Engage
A focus on people.
As the needs of our community change, the Foundation is shifting our grant processes to encourage more cooperation and less competition, more focus on outcomes and not outputs, and opportunities for listening, sharing, and moving forward together. The Foundation will build human capital by bringing together knowledge, experience, and expertise in cooperative efforts to support people and places. The Foundation will serve as a champion for collaboration focused on helping meet basic human needs through real-issue, systemic root-cause outcomes, rather than short-term symptoms.
Goals
Financial Stability
Increase financial resiliency and long-term stability for ALICE families
Healthcare Utilization
Increase primary healthcare utilization for ALICE families
Successful Reentry
Increase successful reintegration for people returning home from incarceration
The Foundation has defined the types of projects we are interested in funding to address each of these goals. Explore more here.
APPLICATIONS
Applications for the Engage portfolio are currently closed. The Foundation will have a limited amount of funding available in Fall 2026 for two-year grants running 2027-2028.
2026 APPLICATION TIMELINE
| July 31 | Letter of Intent Opens |
| August 7 | Letter of Intent Due |
| August 14 | Full Application Invitations Sent |
| August 28 | Application due by 5 p.m. |
| September 21 – September 25 | Selected Site Visits |
| November 1 | Award Notifications Sent |
ALICE FOCUS
ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. According to United Way, ALICE earns just above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what it costs to make ends meet. These struggling households are forced to make impossible choices each day. In 2023, 19 percent of Louisiana households were below the Federal Poverty Level, and 30 percent were ALICE; together, 50 percent of Louisiana households struggle to survive in today’s economy. In general, a family of four would need to earn about $88,000 to afford the ALICE survival budget (versus the Federal Poverty Level of about $30,000), and Louisiana’s median household income is $58,000. Learn more at unitedforalice.org. Partners will be asked to demonstrate that clients served through this program have incomes below the ALICE Survival Budget Threshold and/or are formerly incarcerated.
Regional Focus
The Engage pillar will support communities throughout the 10-parish Capital Region. The Foundation recognizes that resources and opportunities are not equally dispersed among the 10 parishes. For example, the percentage of families below the ALICE Survival Budget threshold varies from 38 percent in Ascension and West Baton Rouge parishes to 62 percent in St. Helena (meaning nearly two-thirds of the households in the parish struggle to make ends meet).
Types of Investments
Direct Service
What positive gains will occur for individual participants or communities?
Capacity & Collaborations
How will organizations work differently to improve effectiveness while improving results for individuals?
Systems Change
How will your work inform change on a macro-level?
OUR OPERATING PRINCIPLES
We define ourselves as investors and are interested in creating the highest possible levels of human gain for the grant dollars we have available. Given this focus, the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation reviews each proposal with respect to available funds and responses to three overarching questions:
- What will be the results from this project and how will we know when those results have been achieved? Results are defined as the positive changes in behaviors and/or conditions in stakeholders that will be achieved through the project.
- How likely is it that the results can be achieved? Our assessment will be based on factors such as past result successes of the organization and its programs, validity of the proposed program approach, organizational capability and key personnel leading the project.
- Is this the best possible use of Foundation funds given other opportunities before us? We consider the cost relative to the gain, looking for projects that increase collaboration, quality and systemic change, and opportunities for replication to other organizations and parishes. When reviewing proposals, we will look at the use of all monies going into a project or program not just dollars contributed by the Foundation, as well as the sustainability of the work.
If you have questions, please contact Tristi Charpentier, VP People-Centered Initiatives.