Posted on September 3, 2008

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Ford Foundation Support for Gulf Coast Revitalization Passes $75 Million

The Ford Foundation has announced that, as of the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, it has provided grants and loans for Gulf Coast recovery totaling more than $75 million.

To date, the foundation has supported more than a hundred organizations across coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Launched in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Ford’s Gulf Coast Transformation Initiative supports grassroots efforts to rebuild inclusive, culturally, and economically vibrant neighborhoods in communities devastated by the twin disasters. Grants include $30 million to strengthen nonprofits in the region working to rebuild more equitable and inclusive communities; $8 million to promote enterprises and work opportunities for all; and $7 million to preserve and grow the region's rich cultural legacy and assets.

To accomplish its goals, the foundation has partnered with groups such as the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association, and the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. The foundation also has contributed $6 million to strengthen the region's emerging civil society and public sector leadership to create a stronger, more equitable Gulf Coast region. And to build the skills of grassroots leaders, it has supported the launch of the New Voices Gulf Coast Transformation Fellowship and the Gulf Coast Fellowship for Community Transformation.

"Three years after the storm, the Gulf Coast has begun to emerge as a real cradle for democracy, with courageous new civil society leaders emerging from many of the most devastated areas," said Suzanne Siskel of the Ford Foundation. "These communities faced significant challenges of poverty and inequality before the storms. Our support is about empowering local leaders to re-imagine and rebuild their neighborhoods in a way that advances opportunity for all the region's citizens."

“Ford Foundation Support for Gulf Coast Revitalization Exceeds $75 million.” Ford Foundation Press Release 8/29/08.

Primary Subject: Community Improvement/Development
Secondary Subject(s): Hurricane Relief
Location(s): Gulf Coast

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