The State of Nonprofits in Southeast Louisiana: The Impact of COVID-19

The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) in partnership with the University of New Orleans’ (UNO) Political Science Department undertook a study to gain insights on the impact the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is having on nonprofit organizations located in Southeast Louisiana and to share this information as a resource to philanthropy, nonprofits, and civic leaders in our region. GNOF and UNO conducted online and phone surveys beginning March 23, 2020 through April 13, 2020 which targeted 501(c)3 public charities, excluding churches, foundations, and unique groups of larger nonprofits such as hospitals, universities, and charter schools. Our research examined ten essential questions facing these nonprofit organizations, which were grouped in the following categories: 1) baseline nonprofit data, 2) COVID-19’s impact on nonprofits, and 3) responses and resources to COVID-19 for nonprofit and partners

How a Community Foundation’s Disaster Framework Guided Rapid Pandemic Response

Disasters create opportunities for philanthropy to rebuild equitably by prioritizing the most vulnerable community members in disaster response and addressing existing disparities and structural inequities in the recovery phase. As intermediaries between donors and local communities, community foundations are well-positioned to lead transformational disaster response. Through its experience with Hurricane Katrina and subsequent disasters in the region, the Greater New Orleans Foundation developed a flexible disaster framework that emphasizes four broad principles — resilience, sustainability, civic participation, and equity — and specific practices in each area to guide rapid and long-term disaster response and preparedness. This article describes how the foundation is applying that framework to respond to COVID-19 and concurrent disasters in ways that mitigate immediate harms while laying the groundwork for an equitable long-term recovery. Based on a review of organizational documents and interviews with high-level staff involved in disaster grantmaking over the past decade, the article details how the foundation inductively developed its disaster framework through experiences supporting nonprofits and community members after Hurricane Katrina and subsequent disasters. It then explains how the foundation has adapted the principles to pandemic response

How a Community Foundation’s Disaster Framework Guided Rapid Pandemic Response

Disasters create opportunities for philanthropy to rebuild equitably by prioritizing the most vulnerable community members in disaster response and addressing existing disparities and structural inequities in the recovery phase. As intermediaries between donors and local communities, community foundations are well-positioned to lead transformational disaster response. Through its experience with Hurricane Katrina and subsequent disasters in the region, the Greater New Orleans Foundation developed a flexible disaster framework that emphasizes four broad principles — resilience, sustainability, civic participation, and equity — and specific practices in each area to guide rapid and long-term disaster response and preparedness. This article describes how the foundation is applying that framework to respond to COVID-19 and concurrent disasters in ways that mitigate immediate harms while laying the groundwork for an equitable long-term recovery. Based on a review of organizational documents and interviews with high-level staff involved in disaster grantmaking over the past decade, the article details how the foundation inductively developed its disaster framework through experiences supporting nonprofits and community members after Hurricane Katrina and subsequent disasters. It then explains how the foundation has adapted the principles to pandemic response