NEW ORLEANS – Today, the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) announced recent grants from its LGBTQ Endowed Fund totaling $70,000 to area nonprofits. The Greater New Orleans Foundation LGBTQ Endowed Fund provides grants to organizations and programs that increase the quality of life and access to opportunity for LGBTQ individuals and families, particularly the most marginalized members of the community, including elders, transgender youth and adults of color, low-income LGBTQ people, and LGBTQ youth of color.
“GNOF has established a reputation for working collaboratively to enhance our region by tackling tough issues, partnering with donors, and investing in worthy nonprofits,” said Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “Last week’s historic decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination underscores the important role our foundation and others have played by supporting organizations working on LGBTQ issues.”
The recent round of grants to local nonprofits will enhance support to the LGBTQ community to increase crisis support, education, community engagement, training and more. Grantees include: 504HealthNet, Covenant House, Forum for Equality, Lambda Center of New Orleans, Last Call, LGBT Community Center of New Orleans, LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, New Orleans Film Society, New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, New Orleans Youth Alliance, and PFLAG New Orleans and Trans and Queer (or Questioning) Youth.
“Funding from the GNOF for the PFLAG New Orleans ‘Safe Schools Symposium’ provides a sterling opportunity for us to coalesce the veteran voices in the field of bullying prevention that affects LGBTQ youth in disproportionate percentages,” said L. Wayne Christenberry, Board President of Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of New Orleans. This grant allows us to take the first step toward systemic and sustainable change in our school system.
“In these challenging times we are reminded of how important our unity, partnership, and voice matters,” said Leann Moses, Board Chair of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “I would like to applaud our Board Members and donors who partner with us to ensure this work on LGBTQ issues is sustained over time.”
In November of 2019, the Greater New Orleans Foundation Board of Directors voted to take the LGBTQ fund from a short-term pilot program and make it permanent, endowed source of funding for local LGBTQ-led and LGBTQ-serving nonprofits in perpetuity. To date, $600,000 has been pledged to this endowed fund.
“The LAMBDA Center of New Orleans would like to thank you for your generous contribution,” said LAMBDA Center Board of Directors. “Thanks to your help we were able to secure a new home at The Healing Center of New Orleans. We are so excited to again open our doors to provide a safe place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning members of various 12 step programs to meet.”
GNOF Trustee Arthur Roger has played a leading role in GNOF’s efforts. Roger said, “GNOF has stepped up with funding for those organizations serving and advocating for the LGBTQ community, and I couldn’t be more proud of our recent campaign launch to secure funds for a permanent endowment that will support annual grants for LBGTQ serving nonprofits. At this time the needs for LGBTQ, particularly among those hard-pressed economically, have never been greater. We hope the LBGTQ Fund can address the full array of pressing needs in the community.”
“We were thrilled to get this grant, said Mandi Bordelon, Community Navigator for 504HealthNet. “At 504HealthNet, we believe that every single person in our community deserves access to quality, affordable health care and if some of the members of our community aren’t getting that, we have work to do! This grant allows us to push for more access and better quality gender-affirming health care for the transgender and gender non-conforming members of our community.”
To donate to the LGBTQ Endowed Fund, click here. To learn more about GNOF’s LGBTQ Endowed Fund, contact Roy Williams via email at grants@gnof.org.