Grantmakers in the News
August 1, 2006
Name: Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Address: 525 Florida Street, 2nd Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
Telephone: 225-376-7803
URL: www.louisianahelp.org/
The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF) has awarded nearly $8 million to provide nonprofit housing, legal aid, and other services to residents affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Created by governor Kathleen Blanco, the foundation now runs under an independent board of directors, which will determine where to allocate nearly $40 million in private donations and grants, including $24 million from the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund that must be spent on housing relief and job creation. To date, LDRF has awarded $3.75 million to the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, also established by Gov. Blanco; $1.25 million to the Southern Mutual Help Association; and has awarded grants to the Greater New Orleans Foundation and the Crescent City chapter of ACORN. According to LDRF chair James A. Joseph, a former president and CEO of the Council on Foundations, the foundation has raised approximately $3 million to finance its operating costs, ensuring that all other gifts will go directly to recovery and rebuilding efforts.
At the moment, the foundation is not doing much fundraising, but that may change, said Joseph, after the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in late August. "We'll have a track record and will be able to show grants and results," he said. "At that time, we'll have a story to tell."
According to its website, LDRF "was established in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to provide resources for the relief, recovery, and betterment of Louisiana's people and communities, building upon its residents' strength of spirit to transform the disaster into unprecedented opportunity. The foundation supports and works with private, nonprofit organizations in the areas of economic development, housing, education, health care, and legal services that are focused on building back better, resulting in an equitable Louisiana that offers all people - regardless of race, economic status, and gender - the opportunity for full participation in its economy and society."
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