The recipient entity's physical address:
           1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70113

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70113

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

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          DWIGHT WEBSTER
TAYARI SALAAM
LLOYD DENNIS
ALMA WATKINS
IFAMA ARSAN

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  6819

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $100,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

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:
           JUDITH DANGERFIELD, President
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

SUNDIATA HALEY, Vice-President
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

LAMAR GARDERE, Secretary
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

J.C. CELESTIN, Treasurer
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

LAKIA ROBINSON, Director
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

JEFFERY DARENSBOURG, Director
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

ASALI DEVAN ECCLESIASTES, CEO
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

JO ANN MINOR, CFO
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

TARENCE DAVIS, COO
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

LASHAUNDA RENE, CSO
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

BRIANA SPRUILLE, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
1712 ORETHA CASTLE HALEY BLVD, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           Ashé Cultural Arts Center, located in the heart of Central City New Orleans, is a trailblazing institution that combines arts, culture, and community development to foster equity and healing. Co-founded in 1998 by Carol Bebelle and Douglas Redd, Ashé serves as a hub for art and culture, community engagement, and leadership development. Ashé’s mission is to use art and culture to support human, community, and economic development.
The Ashé Cultural Arts Center thrives at the intersection of Community, Culture, and Commerce. For the last 26 years, we have helped build capacity in the New Orleans communities that experience the city’s worst socioeconomic impacts while concurrently providing the basis for public and private wealth. We’ve learned that achieving measurable strides toward social parity requires scopes of work that are bold in their approach and cast nets that are both deep and wide.
We work to eliminate disparities using cultural innovation and proximity to neighborhoods of both concentrated disadvantage and concentrated prosperity. We have learned to employ data-based analysis in the creation and implementation of programs that use cutting edge tools such as reconciliation frameworks, environmental impact screening, and results-based accountability measures in the vigorous and intentional dismantling of personal, systemic, and structural barriers to an equitable quality of life.

Ashé Cultural Arts Center is requesting your support in the amount of $100,000 to fund economic development and public policy programming. Your support will specifically support work that aligns with your legislative priorities and deep commitment to our community. Ashé’s Core Programs & Initiatives are designed to utilize art and culture in fostering human development and civic engagement while supporting, leveraging, and celebrating New Orleans' vibrant culture.
1. Arts & Cultural Programming- Visual arts exhibitions, Visual art performances, Artist residencies, Cultural festivals and events, World Carnival connections
2. Community Health & Wellness- I Deserve It Health Equity and Education program, Birthrite motherhood program, Sistahs Making a Change intergenerational wellness program
3. Economic Development & Public Policy- Right to Stay anti-displacement, Building Community Power, Alliance for Cultural Equity, NOLA Carnival Business Development Cohort, World Carnival Policy Summit
4. Environmental & Climate Resilience- Losing Louisiana, Katrina20 Community Plan
5. Youth Leadership & Education- Kuumba Academy, Young Fierce Citizens
6. Neighborhood and Community Anchor Spaces- Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Ashé Powerhouse, AfroLuxe, Adinkra Café and Lounge
7. Deeply Affordable Housing- Oshun Gardens Apartments, Redd House Arts Residence

Why Support Ashé? Ashé serves as a model of cultural innovation and artist & community-centered development. The organization:
Touches the lives of 20,000-40,000 people annually
Employs, educates, connects, houses, and supports artists and cultural workers
Serves as a resilience hub during times of emergency, crisis, and recovery
Serves as a wellness hub for residents and community members to gain access to health screenings and health care services
Builds public-private partnerships that align with state and local development priorities
Offers scalable, replicable models for integrating arts and culture in policy, planning, and programming
Ashé’s varied and dynamic programming and real estate portfolio takes a strong team and requires significant resources and support from the community, committed partners, and mission-aligned funders to remain sustainable and impactful for the community and its members to thrive.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $50,000
          Professional Services. . . $25,000
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $25,000
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

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?
          The mission of Ashé Cultural Arts Center is to use art and culture to support human, community, and economic development. We celebrate the people, places, and philosophies of the African Diaspora. We serve artists, community, and culture bearers by providing and advocating for economic equity to artists and businesses, housing affordability, cultural education, and wellness through the arts.

Ashé Cultural Art Center’s innovative programming is designed to utilize culture in fostering human development and civic engagement. We maintain 10,000 square feet of gallery space and 20,000 square feet of performance space to create and preserve opportunities for the curation, exhibition, and commission of fine, folk, and fine-folk art. Producing over 350 music, theater, dance, spoken word, drum circles, and multi-disciplinary events a year, Ashé believes in art as a paradigm-shifting call to action. As ecosystem builders, we deliver programming and direct services that support, leverage, and celebrate the people, places, and philosophies of the African Diaspora.

Ashé maintains a high value, high profile real estate portfolio in Central City, a neighborhood where historic residents are being aggressively displaced. In understanding the impact and importance of Ashé’s ability to guide equitable development in our surroundings, we have engaged in strategic planning that allowed us to create a vision for leveraging and expanding our own real estate portfolio in order to increase our capacity to make place and to keep place on behalf of a community facing growing displacement, working on asserting our collective Right to Stay!

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          To serve as an artistic and cultural home for many, including artists, activists, and archivists who share our passion for exploring, elevating, and exalting the significance of the people, places, and philosophies of the African Diaspora.

To implement innovative programming utilizes culture in fostering human development and civic engagement. Art is a paradigm-shifting call to action, contributing to a stronger community and inspiring improved commerce.

To build power with our community, guiding equitable development, leveraging, and expanding our own real estate portfolio.

To eliminate health, human, community disparities.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           One year

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:
                 N/A
    
     (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:
                 N/A

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

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

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: 
               N/A

(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:
               N/A

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

          What is the nature of the relationship?  N/A

(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:
                 N/A

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


Contact Information
name:  Briana Spruille 
                                       address:  1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70113
                                       phone:  5045699070
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  briana@ashenola.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Development Director