United Way of Southeast Louisiana

About United Way of Southeast Louisiana

A defining feature of United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s recent grantmaking is its mix of grant funding and designated gifts, with major support flowing to New Orleans-based organizations working on poverty-related needs. In the latest grants list, Children's Bureau of New Orleans received $303,517 in 2025, while Heroes of New Orleans received $300,000 in 2024. Other large awards went to Travelers Aid Society, Xavier University, Silence Is Violence, and Second Harvest Food Bank, showing a portfolio that reaches across service delivery, education, food access, and crisis response. The foundation’s public mission centers on eradicating poverty in Southeast Louisiana by preparing people for quality jobs, growing incomes, and expanding access to better health, education, and financial stability. That framing matches the organizations it funds: community groups, health and human services providers, and cross-sector partners that address immediate needs alongside longer-term stability. Its grants list also shows repeated support for several recipients over multiple years, indicating ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. A number of recipients are based in New Orleans, but the funding pattern extends to nearby parishes and other parts of Southeast Louisiana through collaborative and programmatic grantmaking.

What United Way of Southeast Louisiana Funds

Workforce and financial stability are central to the foundation’s portfolio. Youth Empowerment Project received $213,629 in 2025 for designated gifts, and $167,817 in 2023 plus $166,530 in 2024 for grant funding and designated gifts, pointing to repeated support for youth-serving work. New Orleans Career Center also received $100,218 in 2025, reinforcing the emphasis on job readiness and pathways to employment. Health, crisis response, and basic-needs support appear alongside that workforce focus. Louisiana Public Health Institute received $215,000 in 2025 for grant funding, while Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans received $105,951 in 2024. Emergency and recovery-oriented work also shows up through awards to Northlake Homeless, Plaquemines Community Care Center, and Resolve Grants programming in Southeast Louisiana. The foundation’s collaborative grants additionally point to systems-change work tied to youth development, mental health, and financial empowerment.

How United Way of Southeast Louisiana Gives