FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Media Contacts:
Courtney Thomas Barnes
Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs
Greater New Orleans Foundation
504.236.7096
courtney@gnof.org
Sam Shannon
Corporate Communications Manager
New Orleans Saints and Pelicans
434.284.0451
Sam.shannon@saints.nfl.com
Greater New Orleans Foundation, Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation Announce the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund
NEW ORLEANS – (June 12, 2024) Today, the Greater New Orleans Foundation (Foundation) and the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation announced the establishment of the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
Mrs. Benson’s investment will help ensure that the Foundation is ready to play an immediate role in aiding our region’s most vulnerable citizens when the next disaster strikes. Each time a disaster strikes, the Foundation will announce grants from the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund to help thousands of our neighbors in their moment of need while creating a widely recognized brand name that will become synonymous with providing crucial support for the most vulnerable families in our community after a disaster. Mrs. Gayle Benson is the Owner of the New Orleans Saints and Governor of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The endowment earnings from the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund will be deployed immediately to provide financial support to our region’s most effective first-responding agencies in the aftermath of a disaster or in anticipation of its arrival, be it a hurricane, tornado, or some other catastrophic event impacting our neighbors who need support. These first dollars hitting the ground are crucial to helping our region’s families when they are most vulnerable, and these grants will be announced each time the Greater New Orleans Foundation kicks off its fundraising efforts following a disaster, helping demonstrate to others what is possible.
“Everyone has a job in times of disaster—and ours is raising money and deploying it to the most effective nonprofits working on the frontlines to provide assistance to our neighbors,” said Andy Kopplin, President & CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “Mrs. Benson has been the most generous supporter of our disaster response efforts beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida, and by endowing the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Mrs. Benson is ensuring that we will be able to provide residents with resources that can make it just a little easier to get back on their feet amid a disaster.”
“I’d like to thank Mrs. Benson and the Greater New Orleans Foundation for establishing the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “This fund will help provide needed support and resources to our community in our times of greatest need.”
Since 2005, the Greater New Orleans Foundation has built a track record of making impactful grants after a disaster. The Foundation has responded to every disaster since Hurricane Katrina when it led the Unified Community Planning effort and raised a $23 million affordable housing fund. The Foundation invested approximately $10 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has distributed nearly $8 million in response to Hurricane Ida. The Foundation understands the importance of mobilizing quickly to address immediate needs as well as the importance of making long-term investments to support community rebuilding.
Donations to the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s disaster response efforts allow the Foundation to make immediate grants in the days leading up to and immediately following a disaster to trusted local nonprofits that respond quickly to the needs of our region.
Over the years, the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation has pledged or donated over $4 million to the Greater New Orleans Foundation. In addition to today’s announcement, Mrs. Benson has supported the Foundation’s disaster response efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic by helping us create and raise funds for The Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund, which ultimately distributed $1.9 million in thousand-dollar grants to help workers adversely affected by pandemic shutdowns who were responsible for supporting their families.
She and Mr. Benson also supported the Foundation’s disaster response to Hurricane Ida and the St. Bernard tornadoes in 2022, as well as the capital campaign that raised funds to build the Foundation’s home, the Center for Philanthropy.
“Our community has always shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity,” said Mrs. Gayle Benson. “Through the establishment of this fund, we aim to ensure that the necessary resources are available to support our neighbors when they need it most. It is our hope that this fund will not only provide immediate relief but also inspire others to join us in creating a stronger, more prepared community.”
Gayle Benson provides leadership for the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans. She succeeded her husband, Tom Benson, who passed away on March 15, 2018, after serving as Owner of the Saints since 1985 and the Pelicans since 2012. A New Orleans native, Mrs. Benson is an accomplished business professional and philanthropist with strong ties to the local community and is dedicated to contributing to the growth and enhancement of the Gulf South region. Mr. and Mrs. Benson worked together to build model NFL and NBA organizations, housed in state-of-the-art facilities at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center, while making a positive impact in the community.
Community investment and giving back have been hallmarks of Mr. and Mrs. Benson’s ownership of the Saints and Pelicans. This tradition continues under Mrs. Benson’s stewardship, sharing her late husband’s vision and passion for helping others. She has further enriched the New Orleans community through her support to causes in the health and wellness, cancer care, education, arts and faith-based sectors. As dedicated corporate citizens, the Saints and Pelicans annually put millions of dollars back into the community in financial support, in-kind donations, charitable appearances and donations of goods and services. Mrs. Benson’s philanthropic leadership has been recognized far and wide since becoming Owner.
During times of crisis, having swift access to liquidity is critical. This Fund enables donors, such as Mrs. Benson, to proactively offer the essential support our region requires in anticipation of future disasters.
Benson added, “It is critical that we are able to quickly deploy funds to those that need it and this Fund will do that, but also in the case of what we did a few years ago following the floods in Livingston Parish and the tornadoes in St. Bernard Parish, we were able to send much needed generators into those communities immediately following the disasters.”
If you’d like to help people in our community come back strong after disasters, you may make a donation to the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund here. Please specify the “Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund” when making your donation.
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About the Greater New Orleans Foundation:
With roots extending over 100 years, the Greater New Orleans Foundation connects generous people to the causes that spark their passion. As one of the most trusted philanthropic organizations in the region, we work every day to drive positive impact by championing charitable giving, strengthening nonprofits, and leading civic projects in our thirteen-parish region. In addition to grantmaking, we convene people, resources, and ideas to create intelligent strategies and solutions to meet our region’s greatest challenges. We are proud to serve as a vocal civic leader with our partners to ensure an economically and culturally vibrant, sustainable, and just region for all. Learn more at www.gnof.org.