Gulf Oil Spill Donations Going to New Orleans Nonprofits

One of the worst oil spills in history occurred when British Petroleum's (BP) Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, setting off a long clean-up process in the the region.  The spill not only affected the wildlife, but also local businesses and communities.  Communities are still recovering two years later, but help is on the way.

The Times-Picayune reported last week that nine New Orleans, La.-based nonprofits will receive the last $2.2 million of a fund meant to help local communities affected by the spill.  The Greater New Orleans Foundation made the disbursements and is responsible for donating $5 million of the $25-million Fund for Gulf Communities, established by an anonymous donor through Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.  The remaining $20 million will be distributed by five other organizations associated with groups in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Here is a list of the organizations receiving the funds:

• The Children's Bureau of New Orleans -- $250,000
• The Partnership for Youth Development -- $299,708
• The Youth Empowerment Project -- $210,548
• The Mercy Family Center -- $274,500
• Grow Dat -- $214,586
• The Latino Farmers' Collaborative of Louisiana -- $125,857
• The South Central Industrial Association -- $374,000
• The Houma Regional Arts Council -- $240,447
• Bayou Grace Communities Service -- $241,850

The Greater New Orleans Foundation distributed $2.4 million last year to 12 nonprofit organizations.  Overall, 21 nonprofits in the metro New Orleans area have received funds, which have played a role in the economic and emotional recovery from the Deepwater oil spill.

You can read the full story in The Times-Picayune.

Retro Article Of The Week: Proxies Aim To Have Their Say At BP’s Annual Meeting

The United States experienced one of the worst oil spills in the country's history on April 20th, 2010 when British Petroleum's (BP) Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.  Gallons of oil flooded into the waters, causing damage to wildlife and the way of life of countless local fisherman.  It wasn't until September 19th that the oil well was sealed and by then, the damage had already been done.

BP held its annual meeting in London in April of 2011, and a fourth-generation fisherman named Diane Wilson and five others came along.  Wilson and the others were hoping to display the human cost of the disaster.  The NonProfit Times wrote an article on their efforts on April 14, 2011:

“People in the media like to ask us why we are so upset,” Wilson said in an interview last week. “I am coming to the annual general meeting (AGM) to call BP to account for its actions in the Gulf — for the oil spill, the lies, the cover-ups, the skimping on safety, the deaths, the nonexistent documents and the ‘swinging door’ with regulators.”


Part of a five-person delegation funded by the New Orleans, La.-based Gulf Coast Fund, Wilson and her cohorts planned to appear at the BP annual meeting as proxies to directly engage BP leadership and its board of directors about the corporation’s response to the Gulf oil spill. The Gulf Coast Fund does not own shares of BP stock but through a partnership with the UK Tar Sands Network, based in London, England, was to appear as a proxy on behalf of the nonprofit organization.


The AGM is “an opportunity for shareholders to question the company and raise any matters of concern,” said BP spokesman Robert Wine, declining further comment.


Having activists or affected residents appear as proxies on behalf of other nonprofits is not something new and has been a useful in engaging the leadership of major corporations.


At the BP annual meeting, the group will have the option to vote for or against the annual report submitted by BP. Although the group has issues with items in the report, they had not yet decided how to vote, choosing once they were to meet in London, Bryan Parras, board member for Houston’s Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (T.E.J.A.S), said last week.


Besides a discussion with leadership, there is not much more the group can accomplish in terms of getting BP to enact change, said Mark Regier, director of stewardship investing at Everance Financial, based in Goshen, Ind. “If you want to be involved in filing a resolution in the United States — rather than just voting or attending an annual meeting, it requires ownership of more than $2,500 in stock for a continuous period of one year,” he said.

If you are interested in reading the rest of this article, please visit our website.

Record Fundraising Levels Expected In Alaska

Record levels of charitable organizations are getting involved in what is known as the 'Pick. Click. Give.' program which forms part of Alaskans' Permanent Fund Dividend or PFD application. The programs make it possible for recipients to donate part of their PFD to a variety of nonprofit groups. Alaskan residents receive an annual check based on oil-punted estates. As much as 386 nonprofit organizations are signed up to receive donations this year, a figure which is up by approximately 6% from the year before. Organizes of the fundraising drive have set a target of $1.5 million, a 50% increase over the previous year.

Many nonprofits stand to benefit
In 2010, about 9,500 of all Alaskans donated a part or all of their dividends as funding for various charitable organizations. The administrative expenditures related to the drive are being covered by the Rasmuson Foundation. Bearing in mind the vast range of charitable groups that are signed up to receive donations, donors are bound to find a cause that tugs a heart-string that they would be able to support with enthusiasm. When people go online to apply for their PFD, they will see the option to participate in the 'Pick. Click. Give' fundraising program.