The recipient entity's physical address:
           938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          Miranda Restovic
Willie Landry Mount
Randy Haynie
Elizabeth Ary

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  5568

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $2,375,000

What type of request is this?  Both

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Willie Landry Mount, Chair
205 Shell Beach Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70602

Randy K. Haynie, Vice Chair
P.O. Box 44032
Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Brad Adams, Immediate Past Chair
938 Lafayette Street, Suite 432
New Orleans, LA 70113

Janet Haedicke, Secretary
3502 Deborah Drive
Monroe, LA 71201

Elizabeth Ary, Treasurer
1221 Leontine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115

Elaine Garvey, Asst. Treasurer
One Galleria Blvd, Suite 2100
Metairie, LA 70001

Dorian Bennett
2340 Dauphine Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Ty Bromell
532 Spanish Town Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Dr. Christopher Cenac
210 New Orleans Boulevard
Houma, LA 70360

Rebecca Collins
503 Allen Street
New Iberia, LA 70563

Stewart Ewing
1511 Frenchmen’s Bend Road
Monroe, LA 71203

Faye Flanagan
5959 Hannah Drive
Alexandria, LA 71303

Mark Gremillion
226 Beverly Drive
Lafayette, LA 70503

Sherry Guarisco
266 Seyburn Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Linda Holyfield
1704 Island Drive
Monroe, LA 71201

Saundra Levy
2100 St. Charles Avenue, #2L
New Orleans, LA 70130

Liz Mangham
543 Spanish Town Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Kellen Mathews
118 S. Dorgenois Street
New Orleans, LA 70119

Melinda Mintz
123 Walnut Street
New Orleans, LA 70118

Jody Montelaro
9585 Pecue Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

David Rockett
574 Boardwalk Boulevard
Bossier City, LA 71111

Marie Moyse Schlesinger
1112 Falcon Road
Metairie, LA 70005

Anna Rita Scott
3861 Pauger Street
New Orleans, LA 70122

Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir
1165 Sharynwood Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Mary Ann Sternberg
998 Stanford Avenue, #510
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Paul A. Tessier
412 N. 4th Street, Suite 210
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Sharonda Williams
6363 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118

Miranda Restovic, President & Chief Executive Officer
938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, LA 70113

Patrick Carrier, Chief Operating Officer
938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, LA 70113

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           The continued impacts of the pandemic and other all too frequent disasters are threatening the very survival of Louisiana’s cultural sector. Our culture not only enhances the quality of life of every Louisianan, but it also builds communities, drives the economy, and educates locals and the world about our state’s and its people’s important contributions to the nation and the world. The pandemic and our vulnerabilities to extreme weather and disasters continue to threaten the survival of this important treasure.

Solution: The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) proposes a plan to ensure that our cultural sector is stabilized and emerges better prepared to thrive in the post-pandemic and post-disaster world. The LEH has a 50-year history of supporting our museums, historic sites, archives, media groups, festivals, cultural centers, libraries, indigenous tribes, and cultural content producers, all of whom make up the diverse and delicate network of our broader cultural landscape. Our network includes over 250 entities across all 64 parishes. Our plan acknowledges that new sustainability models are needed and that frequent disasters will continue to threaten our communities. Total appropriation request: $2,000,000
1. Launch a coordinated effort to ensure general operating and sustainability planning support is made available to the sector through our effective and efficient grants program. Request: $1,000,000
2. Facilitate disaster and emergency planning, technical training, and rapid response mitigation support for all critical cultural organizations for when disaster strikes. Request: $500,000
3. Facilitate programming that will support teachers, students, and families in all 64 parishes in boosting literacy and access to free educational resources in response to statewide student achievement losses caused by the pandemic. Request: $500,000

Results: The LEH will work to ensure that our cultural infrastructure—its institutions and people—is preserved and supported in planning for a more sustainable future.
The LEH is a trusted steward of public funds and longtime partner of Louisiana’s diverse cultural sector and communities in all 64 parishes. Our expertise lies in grantmaking, disaster mitigation funding, facilitation of innovative solutions, and public education and engagement. Specifically, we expect the following results:
1. Preservation of cultural sector jobs and assets across the state.
2. Sector-wide engagement in disaster mitigation planning and training.
3. Rapid response mitigation support in response to emergencies and disasters.
4. Coordinated education and outreach programming in all 64 parishes.

