The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, responding to the enormous devastation and strain on basic resources in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, issued its first set of grants to non-profit organizations involved in relief efforts on September 9, 2005, and its second set on September 23, 2005.  With the local Baton Rouge population growing quickly and under desperate circumstances as displaced peoples relocate, many aid programs are stretched to capacity and need help sustaining their valuable operations.  Grants from the Hurricane Katrina Displaced Residents Fund are already helping to alleviate the pressure on critical programs.

Assessment teams are currently visiting service organizations to identify specific areas of need and help them organize simplified grant proposals for immediate consideration from the Hurricane Katrina Displaced Residents Fund.  In the proposal process, the Foundation’s aim is to minimize bureaucracy and maximize benefits for displaced residents.  By assisting partner organizations (grantees) with their grant proposals, assessments and evaluations, the Foundation’s grantmaking teams are ensuring that these programs, especially their staff (human resources), remain focused on the people they impact.

Helping people is our priority.  As a community foundation that has been operating in the region for over 40 years, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation is uniquely positioned to respond quickly and minimize duplicate aid efforts. Our supportive staff maintains relationships with most of the service organizations in the region, and is working to coordinate relief efforts in ways that maximize our resources.

We seek out non-profit organizations operating programs in the areas of basic need, physical and mental health, education, and employment, and offer them assessment assistance and rapid consideration for funding.

Proposal requirements can be accessed by downloading the document provided on this page.

         Click Here to Download the Grant Guidelines

Click Here to Download the Grantee Final Report Form

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, AmeriCares deployed a response team to the affected areas to determine the need in impacted communities, and has shipped over eight million dollars worth of medicines and supplies to shelters and clinics.  As part of their longer-term recovery effort, they have partnered with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to develop a grant program to support local mental health providers in recovery efforts in their own communities.

This grant program seeks to fund projects that will restore and strengthen the capacity of mental health providers to better serve the population of the Gulf region.  Local, state-wide, or regional not-for-profit mental health organizations in Louisiana whose programs directly benefit impacted individuals and communities.  The work of the applicant must focus on mental health direct services.  Organizations must be established as a 501( c) (3).  The Foundation will not consider grants for individuals, research, or policy related projects.

The Foundation will give preference to projects by organizations responding to unmet needs in local communities.  A strong emphasis will be placed on organizations demonstrating collaborative efforts with other providers.  Applicants may request support for project staff salaries and benefits, office operations, equipment, and other direct expenses essential to the implementation of the program.  Indirect costs, not to exceed 10% of direct expenses, may be requested.  The Foundation expects to award 15-25 one-year grants valued up to $100,000. 

 
Click Here to Download the Grant Guidelines

Hurricane Katrina Education Fund 

The Foundation’s Hurricane Katrina Education Fund supports educational projects and organizations that address the academic needs of children that have been impacted by the catastrophic hurricanes in the region. Grants are made from the pooled contributions restricted to educational relief efforts. Nonprofit organizations may be invited to apply for grants.

Click Here to Download the Grant Guidelines 

Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Fund

Fund Mission

Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) responded to the devastation of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath by establishing the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Fund (HGHRF).  This Fund will benefit the musicians, music industry-related enterprises and other individuals and entities from the areas in Greater New Orleans who were impacted by the disaster.

The Fund will be administered and distributed through the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF), a non-profit community foundation with 40 years of experience in the state of Louisiana.

Eligible Applicants and Grant Range

As per the above mission statement, the Fund shall consider requests for support from:

1) Individuals, with priority given to professional jazz musicians. Grants for individuals will be made up to $15,000.

2) Non-profit organizations, with priority given to music-related institutions. Grants for institutions will be made up to $100,000.

Application Availability

Grant applications are no longer being accepted.

Submission Deadlines

Grant applications are no longer being accepted.