Grants for Churches in Louisiana (2026 Guide)

For federal rules on what churches can and can't pay for with grants, begin with our grants for churches guide. This page is about Louisiana. For other Louisiana programs, see the Louisiana grants guide.

Foundation Grants to Louisiana Churches by the Numbers

Louisiana ranks 26th among states, with 1,727 foundation grants to churches and ministries, according to Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records. That's 1.2% of the 139,417 faith-related grants in the national dataset, from 452 foundations, or 1.4% of the 31,737 national funders.

Louisiana grants run small. According to the same filings, the $3,000 median is 40% below the national $5,000, and the average of about $18,200 is a quarter below the national figure. A Louisiana congregation should plan a first foundation request at $1,500 to $5,000 for one clear need. A five-figure ask belongs with a funder that has already given at that size to a church like yours.

Louisiana funders are a little more open than most. According to our analysis, 137 of the 452 foundations, 30%, name an application route on their filings, compared with 24% in Massachusetts and 28% in Oklahoma. That still leaves seven in ten that don't take proposals. Writing to all of them is the common mistake.

Schools show up more than building work. Per the 990-PF purpose lines, which are often blank, 88 grants named missions, 75 named schools, 59 named community work, 40 named youth, and 29 named building or repair. Louisiana's 75 school grants are more than double its 29 building grants, a pattern that fits congregations that run their own schools. A church that runs a school should look for funders with an education purpose first.

You can see how many foundations gave to churches in Louisiana for free, with two named and one shown in full. The Grantsights church funder list costs $39 and covers Louisiana and every other state. For all 452 Louisiana funders it lists the church and ministry grants each reported to the IRS, the amounts, the recipients, the stated purposes, and a link to the filing. It's a single $39 payment with a 30-day refund window.

Where Louisiana Church Grants Go

Six ZIP areas hold 1,235 of Louisiana's 1,727 church grants, 72%, according to Grantsights analysis of the same filings. A seventh, the Covington area on the North Shore, adds 99 grants from a smaller sample. Each row groups recipients by the first three digits of their mailing ZIP code.

New Orleans and Metairie together hold 503 grants, 29% of the state, according to our analysis of the filings. New Orleans' $9.2 million is the largest pool, and its $5,000 median is twice Metairie's $2,500, even though the two ZIP areas sit side by side.

Acadiana runs on a few funders. The Lafayette area has 243 grants from only 54 foundations, about 4.5 grants per funder, the most concentrated area in the state. Those grants reached 129 different recipients, more than New Orleans' 113. A church in Lafayette, New Iberia, or Opelousas has fewer foundations to approach, but the ones that give tend to give to many congregations.

Baton Rouge funders publish routes most often. In the 708 area, 33 of 79 foundations, 42%, name an application route, against 13 of 59 in Shreveport, 22%. For a North Louisiana congregation, that means fewer cold inquiries and more introductions.

A quarter of the state sits outside these areas. Lake Charles, Alexandria, Houma, Hammond, and the rural parishes share the remaining 393 grants. A congregation there should lean on the denominational, food, and national preservation routes below.

Working the $39 List in Louisiana

The list names all 452 Louisiana foundations above. Three ways to put it to work:

1. Sort for the 137 that publish a route. Part XV of the 990-PF says whether a foundation takes applications. Those are the Louisiana funders where an unsolicited letter can get read.
2. Stay in your ZIP area. It's the best bet for a small congregation. New Orleans has 106 funders in the data and Lafayette only 54. A foundation that gave to a congregation in your parish is a stronger lead than a statewide name.
3. Use the school signal. If your church runs a school, the 75 school-purpose grants point to funders that already give for education through congregations.

If a filing says the foundation gives only to preselected organizations, skip the proposal and look for a member who knows a trustee. Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches shows how to read Part XV and includes a sample letter.

What the Louisiana Constitution Says About Public Money and Churches

All 1,727 grants counted above came from private foundations, and Louisiana's constitution has no clause that names churches in a ban on public aid. Grantsights read the Legislature's text of Article I, Section 8 (opens in a new tab) on November 2, 2026. It says only: "No law shall be enacted respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." That's the First Amendment's wording, carried into the state's 1974 constitution.

The donation clause is the real limit. Article VII, Section 14 (opens in a new tab) says that, except as the constitution provides, "the funds, credit, property, or things of value of the state or of any political subdivision shall not be loaned, pledged, or donated to or for any person, association, or corporation, public or private." It applies to a church the same way it applies to a business or a civic club. Its exceptions include "the use of public funds for programs of social welfare for the aid and support of the needy." The Legislature's page also notes that Paragraph B, the list of exceptions, stays in effect until ratification of a constitutional amendment proposed by Acts 2026, No. 607, so check that page before relying on any exception.

Worship has its own protection. According to the findings in Act 358 of 2025 (opens in a new tab), "in 2023, the legislature and the people of Louisiana adopted Article XII, Section 17," which provides for freedom of worship in churches and other places of worship. That provision protects worship; it doesn't create a funding stream.

