Continuing its ongoing commitment to invest in New Orleans public schools and high-quality public education, today the Pro Bono Publico Foundation (“PBPF”) announced its 2020 -2021 grants totaling $1,000,000 to 74 recipients.

Today’s virtual grant award ceremony, which included PBPF board members and representatives of schools and organizations receiving grants, was joined by more than 80 participants.

This year’s award ceremony marked the sixth consecutive year PBPF grants totaled $1,000,000 and brings the cumulative grant total to more than $9,300,000 through 14 grant cycles. As the Rex Organization prepares for its 150th anniversary in 2022, the PBPF looks forward to breaking the $10,000,000 mark for cumulative grants since its founding following Hurricane Katrina.

Through the foundation’s grants to schools, supporting organizations, and its Strategic Innovation Grant that helps retain and recruit high-quality teachers across New Orleans’ public charter system, it touches institutions serving all 49,000 of our city’s public charter school students. The foundation’s 74 grants this year include 9 charter management organizations responsible for 48 schools; 22 individual charter schools; 9 other schools, including several serving children with special needs; 25 organizations that provide supporting services to students and schools; 5 policy and advocacy organizations; and 4 college support organizations.

View press release for full details and list of recipients.

The Pro Bono Publico Foundation (PBPF,) the Rex Organization’s public education philanthropy association, has announced the establishment of a special Covid-19 Investment Fund with an initial grant of $50,000 to help provide needed laptops, smart tablets and home internet connectivity for public school children.

Foundation officials said the funding grant will go to the New Orleans Technology Access Fund to specifically support school-based distance learning objectives as school children remain home during the current Coronavirus pandemic crisis.

PBPF’s technology grant will support efforts already underway by NOLA Public Schools to purchase thousands of laptops and facilitate placement in student homes across the community. The school system partnered with New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO) to create the Technology Access Fund to increase investment in computer hardware and to accelerate distance learning content development and sharing across the New Orleans public schools’ landscape.

PBPF has donated more than $8 million since 2007, including more than $1 million annually for the past five years, to support New Orleans public school education, primarily charter schools, charter management organizations and school support entities like NSNO and Teach for America. Most of the Foundation’s philanthropic funds are raised from annual donations from members of the city’s Rex Organization.

“We understand clearly how the current health crisis and closed schools mandate have left public education officials searching for ways to support the ‘new world’ of distance learning for all students,” commented PBPF Chairman Storey Charbonnet. “A major focus has been to add home-based technology capacity, an obvious challenge for many students who lack computer access and connectivity in their homes to begin with.”

“We are really gratified to partner with NOLA Public Schools and NSNO in this technology endeavor, because we know the money will be used for the right purposes for those who really need the assistance right now. We encourage others—individuals, corporations and foundations—to join us in offering support to our young learners.”

NOLA Public Schools Supt. Dr. Henderson Lewis commented: “It is imperative that all of our children have the technology they need to continue their high-quality learning. NOLA-PS truly appreciates the support of the Pro Bono Publico Foundation, as we could not do this work without our close partnerships and ties to the community of New Orleans.”

NSNO CEO Patrick Dobard echoed Lewis’ view that technology is the indispensable factor for student learning in today’s unprecedented times, and that partnership support from private entities is essential.  “PBPF has been the example of what local foundations can do when they come together and share a true mission and vision for education excellence for all children,” he said.  “With this grant funding, along with funding from other local and national funders, NOLA-PS will have additional resources to provide children the technology they deserve.”

Continuing its ongoing commitment to invest in New Orleans Public Schools and high-quality public education, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation awarded 2019-20 grants totaling $1.057 million to 71 recipients.

The awards ceremony, held at the Rex den on January 11, marks the fifth consecutive year PBPF grants will total at least $1 million and brings the cumulative grant total to more than $8.3 million through 13 grant cycles.

The 71 grants benefit schools serving a total of more than 35,000 students and include 10 charter management organizations responsible for 39 schools, 20 individual charter schools and nine other schools, including several serving children with special needs. The Foundation also supports 22 organizations which provide supporting services to students and schools as well as six policy and advocacy organizations and 4 college support organizations.

