GiveNOLA Day arrives amid growing strain on nonprofits
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GiveNOLA Day is Tuesday, marking one of the biggest, single-day charity drives in New Orleans.
Why it matters: Private contributions are more important than ever with the federal funding cuts.
The big picture: The average nonprofit in the South gets 26% of their annual revenue from government sources, according to the Urban Institute.
- In Louisiana, 84% of nonprofits got at least one government grant or contract in 2023, the study found.
Yes, but: The Trump administration is cutting grant funding, especially for social welfare, education and environmental projects, according to the Foundation List.
- In New Orleans, nonprofit leaders told City Council members last month that the cuts are hurting their ability to feed the hungry and care for sexual assault victims.
- Council vice president Helena Moreno said at the time she instructed the city's chief administrative officer to push back against the changes and to see what can be done to fill the gaps.
Zoom out: Nonprofits nationally are responding to federal reductions by seeking more corporate sponsorships and private donors, the Foundation List says.
- The MacArthur Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and other groups say they will increase their giving, according to the New York Observer.
- Susannah Burley, executive director of Sustaining Our Urban Landscape in New Orleans, tells Axios she's stepping up efforts for private donations to plant trees after millions in federal funds were frozen or canceled.
How it works: The Greater New Orleans Foundation spearheads GiveNOLA Day and connects donors with hundreds of nonprofits in 13 parishes.
- Go to the website and search for nonprofits that interest you. There are more than 900 participating organizations.
- The minimum donation is $10.
- GiveNOLA Day has raised more than $64 million since 2013.