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85% Youths in prison that grew up in fatherless homes
75% Male patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
71% High school drop outs come from fatherless homes
H O W YO U C A N H E L P Contribute to Son of a Saint programs, educational outreach, or support services. + FEED A SON $25 donation + TUTORING $50 a session + SEND A BOY TO CAMP $250 donation + LAPTOP FOR LEARNING $500 donation
D O N AT E TO DAY ! S O N O FA S A I N T.O R G FOUNDER, BIVIAN “SONNY LEE III | SONNY @SONOFASAINT.ORG | 2803 ST. PHILIP ST. NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119
I N S P I R I N G M E N TO R S H I P A N D E N H A N C I N G T H E L I V E S O F FAT H E R L E S S B OY S All donations to Son of a Saint are tax-deductible under our 501 ( c ) (3) charitable status.
LETTER FROM THE
Publisher
In Gratitude, FROM A TO ZZZZS. RECENTLY, I ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OF A FAMILY FRIEND who was loved by many
— Jeanne Exnicios Foster PUBLISHER
P H OTO B Y C H E R Y L G E R B E R
in our community. Dr. Gene Zeller, a longtime New Orleans veterinarian, lived a life to be admired. Many New Orleanians who had been touched by his kind heart, charitable nature and community spirit showed up to pay their respects to a man who loved New Orleans, its people and their pets. During his eulogy, Dr. Zeller’s family reflected on a game he would play with his grandchildren, “Gratitude ABCs.” The children would be asked to name something for which they were thankful starting with each letter of the alphabet. By the end of the 26 letters they would feel relaxed and content. Scientific studies find that having gratitude and mindfulness is the secret to living a joyful life. I’ve recently made an effort to incorporate more reflection and positive thinking into my personal life. I
truly believe that saying thank you, and taking pause to appreciate the little things makes a difference during stressful times. After reading this year’s Guide to Giving, I now have 60 more items to add to my gratitude list, as it is the people who work for, volunteer for and give to these organizations that make New Orleans a better place. We hope that you enjoy reading this year’s Guide to Giving and that you feel inspired and grateful too. Save this guide, place it by your bedside and when you are having trouble sleeping, read the featured stories. Counting all the good things that are taking place in our city may work better than counting sheep. TUESDAY, NOV. 28 IS GIVING TUESDAY. Participate by visiting bestofneworleans.com/guidetogiving and share this digital edition to spread the word.
INDEX OF CHARITIES AND NON-PROFITS 504HealthNet .........35 Audubon Nature Institute ..................... 9 Autism Society of Greater New Orleans ...........35 Baptist Community Ministries Congregational Wellness..................31
Brett Thomas Doussan Foundation ................25
Humane Society of Louisiana .................26
Magnolia Community Services...................32
Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans ...........31
Innocence Project New Orleans ...........28
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Ruston .....................35
Communities in Schools of Greater New Orleans ...........23 Communities in Schools of Greater New Orleans ...........36
Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative ................... 14 Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana .................33
Belle Reve New Orleans ...........21
Covenant House NOLA .......................33
Junior League of New Orleans Diaper Bank ............24
Benevolent Enabler ...35
CrescentCare ......... 13
Levees.org ..............23
The Blood Center ..... 2
Daughters of Charity Health Centers ....... 16
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp ...............26
Boys Town Louisiana ................35 Boys Town Louisiana ................35 BreakOUT! ..............35 Breakthrough New Orleans ...........33
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Emeril Lagasse Foundation ..............22 Foundation for Entertainment Development & Education.............34 Good Work Network ..30
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Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations..........30 Louisiana Children’s Museum ..................30 Louisiana SPCA ...... 10 2017
The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana.............27 Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans ...........32
New Orleans Recreation Development Foundation .............. 12 Odyssey House Louisiana ................. 11 Opéra Louisiane .....35 Ozanam Inn .............30 Providence Community Housing......................32
New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity ...........25
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of South Louisiana ......31
New Orleans City Park .........................20
Sankofa Nature Trail and Wetland Park...33
New Orleans Family Justice Center.........35
Save Our Cemeteries .............35
New Orleans Museum of Art ........................32
Son of a Saint ............ 3
New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic & Assistance Foundation ................ 7
St. Michael Special School......................22
SpayMart .................24
Team Gleason ......... 17
