Best Lafayette Grants for Nonprofits in Louisiana

Catholic Extension provides essential funding to support the construction, expansion, or renovation of churches and community facilities. This initiative aims to meet the facility needs of under-resourced Catholic dioceses across the U.S. By focusing on active projects, Catholic Extension ensures that communities can enhance their worship spaces and support local ministries, ultimately fostering a stronger church community. Funding is available for both minor and major requests, with an emphasis on urgent needs and robust funding strategies.

The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Restoration Fund RFP aims to provide grants for projects that restore and maintain bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands, enhance agricultural lands for better soil health and wildlife habitat, promote aquatic connectivity, and improve community resilience. Grants range from $150,000 to $1,000,000, depending on project scale, and applicants are encouraged to consult NFWF for proposals outside this range. This program follows an annual application cycle.

Public Facilities Grant (LA)

The Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (LCDBG) Program is run by the Office of Community Development – Local Government Assistance (OCD-LGA). All projects funded through the program must meet at least one of the three national objectives set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

• Provide a clear benefit to low- and moderate-income people (at least 51 percent of those served)
• Eliminate or prevent slums or blight
• Address an urgent community need

Louisiana expects to receive about $22 million in CDBG funds from HUD, with roughly $12 million for the LCDBG Public Facilities Program. Every two years, OCD-LGA surveys eligible communities to set funding priorities. Public infrastructure is consistently ranked highest.

For FY 2026, Public Facilities Program funds will focus on:

• Sewer improvements
• Potable water improvements
• Street improvements

The LCDBG Public Facilities Program runs on a two-year funding cycle with two phases.

Funding limits and minimum project size

The State has set maximum funding amounts for projects:

• Street projects: $1,000,000
• Sewer and water projects (including sewer treatment, sewer rehabilitation, new sewer, and potable water, including multi-jurisdiction projects): $2,000,000

Projects must include at least $350,000 in construction costs. Projects below this amount will not be considered for funding or scored

The PLTW Engineering grant, funded by Chevron Louisiana, aims to enhance educational experiences for K-12 students in Louisiana by expanding Project Lead The Way programs. With a total award of $30,000 over two years, this initiative supports schools that will offer multiple PLTW Engineering courses. Chevron's long-term commitment has already benefited nearly 250,000 students nationwide since 2009, promoting innovation and technical skills in future engineers.