WGNO

Pro Bono Publico Foundation awards $1M in grants to support NOLA schools

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

Thursday’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 million and brings the cumulative grant total to more than $9.3M through 14 grant cycles. 

As the Rex Organization prepares for its 150th anniversary in 2022, the PBPF looks forward to breaking the $10M 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.  

Below is the list of the 74 institutions receiving grants from the PBPF’s 2020 -2021 grant cycle.

“The Pro Bono Publico Foundation’s donors, as well as other local foundations that we partner with, recognize the importance of this investment in our children and our future, especially this year during the national pandemic,” said Storey Charbonnet, the chairman of the foundation and Rex 2020. 

“We have made tremendous progress, but we recognize there is much work still to do to ensure excellence in all of our schools,” continued Charbonnet. “We look forward to breaking through the $10,000,000 mark in the Rex Organization’s 150th anniversary year next year.”