Trinity Community Center ......................29 United Saints Recovery Project ....28 United Way of Southeast Louisiana ....18-19 University of New Orleans Alumni Association ............... 8 The Urban Conservancy ...........35 Volunteers of America® Greater New Orleans ...........27 Women’s Center for Healing & Transformation.......35 WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio ............ 15 Xavier University of Louisiana .................29 Youth Empowerment Project .....................31
GivingWELL BY LAURA RICKS
Donors should
research their causes
and have realistic expectations
NOW THAT THE DAYS ARE SHORTER, A LITTLE COLDER AND THE GIVING SEASON IS UPON US, you may be considering a donation to your favorite nonprofit or charity. Your practical side may also be looking ahead to tax time and deductions to list on your return. You’re not alone. Almost a third of all annual giving occurs in December, with 12 percent of those donations taking place on the last three days of the year, according to Neon, a company that creates software for nonprofits. Neon also reports that two-thirds of donors do no research on the organizations to which they give their money. What steps should a person take before making a donation? The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) has been linking philanthropists to needs in our area for more than 30 years. Carmen James, vice president for programs at GNOF, recommends these steps for people considering donating to a group, and her advice is echoed by organizations such as GuideStar,
Charity Navigator, Charity Watch and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance. All provide reports on individual nonprofits and charities to help people find effective and legitimate organizations.
Identify your passion and find organizations doing work that aligns with your beliefs. James suggests asking friends and/or reviewing social media sites and newsletters to find these organizations. Another caveat is not to choose a charity by name alone. Last year, Consumer Reports said the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, based in Washington, D.C. spent less than a third of the money it raised on its charitable programs. In contrast, St. Louis-based The Mission Continues, which also helps veterans, spent nearly 90 percent of its funds on its charitable programs — even though its name doesn’t make that clear, the magazine reported. There also are organizations that select names similar to well-known charities —
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experts VETTING
sometimes because they have the same mission and other times to deceive donors. Make sure you are clear which organization is receiving your donation.
Confirm the organization’s tax exempt status with the IRS
SITES TO HELP DONORS research nonprofits and charities
Exempt Organizations Select Check or GuideStar.
Do your due diligence. Nearly everyone has a pet cause or two, so it shouldn’t be hard to identify an area of need, whether it’s health, education, the environment or, say, guinea pig rescue (and, yes, there is a charity for that). Historically, religious groups receive the largest share of donations, mainly because people give to their local places of worship. Once you identify a particular area of concern, be aware that there likely are a number of nonprofits and charities purporting to support that cause. It’s up to you to ensure your money is spent wisely. Make sure the organization you choose has defined its mission and programs, has established measurable goals and uses concrete criteria to describe its accomplishments. Also, check to see whether the group has good administration by looking at board members, directors and staff and determining whether they motivate others. Finally, compare apples to apples, because the specific type of work an organization does can greatly affect its operating expenses. Operating and general expenses, or overhead, are things donors need to become knowledgeable about, too. “We’ve learned from grantee feedback that our nonprofits consistently need general operating funding more than they need specific program funding,” James says. “We encourage any donor to consider supporting the general operations of a nonprofit before putting a restriction on a donation. ... If an organization can’t support its operations or pay staff, they won’t be able to provide services.” That problem exists in part due to the socalled “overhead myth,” or the idea that low administrative costs are the sole mark of a good nonprofit. In 2013, GuideStar, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Navigator wrote an open letter to donors asking them to “consider the results (especially outcomes and impact) created by nonprofits, and to not judge solely on percent of charity expenses that go to administrative and fundraising costs.” These groups followed up the next year with a letter to nonprofits, reiterating the “overhead myth” problem and noting the “Nonprofit Starvation Cycle” in which donor demands, underinvestment in core costs and limited results hurt those organizations. To help end the “overhead myth,” GuideStar, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Charity
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IRS Exempt Organizations Select Check www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/ exempt-organizations-select-check Has information about whether an organization is tax exempt. Guidestar www.guidestar.org Information about every IRS-registered nonprofit organization.
