The NOLA Coalition Reports Impact from First Year of Giving

$2.25 million of funds have supported over 5,300 youth in New Orleans

Today, The NOLA Coalition, a diverse group of nearly 550 nonprofit, civic, and business organizations, issued its Year One Grant Report. The report describes and analyzes how $2.3 million, the first tranche of funds invested in 27 different youth service organizations, has impacted young people throughout New Orleans.
 
“The NOLA Coalition is grateful for the business and philanthropic community for their generosity in supporting youth service organizations in New Orleans, said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of GNO, Inc., and one of the organizers of the NOLA Coalition. “By investing in our youth, we will create a safer and more prosperous city for everyone.  The NOLA Coalition is proud to report on these results, which demonstrate the responsible and effective use of funding.”
 
Funds were distributed in two ways: over $900,000 through the United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s granting process to Orleans Parish nonprofits; and, $1.35 million via direct corporate and private funders in the name of the NOLA Coalition. Grants were made based on the following set of principles:

• Guiding principle is “investing in our youth to drive generational change, for a safer New Orleans for all residents”
• Goal is to make New Orleans a safe place to live, work, and raise a family
• Only new funding; no “double-counting”
• Priority given for:
  1. Proven organizations with capacity to scale
  2. New/smaller organizations serving unmet populations or needs
• Key criteria:
  1. Plan for impact
  2. Plan for sustainability
  3. Measuring and reporting of results (quantitative and qualitative)

“The results from the initial cycle of NOLA Coalition grants demonstrate a significant first step in providing adequate resources to our youth, but they are merely a down payment,” said Michael Williamson, United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) president and CEO. “We need continued support from our coalition’s supporters to prove these grants aren’t simply financial. They are an investment in hope, in potential, in opportunity. And New Orleans young people deserve the long-term results the grants, coalition and partners like United Way can provide.”

These donations supported a wide range of programs for New Orleans residents, including:

“This funding will significantly improve the future for thousands of youth in New Orleans,” said Richard Cortizas, Partner at Jones Walker. “I want to thank the business community and private citizenry for making these impactful contributions to local youth service organizations, furthering the NOLA Coalition’s mission of strengthening social services to support our youth, and drive generational change.”

The initiatives that were funded have impacted over 5,300 youth in New Orleans, directly representing the diverse demographics of the community. These metrics include:

• Race – 2% Asian, 77% Black, 5% Hispanic, 3% Other, and 13% White individuals
• Gender – 48% Female, 49% Male, and 3% Non-Binary
• Age – 7% Birth to 5 Years, 18% 6 to 10 Years, 23% 11 to 14 Years, 33% 15 to 19 Years, and 19% 20 to 24 Years
• Income – 5% Represent Zero Income, 39% Represent Less than 30% of Area Median Income, 34% Represent Between 30% and 50% of Area Median Income, 14% Represent Between 50% and 80% of Area Median Income, and 9% Represent Over 80% of Area Median Income

The full report, which can be accessed online here, also catalogs the full list of recipient organizations, the amount they received, number of individuals served by these donations, and a qualitative description of the services provided to the community. 

These organizations are:

Nearly $5.8M of the 3-year, $15M, fundraising goal has already been secured over the past year. The NOLA Coalition urges our regional business community to consider donating to this cause in a continued push to raise funds towards its $15M goal. Interested companies can make donations online, or report private and direct contributions to recipients to The NOLA Coalition.