21CF's Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund Evaluation and Donor Briefing Video

The end of January was a whirlwind for the Twenty-First Century Foundation, Gulf South Allied Funders (GSAF), and our allies in gathering resources for the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund. The continuing flow of energy and enthusiasm for an equitable and just rebuilding of the Gulf Coast region was on full display. Resource Generation, a founding partner of GSAF, hosted a fundraising house party with 50 guests who heard from filmmaker — and 21CF grantee — June Cross. She previewed her upcoming feature-length documentary, To Have Not, And To Hold, which discusses policy failures and the specific challenges faced by legitimate owners struggling to keep their property.  

The evaluation itself was handled by independent consultants the Genius Group, which took an objective look at the strategies, tactics, challenges and accomplishments used by 21CF and GSAF to serve those rebuilding their lives in the Gulf Coast region.  Highlights of the assessment generated by the independent evaluation consultants include:

• 191 grants have been made to 107 organizations, as well as a $100,000 investment in our HOPE CD (Certificate of Deposit), used to help underwrite loans for families rebuilding their homes.  

• 44 grantees addressed the availability of safe, affordable housing, than any other issue by far. Collectively, they halted the evictions affecting over 3,000 families; built over 1800 new homes; rehabilitated more than 2500 homes; and advocated for new funding estimated to help more than 10,000 people.
  
  
• 18 grantees provided services to small businesses while another 23 grantees provided employment and workforce development services. Representative outcomes in this area include one grantee providing $600,000 in loans to small business fishermen so that they could restart their businesses, helping bring over 1,100 small businesses back online, and providing job training to over 300 individuals—of which 70% of those trained are now gainfully employed.

• 21CF, as a Black Foundation must continue to play a significant role along the Gulf Coast, because many black-led organizations have been historically under-funded, lack significant capacity, or have had their efforts overlooked by more mainstream funders and have a hard time finding/sustaining resources.

The focus then shifted as GSAF’s volunteer leadership and 21CF staff met for a day-long evaluation, where we reflected on our three-year partnership, the impact of this collaborative effort on the Gulf Coast, and possible strategies and tactics moving forward. Finally, the future was the subject of A New Vision for the Post-Katrina Gulf Coast, the 21CF-sponsored donor briefing that was hosted by our good friends at the Open Society Institute. The panel featured leaders from five of our grantee organizations, including the East Biloxi Disaster Coordination Center, Louisiana ACORN, Louisiana Justice Institute, Mississippi Interfaith Disaster Task Force, and the Praxis Project/Katrina Information Network. The briefing drew 60 attendees who were moved by the firsthand accounts of the work being done to make certain that disenfranchised voices are heard during the rebuilding process. To get a taste of what you missed, click on the following link to a short video from the briefing.

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