Columbia-based Consultancy Group Selected To Lead Capacity-Building Efforts in New Orleans

Columbia, S.C. (Aug. 5, 2010) — The Weathers Group, a consulting firm based in Columbia, S.C., has been selected to lead post-Katrina capacity-building efforts in the Gulf Coast, including areas in and surrounding the cities of New Orleans, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge in Louisiana. With more than 20 years of community engagement and related experience, The Weathers Group will work with collaborating foundations to improve the performance, accountability, and outcomes of nonprofits in the region. Initially, the project will focus on five organizations in Louisiana, and will expand to include 11 nonprofits in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

“Nearly five years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the work of rebuilding and developing the Gulf Coast region is still underway. The economic and environmental impact of the recent British Petroleum (BP) oil spill on this area placed additional demands on an already economically challenged region of our country,” said Gulf Coast Funders for Equity Coordinator Samantha Bickham. “That’s why the Gulf Coast Funders for Equity was formed. As part of our holistic approach to philanthropy, we focus on engaging low and moderate-income communities in projects that promote economic development and self-sufficiency.”

“We selected The Weathers Group for this project because of their success with other grassroots organizations based in the South,” said Gladys Washington, program director for the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. “When we began our search, The Weathers Group was referred to us by several organizations that realized tangible results from partnering with them. With their extensive knowledge and expertise, they understand our goals and how to build capacity so that participants can improve their performance and fulfill the missions of their organizations more effectively.”

“Collaborating with Gulf Coast Funders for Equity gives us a chance to make a difference in a region that has been faced with economic, social, and political challenges unlike anywhere else in the United States,” said Charles Weathers, president of the Weathers Group. “We appreciate the trust that has been placed in us, and we embrace this opportunity to be a part of a solution that will have a positive impact on so many lives.”

About The Weathers Group
Founded in 2001, The Weathers Group (TWG) is an innovative consulting firm that specializes in developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and building communities. By providing clients with educational seminars, customized tools, and technical assistance, The Weathers Group helps organizations and individuals enhance their performance. For more information, visit www.weathersgroup.com.

About Gulf Coast Funders for Equity
Gulf Coast Funders for Equity (GCFE) began, following the tragic impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, with a handful of grantmakers supportive of promoting a bottom-up approach to equitable development in the Gulf. From the start, we have believed in the need to support the civic engagement of low and moderate-income communities while simultaneously structuring a vehicle of organized philanthropy, which promotes this ideal. GCFE also understood the need to promote a long-term perspective on recovery, along with advocacy for significant resources, if equity were to finally take root in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Over the last two years GCFE has grown from a dozen disparate grantmakers to a network of over 150 private & public foundations, donors, and donor circles willing to loosely coordinate their support for grassroots social change strategies and to act as a collective voice encouraging colleagues to take the long view toward recovery efforts in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Visit www.scfjj.org for more information.