Is it Too Late for Louisiana?
"Maybe it's too late for Louisiana."
I was in a conversation with philanthropic funders shortly after the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais. I understood the sentiment. The ruling certainly makes it harder for many historically excluded communities to vote for fair and equal representation on decisions that shape their access to housing, economic opportunity, health care, and safe neighborhoods.
In a moment when executive orders, court decisions, and policy changes seem to be unraveling years of hard-won progress, it is easy to feel exhausted. Fatigue can look like hopelessness. Setbacks can feel permanent.
But to me, that comment revealed a deeper tension. The moments when communities face the greatest barriers are often the moments when investment matters most. If philanthropy retreats when conditions become more difficult, the people and organizations working closest to communities are left with fewer resources precisely when they need them most.
And we know that what happens in Louisiana often doesn't stay in Louisiana. Many policy changes that start here eventually reach other states.
That’s why what we do in response to inequitable policy decisions has the same opportunity for national reach.
What gives me hope is that I continue to see funders, nonprofits, and community leaders coming together around issues ranging from civic engagement and wellbeing to climate resilience and economic development.
The response from many members of the Greater New Orleans Funders Network has not been to retreat; it has been adaptation, as they pursue change despite the barrage of challenges. Examples of this spirit of adaptation and sustained commitment are already visible across our network:
The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation recently reaffirmed its commitment to long-term, flexible investment and expanded the use of mission-aligned capital to build power and opportunity across the South. Following the Supreme Court's decision in Callais v. Louisiana, CEO Flozell Daniels, Jr. called on philanthropy to deepen investments in democracy, civic participation, and racial equity.
United Way of Southeast Louisiana shared a bold new goal: to place 100,000 individuals living below the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) Threshold on a pathway to prosperity by 2035. Its framework is centered on creating pathways to financial stability, health, and opportunity through collective action. UWSELA is bringing together businesses, nonprofits, government, and residents around a shared long-term vision for strengthening wellbeing across the region.
The Kresge Foundation is supporting Clover's new Collaborative of Resources and Empowerment (CORE), an initiative designed to bring education, health, workforce, legal, and family services together in one place. By investing in coordinated, community-based infrastructure, Kresge is helping strengthen the nonprofit ecosystem and make critical supports easier for New Orleans families to access.
Across our network, members are choosing action over retreat, and long-term commitment over short-term uncertainty.
If philanthropy's role is to invest where the need is greatest and where others may be unwilling to act, then this is precisely the moment to stay engaged – pool and align resources, leverage social capital, and advocate.
The opportunity is not to reverse every setback overnight. It is to strengthen community leadership and infrastructure that will shape Louisiana's future for years to come. John Lewis told us, "We are made for the long haul and cannot give up because of the difficulties we face."
So, what is my answer when someone suggests it’s too late for Louisiana?
It’s only too late if we decide to give up.