The Pro Bono Publico Foundation (probonopublicofoundation.org) was formed by members of the Rex Organization (rexorganization.com) as New Orleans recovered from Hurricane Katrina. 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, as the 2019 grant total marks the eighth consecutive year the PBPF grants exceed half a million dollars and the fifth year grants have totaled at least $1 million.

Last year, Foundation officials adjusted the grantmaking approach to allow for innovative, strategic “game-changing” grants.  It became clear the greatest system-wide need was the ability to recruit and retain great teachers.  New Schools for New Orleans was awarded a 3-year grant to support that work with a goal to reduce teacher attrition by 5 percentage points by the end of 2020.

“Our donors recognize the importance of this investment in our children and our future. The Foundation’s commitment as a key local funder of school transformation and our recent focus on teacher retention helps attract critical national support,” Foundation Chairman Storey Charbonnet said. “We have made tremendous progress, but we recognize that there is much work still to do to assure excellence in all of our schools. Our investment of at least $1 million dollars five years in a row, and more than $8.3 million in total, is evidence of our support toward that goal.”

The grants show the determined efforts of Rex members and the PBPF to assure all of New Orleans’ children can attend excellent schools. These schools, and organizations supporting their important work, have been the focus of PBPF’s investment, as well as the commitment of dozens of Rex members serving on their boards.

Quick Facts:

• 2019-20 grants total $1.057 million and giving since 2007 exceeds $8.3 million
• This is the fifth consecutive year the Pro Bono Publico Foundation has awarded at least $1 million in grants, and the ninth consecutive year grants have exceeded $500,000.
• 2019-20 grants awarded to 71 grantees
• Through a grant to the NORD Foundation, the PBPF continues to sponsor activities at Taylor Playground, adjacent to the Rex Den
• Grants from the Pro Bono Publico Foundation support organizations which serve our community’s children from “cradle to college”

For the 4th consecutive year, Pro Bono Publico Foundation has awarded $1 million in grants supporting Greater New Orleans schools and education initiatives.

In an event attended by educators and their families at the Rex den, leaders of the PBPF awarded $ 1million dollars in grants to 68 recipients for the 2018-19 grant cycle.

The awards ceremony marked the fourth consecutive year PBPF grants will total $1 million and brings the cumulative grant total to more than $7.5 million through 12 grant cycles.

The 68 grants benefit schools serving a total of more than 35,000 students and include nine charter management organizations responsible for 44 schools, 18 individual charter schools and nine other schools, including several serving children with special needs. The Foundation also supports 23 organizations which provide supporting services to students and schools as well as six policy and advocacy organizations.

The Pro Bono Publico Foundation (probonopublicofoundation.org) was formed by members of the Rex Organization (rexorganization.com) as New Orleans recovered from Hurricane Katrina. 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, as the 2019 grant total marks the eighth consecutive year the PBPF grants exceed half a million dollars.

Additionally, the Pro Bono Publico Foundation has established a Strategic Innovation Fund which will award larger grants and carry the potential to more broadly impact its education mission.
“Our donors recognize the importance of this investment in our children and our future. The Foundation’s commitment as a key local funder of school transformation helps attract critical national support,” Foundation Chairman Storey Charbonnet said. “We have made tremendous progress, but we recognize that there is much work still to do to assure excellence in all of our schools. Our investment of $1 million dollars four years in a row, and $7.5 million in total, is evidence of our commitment to support that work.”

The grants support the commitment of Rex members and the PBPF to assure all of New Orleans’ children can attend excellent schools. Nearly all of New Orleans students now attend public charter schools. These schools, and organizations supporting their important work, have been the focus of PBPF’s investment, as well as the commitment of dozens of Rex members serving on their boards.

Quick Facts:
• 2018-19 grants total $1 million and giving since 2007 exceeds $7.5 million
• This is the fourth consecutive year the Pro Bono Publico Foundation has awarded $1 million in grants, and the eighth consecutive year grants have exceeded $500,000.
• 2018-19 grants awarded to 68 grantees
• Through a grant to the NORD Foundation, the PBPF continues to sponsor activities at Taylor Playground, adjacent to the Rex Den
• Grants from the Pro Bono Publico Foundation support organizations which serve our community’s children from the “cradle to college”