The Greater New Orleans Foundation is accepting applications for its Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans Grant to support initiatives making positive change in the Greater New Orleans community.
Donor Name: Greater New Orleans Foundation
State: Louisiana
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/26/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans (EPNO) is a program of the Greater New Orleans that brings together community individuals to collaboratively and collectively make change, using the Giving Circle model, through grantmaking. Through a high-engagement, six-month program, locally engaged individuals are connected with other emerging leaders, nonprofits, and the greater community to positively impact region through granting funds to organizations tackling some of our toughest problems. Cohort members participate in a series of educational sessions, learning about nonprofits and grantmaking from expert guest speakers from the community.
EPNO separates each year’s class into smaller groups—or impact teams—to focus on building participants’ skills and knowledge base in a particular interest area. In their teams, cohort members collaboratively design Focus Statements to call for proposals from nonprofits in the Greater New Orleans area addressing their interest area. Cohort members will review proposal, invite limited applications, conduct site visits, and decide how to allocate funds.
The 2025 class has three grantmaking teams that will award up to $10,000 in each of the following areas: Arts & Culture, Health, Human Rights & Justice.
Impact Team Focus Statements
Arts & Culture
The EPNO Arts & Culture Impact Team will support an arts and culture nonprofit with an operating budget of $500,000 or less. Eligible organizations provide direct support services and programs to local entertainers and culture bearers. While support systemic change to the arts ecosystem, this grant is not designed to support advocacy efforts.
GNOF is committed to supporting an organization that uplifts historically underrepresented communities, with a focus on:
- BIPOC communities
- Individuals impacted by the criminal legal system
Goals are to:
- Inspire Growth – Encourage continuous learning, skill-building, and personal development so individuals and groups can expand their opportunities.
- Honor Tradition – Preserve, continue, and celebrate the historical and cultural practices that make New Orleans unique, ensuring that future generations can experience and learn from them.
- Promote Healing – Support and improve health, wellness, and overall sense of well-being. Healing can mean finding peace after hardship, building confidence through self-expression, or creating spaces where people feel safe and supported.
The EPNO Health Team believes that good health is the foundation for every opportunity in life. They aim to support community-based organizations that enhance health literacy and empower vulnerable populations in Greater New Orleans. The focus is preventive care, helping individuals and families build the knowledge and confidence to take proactive steps before physical or mental health conditions occur.
- Priority will be given to organizations working directly with at-risk communities in the Greater New Orleans area.
They value approaches that integrate health education – including nutrition, chronic disease prevention, mental health and other practical everyday solutions into people’s lives in ways that are culturally relevant, affordable, and sustainable. Its aim to support improvements in community well-being, reduce preventable health crises, and foster long-term resilience in Greater New Orleans.
What Makes a Proposal Competitive:
- Clearly explains how your organization empowers the population you serve for the benefit of their physical and mental health.
- Demonstrate how your organization helps individuals understand their options for their well-being.
- Exhibits a consistent and stable track record of providing services.
Human Rights & Justice
The Impact Team is united by the belief that every human deserves dignity, equity, justice, and equal access to critical human services in community. Guided by compassion and courage, too often see a disconnect between the availability of valuable resources and those who most need those resources. They seek to fund nonprofits that increase access, remove barriers, educate, and/or provide critical resources to people experiencing vulnerability. They are looking for your ability to illustrate the work your organization is doing to provide wraparound services or integrated elements of ongoing support.
In grantmaking, they will direct funding toward nonprofits whose work centers around change in policy, advocacy, education and access for the Greater New Orleans community. These are unrestricted general operating funds to be used by the grantee in furtherance of their mission.
In determining grant awards, examples of services a nonprofit may provide to qualify include but are not limited to:
- Assisting people experiencing vulnerability in applying for government services, such as social services, food assistance, public housing, shelter assistance, post-secondary education processes, and natural disaster recovery services
- Connecting communities that have historically faced barriers to access with legal resources and/or access to legal counsel
- Providing immigration services and support
- Advancing initiatives that promote broader access to justice and chip away at systemic inequities
- Increasing equitable access to legal aid and resources
- Navigating administrative processes or access information
- Assisting with re-entry services for people returning to the community
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have 501(c)(3) status or have a Fiscal Sponsor
- Be located within the Foundation’s 13 parish service area
- Have a budget at or below $1,000,000, unless otherwise noted
For more information, visit GNOF.
