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Tourism and Cultural Fund to expand grants and propose $300,000 cultural information system
Summary
The New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Fund reported expanded grantmaking in 2024, proposed a cultural information system to help artists market and sell work, and budgeted $300,000 and additional staff to launch the platform in 2025.
Representatives of the New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Fund (NLTCF) presented 2024 outcomes and a 2025 work plan that centers on continued grantmaking, a school-arts program and a proposed cultural information system for local artists.
Accomplishments and grantmaking: NLTCF reported it has awarded hundreds of grants since inception (more than 1,600 grants totaling over $14 million) and that 2024 grant cycles reached roughly $3.2 million across six sectors as of September. The fund also reported partnerships and programming that support youth, small cultural businesses, schools and heritage organizations.
Cultural Information System: NLTCF proposed a digital platform to let cultural practitioners build profiles, sell merchandise or accept bookings, and to centralize information for event planners and the public. The 2025 budget includes $300,000 for development and ongoing maintenance and a staffing increase to implement and sustain the system; NLTCF characterized the system as both an economic development tool and a means to increase visibility for artists.
Other priorities: NLTCF said it will continue to sponsor the NOLA by NOLA campaign, support school grants (48 public/archdiocese schools funded this cycle), pilot grant-application assistance for artists aged 60 and older, and contribute cultural programming for major events including Super Bowl preparations.
Budget ask and operations: NLTCF presented a 2025 personnel/services increase and detailed that the cultural-information project is the principal new investment; the agency described modest operating growth to cover the platform and additional staff.
