, legislative, judicial, and/or executive levels
• Creative engagement of multiple stakeholders to promote the creation of new public sources of support for nonprofit work
• Integration of individual, family, and community views into the assessment of needs and services as well as needed policy and advocacy initiatives

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations that serve the Greater New Orleans region are eligible to apply for funding.
• Organizations that are not tax-exempt but have a fiscal agent relationship with a 501(c)(3) organization are also eligible.
• The Foundation will consider supporting new programs of established organizations.
• Applicants may only submit one application for the IMPACT program, including special funding categories.

Ineligibility

• Nonprofit organizations with a current IMPACT renewal grant are not eligible to apply.
• IMPACT will not support:
• Individuals, either through scholarships or other forms of financial assistance
• Special events or conferences
• Programs that require adherence to or conversion to any religious doctrine in order to receive program services
• Capital support/endowments
• Individual public, public charter, or private schools
• Scientific or medical research