NEW ORLEANS — Impact 100, the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s women’s giving circle, has awarded its 2025 $100,000 transformative grant to People’s Housing+, Inc. The announcement was made Nov. 17 after four local nonprofits presented proposals for how they would use the annual award.
People’s Housing+ Receives Top Grant
People’s Housing+ (PH+) was formed through a strategic merger funded and facilitated by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The merger combined three New Orleans-based community development groups to increase scale, impact and the ability to address racial equity in housing. The organization focuses on permanent housing affordability, housing subsidies and anti-displacement strategies.
PH+ will use the grant to launch the People’s Housing+ Cares Emergency Loan Fund, which will offer 0% interest loans with flexible repayment terms to homeowners in its network. The fund is intended to help families manage unexpected costs such as insurance increases, storm-related deductibles, medical bills, car repairs or other emergencies.
With an average loan size of $2,500, the program is expected to serve about 40 families at a time. Because loan repayments will be reinvested into the fund, the $100,000 award is designed to function as an ongoing, evergreen resource.
Three Runners-Up Awarded $23,333 Each
The three other nonprofits that presented at the event — Grow Dat Youth Farm, Sankofa Community Development Corporation and Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) — each received a $23,333 grant. All participating organizations also received pitch training and a profile video created by the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC).
Grow Dat Youth Farm operates on City Park’s grounds and focuses on developing young leaders through urban agriculture. The organization employs local teenagers in paid leadership and farming roles, combining job training with food production. Its programs supply fresh produce to the community while providing workforce experience for youth.
Sankofa Community Development Corporation, based in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, works to improve access to fresh food, health resources and environmental programs in under-resourced neighborhoods. Its initiatives include community gardens, a fresh food market, and health education programs aimed at improving long-term community wellness.
Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) provides free, one-on-one literacy tutoring to local elementary students. The nonprofit partners with schools to support early readers who need additional help developing foundational skills, with the goal of improving literacy rates and academic confidence across the region.
Impact 100 Marks 13 Years of Grantmaking
Impact 100 brings together more than 100 local women who each commit to giving $1,100 annually to collectively award one major grant. Now in its 13th year, the group has distributed more than $1.725 million to nonprofits across the Greater New Orleans region.
