Letter From the President
President's Letter

It’s been a little more than two years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed into the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, altering the lives of over one million people. As of this writing, many hundreds of thousands have not been able to return home. 60% of New Orleans’ residents have returned, but the remainder — primarily renters and people of low income — have yet to make it back. Those who did face reduced services. Hospitals and medical clinics remain closed, and the single public school system has been divided into three — a Recovery school district, a New Orleans school district, and one for Charter Schools. In addition, the city’s municipal infrastructure to dispense what relief and aid are available remains sparse because administrators and civil servants wrestle with the same challenges to resuming normal lives as their constituents.

Since its inception, the Foundation’s Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund has maintained an active schedule of grant-making and technical assistance, distributing $1.7 million to more than 90 organizations. These monies have supported coalition-building work in Mississippi, resident organizing in the Ninth Ward, civic participation in the Unified New Orleans Plan, and leadership development in rural Southwestern Louisiana, to name just a few. Our methodology reflects a belief that the three stages that follow a disaster — Relief, Recovery, and Rebuilding — require different types of grantmaking. We continue to support effective and capable organizations that give voice to the needs of the disenfranchised and resources to help them rebuild their communities.

Philanthropy and good intentions alone cannot ensure speedy disaster aid and relief — there’s still a need for governmental accountability, especially as the presidential election season heats up. Every American must listen carefully to what the candidates say about their programs for recovery on the Gulf Coast, examine the various bills pending on the House and Senate floors, and then voice an opinion. One of the fundamental demands that Gulf Coast residents have made is for the “Right to Return.” That requirement is one simple standard by which all government programs may be judged. A more detailed article on public housing is featured below.

Finally, thanks to our committed partnerships with Resource Generation, the Women Donors Network, and Threshold Foundation, which comprise the Gulf South Allied Funders or GSAF, the Fund will continue making grants available through 2007 to the end of 2008. Take a moment to look at our list of Grantees and consider making a donation to stand with our grantee partners in rebuilding their communities with resilience and courage.

Click here to Return to Katrina Update.