Awards support organizations advancing access to homeownership
GULFPORT, Miss. (December 20, 2022)—Hancock Whitney today announced 21 organizations selected as recipients of their 2022 Hancock Whitney Opportunity Grants. Building on the bank’s mission of helping people achieve their financial dreams, the $300,000 in grant awards will help bolster the work of these organizations currently promoting access to homeownership, affordable housing development and housing rehabilitation located within Hancock Whitney service areas.
The 2022 Hancock Whitney Opportunity Grants, funded through the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program, awarded qualifying 501 (c)(3) organizations across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
“Funding a network of quality housing partners is a key piece of helping reduce barriers and promoting equity in homeownership,” said Hancock Whitney Vice-President CRA Officer Ashley Harrison. “This initiative is one way we’re helping strengthen our communities, and we are pleased to provide Opportunity Grant funding to nonprofits serving the Gulf South region for the fifth consecutive year.”
Manatee County Habitat for Humanity of Bradenton, Florida, received the top grant award.
Other organizations receiving competitive grants this year from Hancock Whitney are:
Bogalusa Rebirth (Bogalusa, Louisiana)
Bright Community Trust (Clearwater, Florida)
East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity (Slidell, Louisiana)
Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation (Houston, Texas)
Habitat for Humanity MS Gulf Coast (Gulfport, Mississippi)
Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County (Jacksonville, Florida)
Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville (Jacksonville, Florida)
Habitat for Humanity Sarasota (Sarasota, Florida)
Hancock Resource Center (Waveland, Mississippi)
Houston Habitat for Humanity (Houston, Texas)
Neighborhood Housing Services (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corporation (Houston, Texas)
New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity (Pensacola, Florida)
Preservation Resource Center (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Rebuilding Together Central Alabama (Montgomery, Alabama)
St. Bernard Project (Houston, Texas)
Suncoast Housing Connections (Clearwater, Florida)
United Way of Southwest Alabama (Mobile, Alabama)
Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
The Greater New Orleans Foundation was instrumental in creating awareness about the grants across the Hancock Whitney footprint and managed the grant application process.
“Increasing access to homeownership and affordable housing are vital to growing and sustaining our communities,” said President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation Andy Kopplin. “At The Greater New Orleans Foundation, we salute Hancock Whitney’s strategic philanthropic efforts and are honored to partner with them again this year to drive positive impacts across the Gulf South.”
The Hancock Whitney Opportunity Grant program received numerous applications from organizations committed to affordable homeownership, housing development and home rehabilitation. Hancock Whitney currently supports non-profit organizations serving 30 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and non- MSAs in the bank’s five-state footprint.
About Hancock Whitney
Since the late 1800s, Hancock Whitney has embodied core values of Honor & Integrity, Strength & Stability, Commitment to Service, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility. Hancock Whitney offices and financial centers in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas offer comprehensive financial products and services, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and investment services; healthcare banking; certain insurance services; and mortgage services. The company also operates a loan production office in Nashville, Tennessee. More information is available at www.hancockwhitney.com.
About the Greater New Orleans Foundation
With roots extending nearly 100 years, the Greater New Orleans Foundation has over 1,000 different philanthropic funds and assets approaching $500 million. The Foundation serves the 13-parish region of Southeast Louisiana including Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St.Tammany, Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Tangipahoa, and Washington. Over 900 nonprofits from the region participate in its annual online giving day, GiveNOLA Day, which has raised over $47 million for nonprofits in the last nine years. The Greater New Orleans Foundation has responded to every disaster since Hurricane Katrina, when it led the Unified Community Planning Effort and a $23 million affordable housing fund. More recently, it raised and distributed nearly $7 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to Hurricane Ida, the Foundation has already distributed over $5 million
from more than 1100 individual donors, corporations, and foundations to help nonprofits helping our impacted communities recover.
Equal Housing Lender. All loans and accounts subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.