Water Challenge
Funding Amount
$50,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Overview
Geographic Scope: New Orleans, Louisiana and surrounding region
Focus Areas:
- Innovative water management solutions
- Coastal erosion prevention and reversal
- Water technology and innovation
- Wetlands preservation
- Sustainable water practices
Award: Winner receives $50,000 to help bring the product to market
Process:
- Competition features finalists presenting business pitches
- All finalists receive six months of entrepreneurial training from The Idea Village
- Water Challenge Day held during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week
- Described as "a national model for encouraging entrepreneurial innovation in integrated water management"
Background: The award-winning program recognizes that integrated water management is vital to New Orleans' future. Recent winners have included innovations in coastal restoration, oyster traceability, erosion management, and neighborhood water monitoring.
How to Apply
Application Process
Details not provided in source material. Contact The Idea Village or GNOF for application procedures and deadlines.
Contact: Greater New Orleans Foundation
- Director of Regional Initiatives: Marco Cocito-Monoc, Ph.D.
- Address: 1055 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Partner: The Idea Village
What The Greater New Orleans Foundation actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2024
- Grants in 2024
- 623
- Total given
- $34.6M
- Median grant
- $21K
- Range
- $5,013–$1.5M
- By dollars: Louisiana 86%, Tennessee 3%, California 2%. Top recipient cities: New Orleans, LA; Metairie, LA; Washington, DC.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 18% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center · Lafayette, LA
Christianity
$1.5M
Kids Join the Fight · Nashville, TN
Health support
$846K
Metairie Park Country Day School · Metairie, LA
Education
$845K
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Fdtn · Lafayette, LA
Single organization support
$841K
Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund · New Orleans, LA
Education
$716K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Startups
- Water
- Environmental conservation
Categories
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