Empowering Youth with NOYA
Centering community voice and needs is a critical aspect of GNOFN’s grantmaking process. Our approach to tackling the pressing needs of the Greater New Orleans community relies on the input and recommendations our members receive from the GNOFN Action Tables. Our work with the New Orleans Youth Alliance (NOYA) gives us a real-life example of how our members utilize GNOFN’s Action Tables to activate their philanthropic efforts.
In 2021, GNOFN's Black Men & Boys (BM&B) Action Table learned of an opportunity to increase participatory grantmaking with New Orleans youth through NOYA. The idea was simple: democratize grantmaking and empower NOYA’s Youth Leadership Fellows by giving them the ability to make grants to youth-serving organizations. The Rebuilding Our Village Youth Fund was born. The fund would be designed and managed by the NOYA Fellows to support youth-led projects and initiatives that address economic stability, health and well-being, safety and justice.
GNOFN members jumped at the chance to bring this vision to life. Scot Spencer, Associate Director for Local Policy at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and a BM&B Action Table participant, awarded a grant to NOYA to support the overall Fellowship. Toya Randall, Senior Director of Community Initiatives for Casey Family Programs and the BM&B Action Table Co-Chair, awarded a grant to the Action Table, which members allocated to NOYA for the Fellows’ grantmaking. The BM&B Action Table served as the conduit to facilitate two of the Casey philanthropies, aligning and coordinating their grantmaking in support of their shared mission of improving the lives of children. In Spring 2023, the BM&B Action Table provided an additional grant to NOYA to support its youth-led policy advocacy.
The partnership between the Black Men & Boys (BM&B) Action Table and NOYA illustrates how a collaborative philanthropic approach can drive tangible change. The GNOFN model brings together funders with a shared goal of promoting equity and increasing justice. The GNOFN Action Tables are the vehicle through which GNOFN members and our community provide input on how to achieve those goals.
When we bring multiple perspectives and ideas to the Action Table, we see increased cultural, political, and social power for communities to influence the decisions that affect their lives.
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