White House Nominates Gulf Coast Fund Director as ‘Champion of Change’

NEW ORLEANS, July 18, 2011 — LaTosha Brown, Director of the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health (https://gulfcoastfund.org), has been nominated as a “Champion of Change” by the White House for her work to help the Gulf Coast recover from the BP drilling disaster. The Gulf Coast Fund is a community-led philanthropy working towards a just and sustainable Gulf Coast region that funds and supports over 200 grassroots organizations.
“Champions of Change” is a special series at the White House that profiles Americans from across the country who are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world. To learn more about the Champions of Change program visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/champions.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from the White House on behalf of the Gulf Coast Fund and its partners. I am also grateful for the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of our grantees across all five Gulf Coast states,” declares LaTosha Brown, recipient of the “Champion of Change.”
In addition to being formally recognized at the White House on July 19th, Ms. Brown will also participate in the Gulf Coast Sustainable Economies Roundtable. The purpose of this roundtable discussion is to share best practices and connect local leaders with the Federal resources they need to succeed. Additional meetings are also being organized by the U.S. Departments of Energy and Commerce.
The Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health is a vital resource for grassroots organizations throughout all five Gulf Coast states, distributing over $4,000,000 to date in grants. The Gulf Coast Fund supports projects that strengthen and amplify community organizing, address social justice concerns, build movement, and create a just and sustainable future for the region. Founded in 2005 after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Gulf Coast Fund is the only regional philanthropic initiative that is run collaboratively with Gulf Coast communities, focused on all five Gulf Coast states, and led by respected advocates and grassroots organizers from across the region.