What it means in practice. A Louisiana city or parish government generally can't give a church money outright, but it can pay for a service, such as a feeding or shelter program for people in need, under a written agreement that fits an exception. Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (opens in a new tab) (2017) also bars excluding a church from a generally available program solely because it's a church. Federal pass-through money, including NSGP, TEFAP, and EFSP, still can't pay for worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing; our government grants for churches guide explains where that line sits.

Louisiana Security Grants for Churches

Louisiana's own nonprofit security grant program, created in 2021, had its statutory provisions repealed effective June 8, 2026, which leaves the federal program's $300 million national pool as the main route. Act 263 of 2021 (opens in a new tab) directed GOHSEP to set up a grant program for 501(c)(3) organizations at risk of a terrorist attack, covering planning, equipment, technology, training, building upgrades, vulnerability assessments, and security personnel. The Legislature's current page for R.S. 29:726.6 (opens in a new tab) shows its fund and grant provisions "Repealed by Acts 2026, No. 846, §2, eff. June 8, 2026," leaving only a paragraph about eligible schools. Grantsights couldn't find a state-funded nonprofit or house of worship security round open on November 2, 2026.

The federal route still runs through GOHSEP. The GOHSEP preparedness grants page (opens in a new tab) describes the Nonprofit Security Grant Program as "funding for target hardening and physical security enhancement for high-risk 501(c)(3) nonprofits," with GOHSEP as the State Administrative Agency. The page listed no FY2027 window or deadline on November 2, 2026, and it directs eligibility questions to regional specialists.

Nationwide, the program had $300 million to award in FY2026, according to FEMA, which lists $274.5 million for FY2025 and names "places of worship" among the community groups its NSGP page (opens in a new tab) serves. The red flag for Louisiana congregations is timing: with no posted date, a church that waits for the announcement to start its vulnerability assessment may run out of time. Our church security grants guide lists what to prepare, and our SAM registration guide covers the UEI.

Historic Preservation: A 25% Credit, but No State Grant

Louisiana's state historic tax credit pays 25% of eligible rehabilitation costs, or 35% for qualifying rural properties, but only on income-producing buildings. The Division of Historic Preservation's state commercial tax credit page (opens in a new tab) says the credit "is increased to 25% for expenses occurred after January 1, 2023," that it's available for "income-producing buildings," and that projects need more than $10,000 in qualified expenses. For Part 2 applications received on or after January 1, 2025, total credits reserved can't exceed $85 million a year, and the program sunsets December 31, 2028.

A sanctuary used only for worship doesn't produce income, so it doesn't qualify. Per the National Park Service, the federal 20% credit is likewise available only to properties rehabilitated for income-producing purposes (opens in a new tab). A church that leases a former school, rectory, or hall to a paying tenant could ask the Division whether that space fits, before signing any construction contract.

No ongoing state grants. The Division's grants page (opens in a new tab) says it "has no regular, on-going grants program to assist individuals in restoring historic properties," and that funds aimed at brick-and-mortar restoration "have largely disappeared." That's the friction a Louisiana congregation should plan around: state preservation help comes as a tax credit tied to income, not as a grant for a roof.

National funds. The National Trust's grants page (opens in a new tab) lists Preserving Black Churches awards of $50,000 to $200,000 for historic Black houses of worship with active or nonactive congregations, and National Fund for Sacred Places grants of $50,000 to $500,000. No Louisiana congregation was among the 30 awardees in the Fund for Sacred Places' October 20, 2026 round (opens in a new tab), chosen from 466 applicants. Our historic churches guide and church building repair grants guide cover those programs.

Food: TEFAP Through Five Food Banks, and EFSP

Five regional food banks carry TEFAP food to Louisiana pantries, under the oversight of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. LDAF's October 29, 2025 TEFAP notice (opens in a new tab) says the program "is administered through our partner foodbank agencies which distribute the food boxes through their pantry network." The food bank contact list linked from that notice names the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, Second Harvest Food Bank, the Northeast Food Bank, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, and the Northwest Food Bank.

Income limits. The LDAF income table linked from the same notice covers July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. It sets a yearly limit of $27,861 for a one-person household and $97,532 for eight, plus $9,953 for each additional member, and households on SSI qualify as well. That table expired June 30, 2025, yet the notice still linked to it on November 2, 2026. A common mistake is screening households against an outdated table, so ask your food bank which limits apply now.

A church pantry joins TEFAP by becoming a partner agency of the food bank that serves its parish. Each food bank sets its own agency rules, so call before you build shelving around USDA foods. Our church food pantry grants guide lists the records food banks and EFSP boards tend to ask for.

EFSP. Louisiana's Emergency Food and Shelter Program allocation for Phase 43 (FY2025) totals $1,414,814 across 48 jurisdictions, according to the EFSP National Board's Phase 43 allocation table (opens in a new tab).

