Twenty-First Century Foundation remains committed to the Gulf Coast through its new GOAL Initiative

Nearly four years after the storms, the stories about the people of the Gulf Coast are barely heard, especially those of Black and low-income people. For instance, news reports show New Orleans' Bourbon Street restored and bustling with tourism but they fail to venture to the Ninth Ward where parts look as if time stood still.

When the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, coupled with the discrepancy in economic equity was exposed to the world, Twenty-First Century Foundation (21CF) responded within days and began making grants to community-based organizations to provide relief to those affected. Within a three year period, 21CF managed to raise a total $6 million.

This success was made possible through collaboration with Gulf South Allied Funders (GSAF) whose three-year partnership with Women Donors Network (WDN), Resource Generation (RG) and Threshold Foundation organized donor activists across the nation and generated $4 million of the total amount raised.

While the challenges remain great, 21CF's support to grassroots community organizations through the Gulf Coast Organizing, Advocacy, and Leadership Initiative (GOAL) (formerly known as the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Initiative) has led to significant policy victories being won that have impacted the daily lives of countless Black and low-income residents throughout the Gulf Coast.  Just last fall, GOAL grantee organizations, through their work with the Equity and Inclusion campaign, ensured that funding provisions for affordable housing for low-income, elderly, and disabled populations were written into a federal emergency supplemental spending bill passed in Congress.recently won the establishment of an Office of the Independent Monitor, which is a newly formed body of independent experts who continuously evaluate the performance and policies of the entire police department and report directly to the mayor, the public, and the city council and who control the department's budget. On the local level, GOAL grantee organizations involved with the Safe Streets Strong Communities criminal justice policy reform campaign,

It is this level of commitment that earned 21CF the 2008 National Leadership in Action Award from W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The award specifically recognizes, celebrates and promotes outstanding philanthropic institutions and nonprofit organizations with innovative approaches to connecting resources of time, money, and know-how for philanthropic work by communities of color.

For 21CF, its commitment to the Gulf Coast is also reflective in its renaming the initiative through which the work is done. GOAL exemplifies the foundation's commitment to building strong organizations that are addressing the systemic barriers to opportunity that have affected life outcomes for entire communities of Black people.

For more on GOAL and how you can invest in 21CF's continued commitment to the Gulf Coast, email Erica Waples at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 212-662-3700 ext 210.