Capital Outlay: The LEH seeks $375,000 in State capital outlay funds for critical repairs and
restoration of historic Turners’ Hall. Built in 1868 for the Society of Turners, a German benevolent association, it was designed by William Thiel, a German-born architect and surveyor who worked in New Orleans from 1860 to 1869. This historically significant building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings, serves the people of Louisiana as the home of Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and is soon to open to the public The Helis Foundation John Scott Center. Critical repair/restoration items include roof replacement, addition of ADA compliant restrooms on the third floor, exterior and interior finish restoration, and new carpet on the upper floors where offices, art storage, and other critical infrastructure is located. While the ground floor recently underwent a major renovation, the last major renovation of the entire facility (floors 2-5) was completed in 1985.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $405,000
          Professional Services. . . $50,000
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $250,000
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $375,000
          Operating Services. . . . $45,000
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $1,250,000

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          As a leading statewide provider of resources and training for the cultural sector and educational resources that reaches all of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, and in response to the pandemic and recent hurricanes, floods, and other disasters, the LEH sees a great need for its services to be expanded with state funds. With a mission to partner with communities, institutions, and individuals to explore Louisiana’s past, reflect on our present, and imagine our future, the organization was founded in 1971 as the 17th state humanities council in the United States. Leveraging state funds with other funding available, the LEH will work to ensure that our cultural infrastructure—its institutions and people—is preserved and supported in planning for a more sustainable future.

The LEH believes that our culture not only enhances the quality of life of every Louisianan, but it also builds communities, drives the economy, and educates locals and the world about our state’s and its people’s important contributions to the nation and the world. The pandemic and our vulnerabilities to extreme weather and disasters continue to threaten the survival of this important treasure.
According to the Americans for the Arts’ survey which documents the impacts of COVID-19 on the arts and cultural sectors, Louisiana’s arts and cultural sector experienced total financial losses of $9,217,485 from March 2020 to February 2021. Additionally, 65% of organizations expect severe financial impacts, with 10% of organizations not confident of survival.
Hurricane Ida and its aftermath have received extensive and continued coverage in the local, regional, national, and international media. The devastation is significant and has hit our state’s humanities infrastructure, which was already reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s exceptionally active hurricane season, and this year’s extreme winter storms and spring floods, particularly hard.
In the wake of the storm, the LEH conducted an impact survey for cultural organizations. A full 75% of respondents reported storm-related impacts such as interior and exterior flooding; damage to grounds, facilities, equipment, and collections; loss of staff due to lengthy evacuations and damage to staff residences; loss of sewerage, water, and electricity; program and fundraising cancellations; and closures. Respondents estimated a loss of more than 1.2 million in revenue due to closures and cancelations and report needing support in developing basic emergency preparation and response plans and guidance on basic planning and recovery best practices.
As a leading provider of humanities education initiatives around the state, the LEH believes that access to high quality education is a right. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana’s educators, students, and families also faced extraordinary challenges ranging from catastrophic hurricanes to a global pandemic, which have had negative impacts on student academic achievement.
For grades 3–8 from 2019 to 2021, the number of students scoring mastery or above saw a decrease of 5 percentage points. This decrease was felt across all grade levels, content areas, and student subgroups. Simultaneously, learning gaps deepened, as evidenced by a 5-percentage point increase in the number of students scoring unsatisfactory. For grades 9–12, across all subjects, the number of students scoring mastery and above has declined by 5 percentage points since 2019.
The LEH is a trusted steward of public funds and longtime partner of Louisiana’s diverse cultural sector and communities in all 64 parishes. Our expertise lies in grantmaking, disaster mitigation funding, facilitation of innovative solutions, and public education and engagement. With this program the LEH seeks to advance its public purpose in meaningful and quantifiable ways.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          The goal of the program is to ensure that our cultural infrastructure—its institutions and people—is preserved and supported in planning for a more sustainable future. Specifically, we expect the following results:

Objective 1: Preservation of cultural sector jobs and assets across the state.
• Key Performance Indicator: 150 sector jobs preserved.
• Key Performance Indicator: 75 organizations supported in post-pandemic program planning.

Objective 2: Sector wide engagement in disaster mitigation planning and training.
• Key Performance Indicator: 45 organizations complete emergency preparation and response plans.
• Key Performance Indicator: 45 organizations complete emergency preparation and response training.

Objective 3: Rapid response grants in response to emergencies and disasters.
• Key Performance Indicator: Implement regrants for relief, recovery, and mitigation, among cultural organizations in the designated 25-parish disaster area impacted by Hurricane Ida.

Objective 4: Coordinated education and outreach programming in all 64 parishes.
• Key Performance Indicator: Deliver 33 family literacy support programs reaching 1,000 families.
• Key Performance Indicator: 10% increase in educational resources available to students and teachers.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           12 months

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                 

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
              

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
               

          What is the nature of the relationship? 

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               


Contact Information
name:  Miranda Restovic 
                                       address:  938 LAFAYETTE ST STE 300
New Orleans, LA 70113
                                       phone:  504-620-2486
                                       fax:  504-529-2358
                                       e-mail:  restovic@leh.org
                                       relationship to entity:  President and CEO