Navigator asked nonprofits to do three things: demonstrate ethical practices and share performance data (i.e. show donors why they should trust the a nonprofit); manage with a focus on results and understand true costs; and educate those who fund the organization (individuals, foundations, corporations and government) about how much those results really cost. There are years when a nonprofit or charity is going to have to spend money on overhead and infrastructure, such as updating computer systems. “Some cost is OK,” says Paige Eubanks-Barrow, senior director donor relations and communications at the LSU Health Foundation New Orleans. “After all, many of these organizations need staff services to make the magic happen,” If you are a hardcore, data-driven giver and your main concern is to get the most bang for your buck, check out GiveWell, a nonprofit that creates a short list of thoroughly vetted charities that can prove they are effective. Even small donations can have an impact. “Gifts great and small are all great,” Eubanks-Barrow says. “In our industry we call them the ‘small and mighty’ because together they accomplish amazing things.” In the end, if you care about the cause and you’ve done your research, you really can’t go wrong. “Giving is a personal choice,” James says, “and we encourage donors to give to their passion and help where they feel the need is greatest. ...There are no mistakes in giving.” 2017
BBB Wise Giving Alliance www.give.org Reports on national charities with evaluations based on the group’s comprehensive Standards for Charity Accountability. Charity Watch www.charitywatch.org Nonprofit reporting group that bills itself as “America’s most independent, assertive charity watchdog.” Charity Navigator www.charitynavigator.org This nonprofit watchdog says it “has become the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities” and lists those groups about which it has concerns. Donor Bill of Rights www.aps.org/about/support/upload/ bill-rights.pdf Created by the Associations of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), along with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and The Giving Institute, this document is designed to abet philanthropy trust and donor confidence. AFP Code of Ethical Standards www.afpnet.org/files/contentdocuments/ codeofethics.pdf Violation of these standards can subject members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals to disciplinary sanctions. Louisiana Association of Nonprofits www.lano.org A go-to source for information, tools and resources for nonprofit organizations in the state and an advocate for Louisiana’s nonprofit sector. .
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University of New Orleans P.O. Box 60142 » New Orleans » www.give.uno.edu
The University of New Orleans is a comprehensive metropolitan research university committed to providing educational excellence to a diverse undergraduate and graduate student body. The University is one of the region’s foremost public resources, offering a variety of world-class, researchbased programs, advancing shared knowledge and adding to the region’s industry, culture and economy.
UNO Facts: • For six straight years, UNO has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s least debt list (schools whose graduates have the least amount of debt) among national universities. • UNO has educated students from all 64 Louisiana parishes, all 50 states in the United States and more than 130 countries. • Graduates of the University of New Orleans have the highest early career salaries of any university in Louisiana, according to a 2016 report from Payscale.com.
Giving Back and Reconnecting: More than 40,000 alumni live in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area- are you one of them? The University relies on donations of time and funds from alumni and community members to keep educating at our highest level. Please visit: give.uno.edu to help our students. To connect with your Privateer Family and receive the latest news from UNO and the UNO Alumni Association (including opportunities to volunteer!), please visit:www.unoalumni.com.
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(504) 280-2586
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Belle Reve New Orleans P.O. Box 3305, New Orleans, LA 70117 » www.bellereve.org/donate
(504) 945-9455
OUR MISSION MISSION:
The mission of Belle Reve is to provide housing for persons with disabilities, including those living with HIV/AIDS. Concern for quality of life and equal availability of services have been the founding principles of this agency, since 1993. Therefore, service delivery will not be influenced by race, gender, religion, age, or sexual orientation. Belle Reve provides both community housing and apartments for HIV+ individuals. We also provide three meals daily and supportive social services for every resident. Our Recovery Readiness Substance Abuse Program, our Life Skills Program and our Psychosocial Support Programs help each of our clients reach their individual goals. Our diverse staff includes licensed clinical social workers, administrators, fundraisers, and direct care providers. Our board members represent a wide range of talent, interests and ties to the HIV/AIDS field, including professors, epidemiologists, law professionals, community activists, an Infectious Disease doctor, a pharmacist, a pastoral counselor and other professions as well. Belle Reve is a nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status, and, as such, receives funding from federal grants, foundation grants, residents’ rent monies, donations and from fundraising. Belle Reve is grateful to all of its community sponsors, including many local businesses and nonprofits.
