Best Orleans Parish Grants for Nonprofits in Louisiana

Baptist Community Ministries (BCM) offers Transom Grants to enhance community health, education, and public safety across the greater New Orleans region. These grants, starting at $50,000, support initiatives that promote wellness and development in local organizations. BCM seeks tax-exempt entities and governmental organizations to apply, excluding capital projects or general operating support. With a focus on improving quality of life, BCM aims to foster a healthier community through strategic partnerships and funding.

The JetBlue Foundation is dedicated to enhancing aviation-related education and STEM initiatives, aiming to inspire future aviation leaders. Offering grants up to $50,000, it supports educational organizations that focus on aviation technology, engineering, operations, and maintenance. The foundation prioritizes programs benefiting under-represented communities in aviation, including veterans, women, and diverse groups, ensuring a broader range of voices in the industry.

The Pratt-Stanton Manor Fund Grant aims to support nonprofit organizations in the Greater New Orleans region that help older adults live dignified and independent lives. With funding up to $40,000, the grant prioritizes services addressing basic needs, caregiver support, and economic security. It seeks to empower older adults, particularly those below the poverty line, ensuring they receive essential resources while fostering partnerships with like-minded organizations to enhance quality of life.

The Charles and Elizabeth Wetmore Fund, established by Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore, supports indigent native sufferers of respiratory illnesses, including tuberculosis and COVID-19, focusing on care and medical research. Grants are available for qualified 501(c)(3) organizations within New Orleans and its metropolitan area. The fund prioritizes programs that assist individuals earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level, but does not support direct payment assistance or for-profit entities.

The Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation, established in 1984, focuses on charitable and educational initiatives for the New Orleans community. It provides grants ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 annually to 501(c)(3) organizations that address societal issues and promote arts, education, and health. While primarily supporting local organizations, it may consider applications from other areas. However, it does not fund scholarships, grants to individuals, or for-profit entities.

The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), aims to enhance the quality, safety, and accessibility of community football fields. With grants up to $250,000, this initiative addresses the critical lack of safe recreation spaces in low-income neighborhoods, ensuring children and adults have access to well-maintained facilities for gathering and exercise, ultimately fostering community health and well-being.

Collaborative 501(c)(3)-led efforts in Orleans Parish, Louisiana and neighboring parishes can access funding to plan, coordinate, and implement systems-change work addressing poverty, youth development, mental health, and financial empowerment. United Way of Southeast Louisiana provides up to US $275,000 for planning, backbone infrastructure, shared measurement, implementation, and continuous improvement across multi-organization collaboratives.

The National Estuary Program Watersheds Grant Program, administered by Restore America’s Estuaries and supported by the EPA, funds competitive projects addressing critical threats to estuaries. Key priorities include habitat restoration, enhancing coastal resilience against extreme weather, managing nutrient impacts, and mitigating stormwater runoff. Established in 1987, the program aims to improve ecological integrity and water quality in 28 estuaries nationwide, providing essential funding and guidance to local initiatives.

The Southern Eye Bank Foundation Grant aims to enhance vision care for underserved residents of South Louisiana through medical equipment, education, and research. With a vision of accessible eye care, the foundation supports organizations in the Greater New Orleans Region. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 will be awarded to projects benefiting blind and vision-impaired individuals, fostering local and global community support. This initiative continues the legacy of the Southern Eye Bank, ensuring comprehensive services for future generations.

The RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, managed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, offers funding for establishing Centers of Excellence in the Gulf Coast Region. These grants support research in areas like coastal sustainability, fisheries ecosystem monitoring, offshore energy development, and resilient economic growth. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis as long as funds are available, encouraging innovative solutions for environmental and economic challenges in coastal regions.

Delta Workforce Grant Program

The Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP) is an initiative designed to build long-term community capacity and increase economic competitiveness by providing grants to support workforce training and education programs throughout the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions.

DWP supports projects and initiatives that create a more vibrant economic future for the Delta region by expanding opportunities to recruit, train, and retain a diverse and local workforce; aligning workforce and economic development strategies; creating sustainable talent pipelines; establishing or enhancing locally/regionally significant sector-based partnerships; and supporting enhanced workforce productivity through investments in innovative programming or services.

Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations in Orleans Parish, Louisiana can receive approximately US $20,000 to plant trees, purchase supplies, and cover planting-related expenses on public property. Greater New Orleans Foundation supports greening and beautification by funding partners that help expand New Orleans’ urban forest toward the goal of 40,000 new trees by 2030.

The Green Infrastructure Grantmaking Program by the New Orleans Community Support Foundation aims to distribute $1.75 million to support community-led projects in Southeast Louisiana. This initiative focuses on enhancing environmental resilience in underserved areas, promoting awareness, and improving water management. The program targets the implementation of at least 12 flood mitigation projects, empowering local organizations and individuals to effectively manage environmental grants and improve understanding of critical ecological issues.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and fiscally sponsored projects in Orleans Parish, Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans region can apply for Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Community-Led Green Infrastructure grants, awarding US $50,000 - US $150,000 for community-driven green stormwater infrastructure. Funding supports flood mitigation, community resilience, and water quality projects in vulnerable and underserved neighborhoods.