Louisiana's set-aside holds $84,624, 6% of the state total, so rural parishes without their own allocation share a small pool. Louisiana spreads EFSP money across 48 jurisdictions, more than Oklahoma's 37 or Iowa's 36, and 28 of them got less than $15,000 each. For example, Ouachita received $48,230 and Tangipahoa $46,993, so a church pantry in either parish competes with local agencies rather than the whole state. Local boards, often convened by the United Way, choose recipients.

Denominational and Community Funds in Louisiana

The United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana is the clearest denominational grant program Grantsights could confirm on a funder's own site, and its November round has just closed. Grantsights read each Louisiana funder's guidelines below on November 2, 2026.

The United Methodist Foundation's guidelines (opens in a new tab), updated November 2024, fund new or acutely needed ministry in four areas: equipping clergy and laity, ministries that are new to the applicant, connections across church and community, and disaster preparedness and response within Louisiana. They say the foundation doesn't typically fund personnel, "local church building capital improvements or maintenance," or ongoing operating costs, and that priority goes to collaborations among several United Methodist churches and to churches current on Conference apportionments. Every application needs signatures from the pastor, the trustees chair, the leadership board chair, and the District Superintendent.

Grantsights didn't verify Catholic, Episcopal, or Baptist grant programs in Louisiana on their own sites, nor the religious-organization rules of the state's community foundations. Many community foundations fund churches only for programs that serve the public and don't require religious participation. Read each funder's exclusions before you write.

What Louisiana Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

National church grant lists rarely say anything specific to Louisiana. Five facts they miss:

1. The state security program's law was repealed. Louisiana's 2021 nonprofit security grant provisions were repealed effective June 8, 2026.
2. The constitution bars donations to everyone. Article VII, Section 14 limits public money to churches because it limits public money to all private groups.
3. Preservation help is a tax credit. The 25% credit needs an income-producing building, and the Division says it has no ongoing restoration grants.
4. Gifts are smaller here. The $3,000 median is 40% below the national figure.
5. Lafayette has few funders and many recipients. Fifty-four foundations made 243 grants to 129 recipients in the 705 ZIP area.

A 90-Day Plan for a Louisiana Church

1. This month: records. Collect your IRS status letter or the group ruling that covers your congregation, incorporation papers, a current board or vestry list, and the latest year-end financial report. Register in SAM.gov if you plan to pursue federal security or food money.
2. Weeks 2 to 6: security. Arrange a vulnerability assessment and contractor quotes, and ask GOHSEP's regional specialist when the FY2027 NSGP window is expected.
3. Weeks 4 to 10: foundations and Methodist funds. Use the funder list to pick foundations in your ZIP area that publish a route. United Methodist churches can prepare a ministry proposal for the March 1, 2027 foundation deadline.
4. Weeks 8 to 12: food. If you run a pantry, call the food bank that serves your parish about partner agency status and current TEFAP income limits.

Want to compare routes first? The free eligibility checker matches an organization to open programs, and the church grant path index groups options by project. For small congregations, our grants for small churches guide and how to apply for church grants cover the paperwork.

Limits of the Louisiana Data

Every Louisiana foundation number here, from the 1,727 grants to the $31.4 million total, is a minimum. The counts cover only filers in the Grantsights dataset, and 990-PF filings reach the public a year or more after grants are paid. Matching on names misses congregations filed under other names, and because Louisiana's counties are called parishes, a few matches may be parish governments rather than churches. ZIP areas follow mailing addresses, which can be a diocesan or conference office. Grantsights couldn't confirm GOHSEP's FY2027 NSGP dates, whether any state-funded nonprofit security money continues after Act 846, LDAF's current TEFAP income table, the outcome of the amendment proposed by Acts 2026, No. 607, or the grant rules of Louisiana's Catholic, Episcopal, and Baptist bodies and community foundations.

Sources Checked

Every Louisiana source below was checked on November 2, 2026:

• Louisiana Constitution Article I, Section 8 (opens in a new tab) and Article VII, Section 14 (opens in a new tab); Act 358 of 2025 (opens in a new tab); Trinity Lutheran (opens in a new tab)
• Act 263 of 2021 (opens in a new tab); R.S. 29:726.6 (opens in a new tab); GOHSEP preparedness grants (opens in a new tab); FEMA NSGP page (opens in a new tab)
• Division of Historic Preservation state commercial tax credit (opens in a new tab) and grants (opens in a new tab); National Park Service tax credit eligibility (opens in a new tab); National Trust grants (opens in a new tab) and 2026 Sacred Places awards (opens in a new tab)
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry TEFAP notice (opens in a new tab), with its linked food bank list and 2024-2025 income guidelines; EFSP National Board Phase 43 allocations (opens in a new tab)
• United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana grants page (opens in a new tab) and grant guidelines (opens in a new tab)
• Grantsights analysis of Louisiana recipients in Form 990-PF grant records, tax years 2021 to 2025, pulled October 29, 2026