Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans
Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans supports local nonprofits funding youth arts experiences, equitable youth mental health services, and direct food access to address community challenges.
This grant was recently updated
Plan to submit your LOI by September 24, 2026—not the previously projected September 2027 date; if invited, your full application is due November 2, 2026. Site visits are scheduled for November 3–6, with final grant updates on November 20; check the program page for schedule changes. Arts & Culture funding is now described as supporting direct services and programming.
Funder: Greater New Orleans Foundation
Due Dates: September 24, 2026 (LOI) | November 2, 2026 (Invited full application) | November 3–6, 2026 (Site visits) | November 20, 2026 (Final updates)
Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000 in each of three focus areas in 2026
Summary: EPNO supports Greater New Orleans nonprofits providing youth arts experiences, equitable youth mental health services, and direct food access.
Key Information: Applicants must have 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor, be within the Foundation’s 13-parish service area, and generally have budgets of $1,000,000 or less.
Description
Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans (EPNO) is a Greater New Orleans Foundation program that uses the Giving Circle model to support organizations addressing community challenges. Through a six-month program, locally engaged individuals learn about nonprofits and grantmaking, develop funding priorities in impact teams, review proposals, conduct site visits, and collectively allocate grants. The program aims to connect emerging leaders with nonprofits and the wider community while fostering effective, lifelong philanthropy.
The 2026 grantmaking teams focus on Arts & Culture, Health, and Human Rights & Justice. Their priorities are arts experiences that support young people’s well-being, equitable access to mental health care and education for underserved youth, and flexible food access for people experiencing gaps or reductions in the public safety net.
