NEW ORLEANS —For the second year in a row, Hancock Whitney, in partnership with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is offering competitive grant opportunities to help nonprofits broaden community development efforts across the five Gulf South states the bank serves. The competitive grants, which were detailed in a press release, are part of Hancock Whitney’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program.
Hancock Whitney supports nonprofits—501 (c)(3) organizations—serving 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and non-MSAs in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Last year 12 nonprofits in four states earned Hancock Whitney competitive grants totaling $140,000. Funding for the 2019 competitive grant program totals $200,000.
“Hancock Whitney was founded to help people achieve their dreams. We’re pleased to partner again with the Greater New Orleans Foundation to help people succeed and communities grow,” said Hancock Whitney director of CRA and community affairs Sunada Brookins. “Last year—the inaugural year for the competitive grant program—provided much in the way of programmatic impact for several community organizations along the Gulf Coast. This year, we’re able to increase total funding to help create more opportunities critical to empowering people and helping communities.”
Hancock Whitney will consider grant requests from eligible 501 (c)(3) organizations for (1) affordable housing construction and rehabilitation that create new units or sustain existing units for low-to-moderate-income individual; (2) programs that support small businesses with revenues of $1 million or less by creating opportunities for expansion of existing businesses; and (3) youth programs for low-to-moderate-income individuals that provide job training, entrepreneurship training, and internship opportunities. Regulatory agencies define low-to-moderate-income, or LMI, as 80 percent and below the area median income (AMI).
The Greater New Orleans Foundation manages the grant application process. Hancock Whitney reviews applications and awards grants to qualifying nonprofits according to a competitive assessment that measures overall community impact.
How to apply
From now through Wednesday, July 31, 2019, eligible 501 (c)(3) organizations located in one of Hancock Whitney’s 25 assessment areas in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas can apply digitally for competitive grants of up to $25,000 through the Greater New Orleans Foundation online application portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=gnof.
All applications are due via the online portal no later than July 31. The Greater New Orleans Foundation will only accept applications submitted electronically. Applications received after the deadline will be ineligible for review.
The application process requires a tax identification number and includes a review for current standing with the Internal Revenue Service. By submitting a proposal, non-profit organizations consent to sharing their application, financial information, and other details related to their application with Hancock Whitney and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Application documents are stored electronically.
Learn before applying
The Greater New Orleans Foundation technology partner, Foundant, created a brief tutorial for applicants at https://www.foundant.com/tutorials/. Hancock Whitney and the Foundation strongly encourage all applicants to watch this video before beginning a new application to better understand the application process.