Belle Reve House
Belle Grace House
Belle Esprit Apartments
Services We Offer: • Permanent and Transitional Housing • 24 Hour Personal Care • Medication Adherence Counseling • Assistance with Activities of Daily Living • 3 Prepared Meals a Day • Social Activities/Recreation • Weekly Computer Class • Life Skills Training Program • Substance Abuse Program • Psychosocial Support Program • Case Management
“Where there was once despair and hopelessness, there is now HOPE, HEALTH, and NEW and BETTER ACHIEVEMENTS; more than I ever thought possible of myself!!!” -Quote from Belle Reve Resident
How to Help Help: Visit www.bellereve.org/donate Mail tax-deductible donation checks payable to Belle Reve to: P.O. Box 3305 New Orleans, LA 70177-3305 Belle Reve welcomes volunteer groups of all sizes ranging from small local groups of 2 or large spring break groups of 20. Call: (504) 945-9455 or Email: bellereve@bellerevenola.org For Upcoming Events Follow us on Facebook at @bellerevenola
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on of joy and giving pass without taking this lp change lives. Donate today by visiting www.xula. ogive, by calling 504-520-7575 or mailing a check or avier University. In doing so, you will help to ensure LEAVE READY to fulfill lives of leadership and service.
PREPARING OUR STUDENTS TO
LEAVEREADY
X UL A. E D U
Xavier University of Louisiana prepares students in all academic areas for success. Xavier students leave our university prepared to make a significant impact on a local, national and global scale. •
#1 in the nation in awarding bachelor’s degrees to African American students in the biological and biomedical sciences, the physical sciences, and physics.
•
A New York Times Op Ed piece, “America’s Great Working Class Colleges”, ranked Xavier No. 6 in the nation for social mobility and student transformation.
•
For six consecutive years, The Fiske Guide to Colleges has selected Xavier as a “Best Buy” for academics and affordability. Xavier is the only school in Louisiana and the only HBCU to receive this recognition.
DON’T LET THIS SEASON OF JOY AND GIVING PASS WITHOUT TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP CHANGE LIVES. DONATE TODAY. IN DOING SO, YOU WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS LEAVE READY TO FULFILL LIVES OF LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE.
WAYS TO GIVE TO XAVIER UNIVERSITY •
Via credit card, cash or stocks/securities at www.xula.edu/alumni/howtogive.html
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By calling 504-520-7575
•
Via check or money order payable to: Xavier University of Louisiana • P.O. Box 650658 Dallas, TX 75265-0658
BY THE NUMBERS:
LOW INCOME STUDENTS ARE:
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL
SUPPORT BY
4 YEARS BEHIND IN READING COMPREHENSION BY 12TH GRADE, ON AVERAGE.
VOLUNTEERING OR DONATING TODAY
WE BUILD SCHOLARS:
JOIN THE JOURNEY, BUILD OUR FUTURE:
MENTORS WALK ALONGSIDE STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTENCOLLEGE READING COMPREHENSION INCREASES 1.5 GRADES IN SUMMER CAMP TUTORING, ONE ON ONE
504.482.7822
TRINITY COMMUNITY CENTER CULTIVATING IMAGINATIONS, BUILDING OUR FUTURE G A M B I T ’ S
FILL A BACKPACK: $50 SEND A KID TO CAMP: $200 CODING INSTRUCTOR: $1000 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP: $1500 TCCNO.ORG
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Ozanam Inn 843 Camp Street Âť New Orleans , LA 70130 www.ozanaminn.org
Ozanam Inn comforts men, women and children who are facing hardship, by providing food, shelter, clothing and much more. We aim to help individuals realize that while they may be homeless, they are not hopeless. Through a variety of services, we help individuals find a renewed feeling of self-worth and hope. All services are offered free of charge; without regard to race, gender or creed.
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(504) 523-1184
WAYS TO GIVE: Monetary donations, clothing, food and household items are accepted.
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Magnolia Community Services Inc. (504) 731-1362
100 Central Avenue Âť Jefferson www.mcs-nola.org Magnolia Community Services, Inc. (formerly the Magnolia School) provides life and job skills training, safe and accessible housing in 39 group homes and independent/ family home settings, recreation, sports and wellness services to uphold the dignity and wellbeing of people with developmental disabilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome.
MISSION:
To provide the highest quality of service, leadership and advocacy for individuals with developmental disabilities in the Greater New Orleans area.
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300 N. Broad St. Ste.106 (504) 293-7900 New Orleans, 70119 darrell.johnson@boystown.org www.boystown.org
Date
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GiveNOLA Day T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
National Philanthropy Day® (NPD)
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