Since its Inception in 2006, the Foundation Has Made Grants and Multi-Year Strategic Commitments Totaling More Than $13 Million

(New Orleans, Louisiana) Continuing its ongoing investments in New Orleans public schools and high-quality public education, today, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation (PBPF) announced that, for the eighth consecutive year, it has awarded grants in excess of $1 million. In addition, nearly $.5 million has been added to the Foundation’s Strategic Innovation Fund to fulfill performance-based, multi-year, strategic grant pledges. This $1.6 million investment, in the Foundation’s 16^th grant cycle, represents the sustained commitment of Rex members in support of Greater New Orleans students and educators. Since its founding in 2006, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation’s giving exceeds $13 million, making the Foundation one of the key local funders of efforts to support and improve our public schools. Today’s annual Foundation announcement at the Rex Den on South Claiborne Avenue included representatives from the PBPF’s board, schools and organizations receiving grants, and members of the Rex Organization.

Most of the Foundation’s giving has been focused on operational grants that serve to support the important work being done in our schools. These grants provide school leaders additional funds to do what they would not otherwise be able to do, allowing them to further enrich their students’ experience.

More recently, the Foundation created a Strategic Innovation Fund designed to make larger strategic investments aimed at addressing some of our more pressing challenges and high-leverage opportunities. Examples of the Foundation’s larger, strategic, three-year commitments include a grant to New Schools for New Orleans to assure our city’s charter schools attract and retain excellent leaders and teachers and a grant to the Greater New Orleans Foundation to support charter board training and development. Multi-year commitments are reviewed annually for performance, and the Foundation anticipates a shift to making more strategic investments in the coming years to help New Orleans’ school children reach their full educational potential.

“The Pro Bono Publico Foundation’s donors, as well as other local foundations we partner with, recognize the importance of this investment in our children and our future,” said Merritt Lane, a member of the Foundation’s board. Lane continued, “We have made tremendous progress, but we recognize there is much work still to do to ensure excellence in all of our schools. Consistent with the Rex Organization’s motto Pro Bono Publico, and for the benefit of New Orleans’ school children, we are very pleased this year to make grants and multi-year commitments totaling over $1,600,000.”

“I want to thank the Pro Bono Publico Foundation for their investment and partnership,” said Andy Kopplin, President & CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “Since Hurricane Katina, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation has led the way in supporting our community’s public schools and students, making a sustained commitment to ensuring all New Orleans children have access to high-quality schools. We are thrilled to help advance this legacy by building on an area of strength at GNOF and partnering with them to ensure our City’s public charter school boards are always well-led and well-governed.”

Also during the announcement today, Tanya Bryant, the CEO of ReNEW Schools, discussed the impact the foundation’s support has had for the students her organization’s schools serve.

By the Numbers:

• $913,000 will fund 65 annual operational grants.
• $725,000 will fund two multi-year strategic grants; first year commitment totals $241,000.
• $1,154,665 total of 2022-2023 grants.
• $483,000 added to the Foundation’s Strategic Innovation Fund to fulfill performance-based, multi-year, strategic grant pledges.
• $1.63 million in total grants and multi-year pledges.
• More than $13 million in total giving through 16 grant cycles.
• Eighth consecutive year of grants totaling more than $1 million.

Pro Bono Publico Foundation 2022-2023 Grantees:

*Organizations designated for performance-based, multi-year, strategic grant pledges.

About the Pro Bono Publico Foundation

Responding to the community’s needs during the difficulties of Reconstruction, the Rex Organization was founded by a group of civic-minded individuals in 1872, over 150 years ago. Responding to the community’s needs during the difficulties of recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation was founded by members of the Rex Organization in 2006. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the foundation has been able to make a sustained and meaningful investment in support of our community’s public schools and its students. The foundation’s grants and commitments show the determined efforts of Rex members and the foundation to ensure all of New Orleans’ children can attend excellent schools. These schools, and organizations supporting their important work, have been the focus of the foundation’s investment, as well as the commitment of dozens of Rex members serving on their boards.

The Foundation Will Announce Grants and Strategic Commitments Totaling $1.6 Million to Support Greater New Orleans Schools and Education

(New Orleans, Louisiana) Continuing its ongoing commitment to invest in New Orleans public schools and high-quality public education, on Saturday, January 14 at 10:45 am at the Rex Den at 2531 South Claiborne, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation (“PBPF”) will announce its 2022 – 2023 grants and multi-year commitments totaling $1.6 million, which brings the PBPF’s total donated and committed since its founding in 2006 to more than $13 million. This year’s grants and commitments marks the PBPF’s 16^th year of grantmaking

Pro Bono Publico Foundation 2022-2023 Grant Award Announcement
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Doors open at 10:00 am; Announcement begins at 10:45 am
Rex Den at 2531 South Claiborne

 At the event on Saturday, the PBPF will announce 65 annual operational grants and two performance-based, multi-year, strategic grants.

