Donors showed their support for 40 nonprofits in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes on May 5, 2015 during the first GiveNOLA Day for the Bayou Region, making nearly 900 contributions valued at just under $40,000.

Lafourche Parish organizations alone raised $22,313 from 400 gifts and Terrebonne nonprofits raised $17,020 from 459 gifts.

Hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, GiveNOLA Day on May 5, 2015 was a 24-hour online giving event that coincides with a national philanthropic giving campaign known as “Give Local America.”  Over 550 organizations in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area participated in the giving day, including 40 from the Bayou Region, and raised a total of $4 million from 34,500 online donations.

Here In Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes and Grand Isle, the Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) coordinated a Bayou Region component of GiveNOLA Day to specifically promote the 40 nonprofit organizations in Lafourche and Terrebonne that participated in the May 5 online giving day. The campaign was referred to as “Give Bayou.”

In addition to online donations received, three Bayou Region organizations – Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Foundation, Dulac Community Center, and Options for Independence – each won $1,000 prizes from random drawings during the 24-hour giving period.

The 40 local organizations will also share in proceeds from the Al Danos, Jr. Memorial Lagniappe Fund established by the Bayou Community Foundation to provide the nonprofits with “a little something extra” to support the great work they are doing in our communities.

The TBS Spark Foundation has pledged $10,000 to the Lagniappe Fund, and $1,800 collected from lunch sales at May 5 giving celebrations in Houma and Raceland will be contributed to the fund as well. Roly Poly of Houma also pledged to contribute 5 percent of sales on May 5 to the effort.

“If you didn’t have a chance to make an online donation to your favorite Bayou Region organization on GiveNOLA Day, there’s still time to show your support for our local nonprofits with a contribution to the Al Danos, Jr. Memorial Lagniappe Fund,” says BCF coordinator Jennifer Armand. “Mr. Al was a dedicated member of the Bayou Community Foundation Board of Directors and this fund honors his generous spirit and unmatched passion for our Bayou Region.”

Contributions to the Al Danos, Jr. Memorial Fund will be accepted through May 15. More information and the donation form can be found at www.GiveBayou.org and www.BayouCf.org.

BCF thanks the following partners and sponsors of Give NOLA Day for the Bayou Region who helped to make this event so successful: Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, Lafourche Parish Government, Spahr’s Seafood, South Louisiana Bank, Dishman & Bennett Specialty Company, The Courier & Daily Comet, and Roly Poly of Houma.

Participating Terrebonne Parish organizations included A Place of Restoration, Bayou Grace Community Services, CASA of Terrebonne, Catholic Charities, Dulac Community Center, Girls on the Run, Hope Extreme, Keep Terrebonne Beautiful, MacDonnell United Methodist Children’s Services, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at TGMC, Options for Independence, Project Learn La-Terre, South LA Wetlands Discovery Center, Terrebonne Children’s Advocacy Center, Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence, Terrebonne Genealogical Society, the Foundation for Terrebonne General Medical Center, TRAC, and United Way for South Louisiana.

Participating Lafourche Parish organizations included Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Foundation, Bayou Country Children’s Museum, Bayou History Center, Bayou Lafourche Folklife & Heritage Museum, Bayou Playhouse, Bayou Region Amateur Radio Society, BISCO, CASA of Lafourche, Faith Ministries International, Fourchon Oilman’s Foundation, Geaux Create, Hail Mary Rescue, Lafourche ARC, Lafourche Chamber Foundation, Leadership Lafourche, New Life Counseling Center, Restore or Retreat, St. John’s Historic Cemetery Association, St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School, and United Houma Nation.

BCF will be working with local nonprofits in the months ahead to plan efforts for next year’s GiveNOLA Day.  The number of participating nonprofits in the Bayou Region is expected to grow. All nonprofits are asked to monitor www.BayouCf.org and sign up for the mailing list for updates on all BCF meetings, workshops, and programs.