- Program Education
- Program Area Success Beyond High School
- Grant Amount $220,000
- Grant Period January 1, 2004–December 31, 2005
- Location Oakland, CA, United States
- Geographic Focus Louisiana
About this grant
Louisiana Interfaith Together (LIFT) works to build infrastructure and capacity building for statewide organizing efforts in Louisiana. LIFT began as a project of the New Orleans-based community organization, All Congregations Together, and recently came under the leadership of the Pacific Institute for Community Organization.Multiyear funding will enable LIFT to focus on statewide issues, particularly education-related concerns. Objectives include increasing the percentage of education funding spent in the classrooms; developing a proposal to expand the use of education facilities after hours and year-round; working to create "safe zones" around schools; sponsoring additional in-depth training opportunities for leaders to increase their knowledge and understanding of education-related issues in the state and nationally; and continuing to develop relationships with elected officials to garner support.Recent accomplishments included encouraging the Louisiana Legislature to fund the state education budget for the first time in more than 30 years; developing a relationship of mutual respect with the president of the state board of education; and organizing a grassroots voice calling for increased attention on afterschool programs.