This will be the eighth consecutive year the PBPF has made annual grant awards of at least $1,000,000.

About the Pro Bono Publico Foundation
Responding to the community’s needs during the difficulties of Reconstruction, the Rex Organization was founded by a group of civic-minded individuals in 1872, over 150 years ago. Responding to the community’s needs during the difficulties of recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation was founded by members of the Rex Organization in 2006. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the foundation has been able to make a sustained and meaningful investment in support of our community’s public schools and its students. The foundation’s grants and commitments show the determined efforts of Rex members and the foundation to ensure all of New Orleans’ children can attend excellent schools. These schools, and organizations supporting their important work, have been the focus of the foundation’s investment, as well as the commitment of dozens of Rex members serving on their boards.

Continuing its ongoing investments in New Orleans public schools and high-quality public education, today, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation announced its commitment to making $1,500,000 in grants to support Greater New Orleans schools and education during the 2021-2022 school year.

The foundation’s commitment to making $1,500,000 in grants this year is in recognition of the Rex Organization’s 150th anniversary of its founding in 1872. So far this cycle, the foundation has made grants totaling nearly $1,000,000 to 78 recipients.

This year’s award announcement marked the seventh consecutive year the foundation’s grants totaled at least $1,000,000 and brings the cumulative grant total to significantly more than $10,000,000 through 15 grant cycles. Based on the $1,500,000 commitment for this year, $1,000,000 will go toward operational grants, and $500,000 will go toward strategic innovation grants.

Most of the foundation’s funding has been in the form of operational grants that serve to support the important work being done in our schools. Those grants provide school leaders additional funds to do what they would not otherwise be able to do, allowing them to further enrich their students’ experience.

More recently, the foundation created a Strategic Innovation Fund designed to make larger and sometimes multi-year strategic grants aimed at addressing some of the more pressing challenges or high-leverage opportunities. The foundation’s strategic grants to-date have been a technology grant to assure all students could participate in remote learning during the pandemic and the multi-year grant to New Schools for New Orleans to assure our city’s charter schools attract and retain excellent leaders and teachers. The foundation anticipates further commitments to support closing the learning gap that has widened with the pandemic.

“The Pro Bono Publico Foundation’s donors, as well as other local foundations we partner with, recognize the importance of this investment in our children and our future,” said Merritt Lane, a member of the foundation’s board. Lane continued, “We have made tremendous progress, but we recognize there is much work still to do to ensure excellence in all of our schools. Consistent with the Rex Organization’s motto Pro Bono Publico, and for the benefit of New Orleans’ school children, we are very pleased to make commitments of $1,500,000 this year in recognition of Rex’s 150th anniversary.”

Quick Facts:

• The foundation’s 2021-2022 commitment is $1,500,000, and the foundation’s giving since its founding in 2006 exceeds $10,300,000.
• This is the year the foundation broke through the $10,000,000 mark in cumulative giving since its founding in 2006.
• This is the seventh consecutive year the foundation has awarded at least $1,000,000 in grants and the tenth consecutive year the foundation has awarded at least $500,000.
• For its 2021-2022 grants thus far, the foundation has awarded grants to 78 grantees.
• Through a grant to the NORD Foundation, the foundation continues to sponsor activities at Taylor Playground, adjacent to the Rex Den.
• Grants from the foundation support organizations serve our community’s children from“cradle to college.”

Continuing its ongoing commitment to invest in New Orleans public schools and high-quality public education, today the Pro Bono Publico Foundation (“PBPF”) announced its 2020 -2021 grants totaling $1,000,000 to 74 recipients.

Today’s virtual grant award ceremony, which included PBPF board members and representatives of schools and organizations receiving grants, was joined by more than 80 participants.

This year’s award ceremony marked the sixth consecutive year PBPF grants totaled $1,000,000 and brings the cumulative grant total to more than $9,300,000 through 14 grant cycles. As the Rex Organization prepares for its 150th anniversary in 2022, the PBPF looks forward to breaking the $10,000,000 mark for cumulative grants since its founding following Hurricane Katrina.

Through the foundation’s grants to schools, supporting organizations, and its Strategic Innovation Grant that helps retain and recruit high-quality teachers across New Orleans’ public charter system, it touches institutions serving all 49,000 of our city’s public charter school students. The foundation’s 74 grants this year include 9 charter management organizations responsible for 48 schools; 22 individual charter schools; 9 other schools, including several serving children with special needs; 25 organizations that provide supporting services to students and schools; 5 policy and advocacy organizations; and 4 college support organizations.

View press release for full details and list of recipients.