A brief ceremony this week recognized Project Build A Future as a top winner of Hancock Whitney’s 2018 competitive grant program; but the Lake Charles, LA based nonprofit is already putting that $25,000 award toward helping people ages 18 to 80 achieve the dream of owning their first home.
“Today, we not only honor Project Build A Future as the recipient of a Hancock Whitney competitive grant, we also celebrate the teamwork between our two organizations which create opportunities that truly illustrate the spirit and objectives of our community development commitment,” said Hancock Whitney Market President Jim McGough.
Hancock Whitney leaders in Lake Charles present a grant for $25,000 to representatives from Project Build A Future.
Hancock Whitney partnered with the Greater New Orleans Foundation in 2018 to create the bank’s first competitive grant program. Funded by Hancock Whitney, the grants are part of the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program and align with Hancock Whitney’s larger community development efforts throughout Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Project Build A Future and 11 other nonprofits won their shares of 2018 Hancock Whitney competitive grant dollars totaling $140,000 for affordable housing, small business, economic development, and youth programs across Hancock Whitney’s footprint.
Teaming to Make Dreams Real
Project Build A Future laid its non-profit foundations in 2001 and built its first home in 2004, with the City of Lake Charles providing a partial construction grant and Hancock Whitney serving as the nonprofit’s first mortgage partner. The relationship between Project Build A Future and the bank has stayed strong ever since.
“Through every step of every journey, there is never any question about our mutual goal: to get people and families in homes they can call theirs,” said Hancock Whitney Community Lending Manager Tish Allen, who leads the bank’s Plan Your Way Home affordable housing mortgage initiative.
The 2018 Hancock Whitney competitive grant helped Project Build A Future launch new ventures that brought the nonprofit and bank together again to help hardworking people have a home of their own.
Applying for 2019 competitive grants
Funding for the 2019 Hancock Whitney competitive grants has grown to $200,000. Now through July 31, 2019, eligible 501 (c)(3) organizations located in one of Hancock Whitney’s 25 CRA assessment areas in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas can apply digitally for competitive grants of up to $25,000 through the Greater New Orleans Foundation online application portal at http://www.gnof.org/program/hancock-whitney-community-reinvestment-act-grant-program/ The Greater New Orleans Foundation manages the competitive grant application process and will only accept applications electronically. Applications received after the July 31 deadline will be ineligible for review.