Friends of New Orleans is a private, non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization for people in the U.S. and abroad who care about the region. Our mission is to advocate for New Orleans and its surrounding parishes, inform people of those key issues that are shaping the national debate and decision making of the rebuilding effort, link individuals who want to help with the communities in the devastated areas and motivate people to take part in the rebuilding effort.

1. There is a lot of excitement and energy throughout.  In the words of Tim Williamson, President of Idea Village, the city of New Orleans is an incredible laboratory for social innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
2. All of these neighborhoods and nonprofits have been able to accomplish amazing things, under incredible stress and with scarce resources and a lack of capacity.   Many have developed cutting edge models for how to do things right and they want to share it with others around the world.  Whether we are talking disaster recovery, citizenry engagement and leadership, economic development, public school reform, green building, arts and science education, or the power of volunteerism, New Orleans is setting the trend for the rest of the nation to follow.
3. Frustration is highest with the State of Louisiana.  While everyone is disgusted with the Mayor's Office, these leaders feel that there is no vision or leadership coming out of Baton Rouge.  Furthermore, they have all said they need resources and training so that they can do their own advocacy at the city, state and federal levels.
4. Their greatest fear right now is that the incredible recovery that is taking place in the region will stall and run out of gas due to: a) the economic downturn, which is affecting their private funding; b) the nightmare of dealing with the City's dysfunctional bureaucracy; and c) the roadblocks to funds promised or controlled by the State.
5. Other observations that must be noted include:
1. The high quality and number of AmeriCorps members now working in the city, and how this program has helped local organizations "leap frog" in their own organizational development, enabling them to expand their reach and level of services in a short period of time.
2. The high number of energetic and enthusiastic volunteers, from across the nation and beyond, that are still pouring into NOLA everyday and whose potential has not been harnessed effectively by local organizations in terms of PR, advocacy and fundraising.
3. The rich knowledge base that exists at the neighborhood level which needs to be shared and spread around the city and beyond.  And the unfortunate tendency of human beings to work in "silos" because they are too stressed, trying to keep their own lives together, or they don't have the time to look around or reach out to others because they are too busy getting the work done in their own back yard.

1. FONO needs to use its incredible "bully pulpit" to put a national spotlight on all the exciting activity that is taking place in New Orleans.  This is the nation's laboratory and a lot of successful and exciting things are happening there now that people need to know about and support.  In addition to putting a spot light on the region, we need to continue linking donors to the neighborhood leaders and the local organizations that are doing important work.
2. FONO needs to work with local and/or national donors to secure funding for an advocacy seminar or series of workshops that will train local leaders how to do effective public advocacy work for their neighborhoods and organizations at the city, state and federal levels.  In addition, FONO needs to find monies for these leaders to hire people that can track local legislation and help them get the information they need to navigate the complicated bureaucracy that stands between them and the government funding they need.
3. FONO needs to work with local and national donors to secure funding for a "Neighborhood Summit" so that leaders from different parts of the region can come together and meet, share information, network, learn and mentor others that have not been able to reach that level of activity yet.  Let's give them the opportunity to come together and let the "magic" happen.
4. FONO needs to work with local and national donors to secure more funding for the internal capacity building of these neighborhood groups and nonprofit organizations.  Whether it is learning how to harness the power of volunteers, do individual fundraising, strategic planning or board governance, they need the funds to be able to learn, hire the staff or technical assistance they need, and get the work done.

To connect with a partner organization, click here.

Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.)
www.gnoinc.org

The Idea Village
www.ideavillage.org

Kingsley House
www.kingsleyhouse.org

Levees.org
www.levees.org

Market Umbrella
www.marketumbrella.org

Marsh Mission
www.marshmission.com

Neighborhoods Partnership Network (NPN)
www.npnnola.com

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA)
www.nocca.com

New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau
www.neworleanscvb.com

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation
www.jazzandheritage.org

New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC)
www.novacvideo.org

New Schools for New Orleans
newschoolsforneworleans.org

Operation Comeback/PRC
www.prcno.org/programs/operationcomeback/

Parkway Partners Program
parkwaypartnersnola.org

Phoenix of New Orleans
www.pnola.org

Rebuilding Together New Orleans
www.rtno.org

St. Bernard Project
www.stbernardproject.org

Tipitina's Foundation
www.tipitinasfoundation.org

Women of the Storm
www.womenofthestorm.net

To connect with a neighborhood organization, click here.

Friends of New Orleans is proud to support and collaborate with the following local organizations:

For more information on the events, click here.

Formed shortly after the storms in November 2005, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans is a voice for change and renewal for Greater New Orleans and Louisiana. The group serves as a platform and resource for citizens to take action to rebuild Greater New Orleans. Its founders, a group of citizens who were enraged after the state legislature failed to pass levee board reforms after the storms, have brought about positive regional change.

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, at a construction site for local nonprofit St. Bernard Project, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) presented the organization with a Hero of the Storm award for its efforts to help the residents of St. Bernard parish rebuild and move back to their homes post hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The St. Bernard Project has been chosen as the fourth recipient of the award by Friends of New Orleans (FONO), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that advocates for New Orleans and its surrounding parishes.

April 21 - Friends of New Orleans (FONO), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that advocates for New Orleans and its surrounding parishes, today announced that The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation (NOJHF) will be the third recipient of its Hero of the Storm award. NOJHF, the 501(c)(3) arm of the world famous festival, is being recognized for its outstanding efforts to preserve Louisiana’s local arts culture.