Hurricane Katrina was the costliest disaster in U.S. history. The federal government spent $120.5 billion on damages caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. What role could a $25 million fund play when the damages were so great?
The Community Revitalization Fund was an important vehicle for aligning national and local dollars.– Jerry Maldonado, Senior Program Officer, The Ford Foundation
The Community Revitalization Fund was structured as a funder collaborative that brought together twelve national and ten local foundations. A grants committee composed of funder representatives made decisions about grant awards based on reports composed by GNOF staff.
Community Revitalization Fund awards ranged from small operating grants to large grants, program related investments, and pricing guarantees. Grantees appreciated the flexibility of the awards, because they often provided financing for things that banks would not fund – like operating support, salaries, and data analysis.
| Grantee | Year Awarded | Total Awarded | Location | Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACORN Housing | 2008 | $200,000 | Lower 9th Ward | Bricks and Mortar |
| Affordable Housing Advocacy Coalition | 2010 | $100,000 | city-wide | Other |
| Artspace | 2012 | $150,000 | Treme | Bricks and Mortar | Human Resources and Capacity |
| Bayou District Foundation | 2008 | $500,000 | St. Bernard Project | Land Purchases and Financing |
| Beacon of Hope | 2010 | $82,000 | Gentilly | Organizational Capacity |
| Broadmoor Development Corporation | 2008 | $450,000 | Broadmoor | Organizational Capacity |
| Broadmoor Development Corporation | 2013 | $100,000 | Broadmoor | Land Purchases and Financing |
| Broadmoor Development Corporation | 2013 | $50,000 | Broadmoor | Organizational Capacity |
| Center for Community Progress (New Orleans Vacant Properties Initiative) | 2012 | $125,000 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
| Center for Community Progress (New Orleans Vacant Properties Initiative) | 2012 | $10,000 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
| Center for Community Progress (New Orleans Vacant Properties Initiative) | 2010 | $500,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence, University of Pennsylvania (CUREx) | 2009 | $90,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Central City Renaissance Alliance | 2009 | $42,000 | Central City | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| City of New Orleans | 2011 | $50,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| City-Works | 2007 | $22,000 | Claiborne Corridor/Central City | Knowledge Production |
| Code for America | 2011 | $50,000 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
| Committee for a Better New Orleans | 2010 | $44,000 | city-wide | Other |
| Crescent Alliance Recovery Effort - United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area | 2010 | $540,000 | Mid-City | Bricks and Mortar | Organizational Capacity |
| Crescent City Community Land Trust | 2014 | $1,000,000 | city-wide | Land Purchases and Financing |
| Efforts of Grace | 2010 | $200,000 | Central City | Land Purchases and Financing |
| Enterprise Community Partners* | 2009 | $3,000,000 | Lafitte/Treme | Land Purchases and Financing |
| Enterprise Community Partners | 2011 | $500,000 | city-wide | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Enterprise Corporation of the Delta | 2010 | $100,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Global Green USA | 2010 | $275,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Global Green USA | 2008 | $300,000 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
| Greater New Orleans, Inc. | 2010 | $50,000 | Knowledge Production | |
| Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) | 2008 | $1,000,000 | Central City | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) | 2009 | $250,000 | city-wide | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Housing Resources Center Network | 2008 | $500,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative | 2008 | $180,000 | Central City | Organizational Capacity |
| Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative | 2010 | $425,000 | Central City | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) | 2009 | $60,000 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation/ National Vacant Properties Campaign | 2007 | $500,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church Disaster Response, Inc. | 2008 | $414,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation | 2009 | $25,000 | Organizational Capacity | |
| Louisiana Housing Alliance | 2009 | $37,500 | Organizational Capacity | |
| Louisiana Housing Alliance | 2012 | $3,000 | Organizational Capacity | |
| Louisiana Housing Alliance | 2013 | $1,000 | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity | |
| Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Improvement Association (NENA) | 2008 | $400,000 | Lower 9th Ward | Land Purchases and Financing | Services for Homeowners |
| Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Improvement Association (NENA) | 2010 | $450,000 | Lower 9th Ward | Organizational Capacity |
| Make It Right | 2013 | $50,000 | Lower 9th Ward | Knowledge Production |
| McCaleb Educational Fund | 2012 | $200,000 | Central City | Land Purchases and Financing |
| Milano The New School of Management & Urban Policy | 2009 | $165,493 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
| National Community Land Trust (CLT) Network | 2009 | $39,000 | Knowledge Production | |
| Neighborhood Development Foundation | 2009 | $160,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Neighborhood Housing Services | 2008 | $200,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Neighborhood Housing Services | 2009 | $200,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative (Harmony) | 2009 | $1,000,000 | Central City | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) | 2008 | $258,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Non-Profit Knowledge Works (Greater New Orleans Community Data Center) | 2010 | $25,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Non-Profit Knowledge Works (Greater New Orleans Community Data Center) | 2009 | $60,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Nonprofit Knowledge Works (GNOCDC) | 2009 | $368,326 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Knowledge Production |
| Northshore Housing Initiative | 2014 | $1,800 | Organizational Capacity | |
| Operation Helping Hands | 2009 | $450,000 | East, Gentilly, Pontchartain Park, Central City, Mid City, Lower 9th | Bricks and Mortar | Organizational Capacity |
| Orleans Recovery Foundation, LLC | 2008 | $620,800 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Ponchartrain Park Community Development Corporation** | 2009 | $1,000,000 | Pontchartrain Park | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Preservation Resource Center | 2008 | $200,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Preservation Resource Center | 2008 | $450,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Preservation Resource Center | 2010 | $350,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Project Home Again | 2010 | $400,000 | Gentilly | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Project Homecoming | 2014 | $5,000 | Organizational Capacity | |
| Providence Community Housing | 2008 | $1,000,000 | Treme/Lafitte | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Qatar/Treme Lafitte Renewal Project | 2007 | $220,000 | Treme/Lafitte | Organizational Capacity |
| Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (VOAGNO) | 2008 | $1,000,000 | Gentilly, Lower Garden | Land Purchases and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (VOAGNO) | 2011 | $200,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| SEE The Movement | 2010 | $375,000 | city-wide | Bricks and Mortar | Organizational Capacity |
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services | 2011 | $592,978 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity | Services for Homeowners |
| St. Bernard Project | 2014 | $30,000 | St. Bernard | Knowledge Production |
| St. Paul's Homecoming Center | 2011 | $220,000 | Gentilly | Bricks and Mortar | Organizational Capacity |
| Sustainable Communities | 2010 | $50,000 | Organizational Capacity | |
| The NHP Foundation | 2008 | $500,000 | New Orleans East | Land Purchases and Financing |
| The Urban Conservancy | 2008 | $5,000 | Organizational Capacity | |
| UNITY of Greater New Orleans | 2008 | $500,000 | Mid-City | Bricks and Mortar | Land Purchase and Financing | Organizational Capacity |
| University of New Orleans PLUS | 2012 | $175,000 | city-wide | Organizational Capacity |
| Urban Institute | 2008 | $168,274 | city-wide | Knowledge Production |
*pricing guarantee
**$250,000 grant; $750,000 PRI
$23
million
distributed between
2007 and 2014
75
separate awards
59
organizations
$1,000,000
max award
$200,000
median award
[The grant] was super flexible… it’s the best kind of money that you want.– Una Anderson, Executive Director, Harmony Neighborhood Development