Local Foundation is Pathbreaker in Use of New Social Media

NEW ORLEANS – The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) announced today that it is breaking new ground by using social media tools to listen to and interact with communities across the Greater New Orleans region. Its recently retooled website invites New Orleanians and others to engage conversation-style with the Foundation about community issues.

“As far as we know, we are the first community foundation to interact in this way with the community we serve. We are sharing information about the work we’re doing and encouraging community members to leave their comments and opinions. We want to know if our work is actually having an impact, and there is no better way to find out than to invite feedback,” said Dr. Ruesga, president & CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

“The Second Line” is the name of the Foundation’s new blog. Led by Dr. Ruesga, who is a nationally recognized blogger on nonprofit issues, the Second Line will feature contributions from community leaders involved in regional issues. Dr. Ruesga’s first blog post is titled “Are there too many charities in New Orleans?”

Another unique feature is that several pages will have Vietnamese and Spanish translations on grantmaking opportunities offered by the Foundation. “We feel it is very important to reach out to all members of our community and make sure they have the chance to access precious community resources,” said Martha Landrum, the Foundation’s vice president for communications.

Another interactive feature geared specifically for the nonprofit audience is the Bulletin Board. Nonprofits can use this online tool to share news about goods and services available.

For more information, please visit the redesigned website at http://www.gnof.org.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation is the community foundation serving the 13-parish Greater New Orleans metropolitan area. We design and lead initiatives that improve the region, connect donors to community needs, identify and support great nonprofits, and strengthen civil society.