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The Pro Bono Publico Foundation Announces Grants Totaling More Than $1.2 Million to Support Greater New Orleans Schools and Education

January 18th, 2025

Continuing its ongoing investments in New Orleans public schools and high-quality public education, today, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation (PBPF) announced that, for the tenth consecutive year, it has awarded grants and fulfilment of installments of multi-year strategic commitments in excess of $1 million.

This over $1.2 million investment, in the Foundation’s 18th grant cycle, represents the sustained commitment of Rex members in support of Greater New Orleans students and educators. Since its founding in 2006, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation’s giving exceeds $15 million, making the Foundation one of the key local funders of efforts to support and improve our public schools. Today’s annual Foundation announcement at the Rex Den on South Claiborne Avenue included representatives from the PBPF’s board, schools and organizations receiving grants, and members of the Rex Organization.

Most of the Foundation’s giving has been focused on operational grants that serve to support the important work being done in our schools. These grants provide school leaders additional funds to do what they would not otherwise be able to do, allowing them to further enrich their students’ experience.

More recently, the Foundation created a Strategic Innovation Fund designed to make larger strategic investments aimed at addressing some of our more pressing challenges and high-leverage opportunities. Examples of the Foundation’s larger, strategic, three-year commitments include a grant to New Schools for New Orleans to assure our city’s charter schools attract and retain excellent leaders and teachers and a grant to the Greater New Orleans Foundation to support charter board training and development. Multi-year commitments are reviewed annually for performance, and the Foundation anticipates a shift to making more strategic investments in the coming years to help New Orleans’ school children reach their full educational potential.

Merritt Lane, a member of the Foundation’s board, said, “The Pro Bono Publico Foundation’s donors, as well as other local foundations we partner with, recognize the importance of this investment in our children and our future,” said “We have made tremendous progress, but we recognize there is much work still to do to ensure excellence in all of our schools. Consistent with the Rex Organization’s motto Pro Bono Publico, for the public good, and for the benefit of New Orleans’ school children, we are very pleased this year to make grants and multi-year commitments totaling over $1.2 million.”

Dana Peterson, the Chief Executive Officer of New Schools for New Orleans, said, “I want to thank the Pro Bono Publico Foundation for their continued investment in New Schools for New Orleans. At NSNO, we dream of a day when every child in New Orleans can attend an incredible public school that meets their unique needs and is filled with great educators supporting them to reach their dreams. We are grateful to have the Pro Bono Publico Foundation as a partner in helping to make that dream a reality. The incredible progress our schools have made over the past years would not be possible without the direct investment and support of the Rex Organization and its members. Through the PBPF support in New Schools for New Orleans, we can ensure young people in New Orleans can access strong schools and programs to support their learning, build a sustainable teacher workforce by growing the next generation great educators in New Orleans, and advocate for key policy solutions that keep kids and educators at the center. The commitment the PBPF is making to public schools and support organizations is a true testament to their motto, Pro Bono Publico, for the public good.”

2024-2025 Grants By the Numbers:

  • 66 total grants, consisting of 64 operational grants, one strategic grant to New Schools for New Orleans, and one strategic grant to the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
  • $984,300 will fund 64 annual operational grants.
  • $241,667 will fund the third year of a multi-year strategic grant to the Greater New Orleans Foundation and New Schools for New Orleans; the first- and second-year commitments to these two organizations funded over the last two years totaled $483,334.
  • $1,225,967 total of 2024-2025 grants.
  • More than $15 million in total giving through 18 grant cycles.
  • Tenth consecutive year of grants totaling more than $1 million.

About the Pro Bono Publico Foundation

Responding to the community’s needs during the difficulties of Reconstruction, the Rex Organization was founded by a group of civic-minded individuals in 1872, over 150 years ago. Responding to the community’s needs during the difficulties of recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation was founded by members of the Rex Organization in 2006. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the Foundation has been able to make a sustained and meaningful investment in support of our community’s public schools and its students. The Foundation’s grants and commitments show the determined efforts of Rex members and the Foundation’s supporters to ensure all of New Orleans’ children can attend excellent schools. These schools, and organizations supporting their important work, have been the focus of the Foundation’s investment, as well as the commitment of dozens of Rex members serving on their boards.

Pro Bono Publico Foundation 2024-2025 Grantees

  1. 18th Ward
  2. Agenda for Children
  3. alingnED New Orleans
  4. Audubon Charter School
  5. Belle Chasse Academy
  6. Benjamin Franklin High School
  7. Breakthrough N O (fiscal agent: Isidore Newman)
  8. Bricolage
  9. Café Reconcile
  10. Citizens’ Committee for Education dba Homer A. Plessy
  11. City Year
  12. Clover
  13. College Beyond New Orleans
  14. Collegiate Academies (Sci Academy)
  15. Crescent City Schools
  16. Discovery Schools
  17. Early Partners
  18. Educare
  19. Education Pioneers
  20. Education Reform Now Louisiana
  21. Elan Academy Charter School
  22. First Line Schools
  23. Foundation for Science and Math Education
  24. Greater New Orleans Foundation**
  25. Greater New Orleans STEM Initiative dba Core Element
  26. Hynes Charter Schools
  27. InspireNOLA Charter
  28. Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy
  29. KID smart
  30. KIPP New Orleans
  31. Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools
  32. Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
  33. Lake Forest Charter
  34. Live Oak Wilderness Camp
  35. Louisiana Charter School Alliance (GNO Collaborative of Charter Schools)
  36. Lycée Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans
  37. Morris Jeff Community School
  38. New Harmony High
  39. New Orleans Career Center
  40. New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA)
  41. New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy
  42. New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute
  43. New Schools for New Orleans*
  44. Raphael Academy
  45. Rivet School
  46. ReNEW Charter Management
  47. Son of a Saint
  48. Special Education Leadership Fellowship (SELF)
  49. St. Augustine
  50. St. Mary’s Academy
  51. St. Michael Special School
  52. St. Stephen’s
  53. Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR)
  54. STEM Library Lab
  55. Success Preparatory Academy
  56. TFA Teach for America – GNO
  57. The Bright School
  58. The Good Shepherd School
  59. The Posse Foundation
  60. The Roots of Music
  61. Tulane University Cowen Institute
  62. Warren Easton Charter High School
  63. Young Audiences
  64. Youth Empowerment Project
  65. Youth Force NOLA
  66. Youth Run NOLA

* New Schools for New Orleans is receiving the third fulfilment of a performance-based, multi-year, strategic grant pledge in support of NSNO’s teacher recruitment and retention efforts.
** The Greater New Orleans Foundation is receiving annual fulfilment of a performance-based, multi-year, strategic grant pledge to support charter board member training and development.