Baton Rouge Area Foundation Surpasses $3 Million in Disaster Relief Funds

August 31, 2016

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is reporting that it has raised more than $3.6 million and given away more than $2 million to individuals and nonprofit organizations affected by the Baton Rouge flooding. More than half of the money raised, $1.7 million, has been donated to employee assistance funds that have been set up by local companies and are being administered by BRAF. Employee assistance funds allow companies to make tax deductible donations to their employees. BRAF is currently administering 40 such funds, awarding grants to affected workers that range in size from $1,000 to $5,000 on average.

A list of the first-round of grants follows:

  • Community Foundation of Acadiana - $250,000 – to support nonprofit organizations and efforts addressing the impact of the recent floods. The Community Foundation of Acadiana primarily serves eight parishes in south-central Louisiana. All eight of these parishes have been declared federal disaster areas in the wake of the recent flooding. The Community Foundation of Acadiana is actively evaluating the pressing needs in south-central Louisiana and this funding will support those non-profit organizations on the ground serving the community
  • Northshore Community Foundation - $100,000 – support to assist nonprofits and school systems recover from the recent floods. The Northshore Community Foundation serves the entire Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, including St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington and St. Tammany parishes. The Community Foundation has already distributed $25,000 to the St. Helena Public School System
  • SBP - (formerly known as the St. Bernard Project) - $100,000 – support of the opening of a rebuilding and training center in Baton Rouge that will provide ongoing resources and technical assistance to Southeast Louisiana communities impacted by the recent floods
  • Livingston Parish Public Schools - $50,000 – to speed the recovery process so that students in the Parish can quickly return to safe school Facilities
  • Ascension Parish School System - $50,000 – to speed the recovery process so that students in the Parish can quickly return to safe school facilities
  • City of Baker Public Schools- $50,000 – to support the district’s speedy recovery
  • Central Community School System - $50,000 – to speed the recovery of the school system after the flooding and provide recovery services to students and faculty. The offices of the Central Community
  • Foundation for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools- $50,000 – to assist the schools system recover from the flooding by providing necessary resources and services
  • New Schools for Baton Rouge- $50,000 – sustainability grant to support the organization respond to the needs of the students, faculty and staff of the schools in its network impacted by the flooding
  • Cristo Rey Franciscan High School - $100,000 – sustainability grant to assist the school in recovering from the loss of its facility at Redemptorist High School
  • Healing Place Serve - $75,000 – grant to support food, clothing and supply distribution to impacted families
  • Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge - $50,000 – arts enrichment programs to children and families in area shelters; engage artists in outreach to children and families through arts therapy programs during the recovery
  • St. Vincent DePaul - $50,000 – sustainability grant to support the Community Pharmacy, which provides free and reduced medication to low-income clients
  • Baton Rouge Youth Coalition - $5,000 – support to provide replacement school supplies and materials lost by program participants who were preparing to enter or return to their college studies
  • Together Baton Rouge - $40,000 – grant to assist volunteer-led efforts to connect survivors with community resources and repair homes. Together Baton Rouge is organizing several home deconstruction work days to help residents more quickly return to flood damaged homes
  • Alzheimer Services of Greater Baton Rouge - $25,000 – sustainability grant to enable the organization to provide services to clients and their caregivers impacted by the floods
  • Boys and Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge - $25,000 – sustainability grant to enable the organization to provide services to low-income youth including after-school programming, counseling as needed and referral of client families to community resources
  • Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank - $25,000 – grant to assist the agency recover from the recent floods and distribute food to partner agencies
  • Young Leaders Academy - $25,000 – sustainability grant to enable the organization to provide services to low-income youth including after-school programming, counseling as needed and referral of client families to community resources
  • Life of a Single Mom - $25,000 – sustainability grant to enable the organization to provide services to client families including counseling and referrals to community resources
  • Lighthouse Christian Church - $2,500 – for food and clothing distribution
  • MetroMorphosis - $50,000 – through the Urban Congress on African American Males, provide capacity support to the organization to engage young men and their families throughout the recovery process, connect them to resources and help stabilize families
  • Big Buddy - $25,000 - sustainability grant to enable the organization to provide services to low-income, youth including after-school programming, counseling as needed and referral of client families to community resources
  • Unlocking Autism Baton Rouge - $50,000 – provide assistance to help families with specials needs children who have been displaced transition to safe, affordable temporary housing
  • ARC of Greater Baton Rouge - $50,000 - capacity support for services to disabled clients impacted by the flooding and facility repairs to the flood damaged Respite & Emergency Center for special needs clients
  • YWCA of Greater Baton Rouge - $50,000 – program services and recovery of the Early Head Start Program in the Glen Oaks area, an area heavily impacted by the flooding
  • Rebuilding Together Baton Rouge - $50,000 – program services and volunteer engagement to provide home repair services to help elderly and disabled low-income homeowners impacted by the flooding
  • Manship Theatre - $2,813.25 – to off-set costs of providing movies to flood survivors temporarily housed in the Baton Rouge River Center
  • Baton Rouge Community College Foundation - $40,000 – support of BRCC's Disaster Resource Center which will connect faculty, staff and students to recovery resources
  • BREADA Small Farm Survival Fund - $30,000 – to assist small, family farms recover from the floods
  • Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge Inc. – $50,000 - support Spanish-speaking outreach to facilitate access to recovery resources and help stabilize families
  • Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge- $25,000 – capacity-building grant to assist the organizations respond to the housing needs of low-income families in East Baton Rouge Parish
  • Mid City Redevelopment Alliance- $25,000 – capacity-building grant to assist the organization respond to the housing needs of low-income families in East Baton Rouge Parish; provide warehouse space for supply deliver and coordinate their distribution

About the Foundation: The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is among the largest community foundations in the country. We work in two ways to improve the lives of people across South Louisiana. One, we serve philanthropists in helping them to pursue the causes they care about. Two, we undertake projects for civic good. The Foundation and its fund donors have granted more than $400 million to nonprofits over more than five decades. Our projects include rebuilding inner city neighborhoods, reviving downtown Baton Rouge, improving health care services, and improving education and the quality of life. The Foundation also supports local nonprofits with strategic consulting services.

Visit http://www.braf.org/louisiana-flood-relief/ for more information.

Read our Case Studies

See how we can help. Contact us today

  • Disclaimer
  • © Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips L.L.P. All rights reserved.