Investing in culture
Grants help small businesses, cultural economy grow
Elizabeth Chaudoir is new to the idea of owning and operating a business, but she recently launched A La Carte Designs with the help of a state grant.
Chaudoir received a $2,500 Economic Opportunity Fund grant from the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation that she will use for projects like launching a website, professional photography and logo design for her small custom jewelry shop.
“I thought this would be a great way to step up my business,” Chaudoir said.
Her situation — a desire to grow a small local business that also grows the state’s cultural economy — is similar to the other 31 recipients of this year’s LCEF grants. Many of those recipients are new businesses, and they are using the small amount of extra money for education or marketing.
“According to an economic impact study conducted by UNO last year, 87 percent of past grant recipients reported increased income or revenue as a result of their EOF grant,” fund director Lisa Picone said in a statement. “Almost all respondents reported that the grants enhanced their business or organization’s operations or programming. Cultural workers in Louisiana are reaching out to LCEF, and we are proud to be a resource for them.”
The foundation — a New Orleans-based nonprofit — funds its grant program primarily through private donations, Picone said. The hope is the grant funds will help cultural workers earn more money and spawn other cultural jobs.
Of 180 applications LCEF received, 32 projects or businesses across the state received grant funding this year totaling $120,000. Eight of those were in the Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas, totaling $29,350.
The Absolut Art Glass Studio in Lafayette was awarded $5,000, which will be used to purchase professional sandblasting equipment, said Ellen Caillouet, one of the studio’s owners.
“In addition to leaded glass, stained glass, beveled glass, fused glass, slumped glass and painted and fired glass, we will be able to create art-carved and etched glass easier and in abundance with the new equipment,” Caillouet said. “This money is targeted for this equipment, only.”
Nineteen projects were in the New Orleans area, with the remaining scattered across areas such as Lincoln and Ouachita parishes.
Edible Enterprises, a commercial kitchen and food production incubator in Norco, operated by Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana Inc., was awarded $5,000 in LCEF grant funding to assist in launching a new line of baked goods known as Louisiana Good Foods. The funding will be used for graphic design for labels, website design, packaging and point-of-sale materials, said Gaye Sandoz, Edible Enterprises facilities director.
“The revenues generated from this food product line will produce revenues to support Edible Enterprises, which in turn assists small food companies in starting their businesses,” Sandoz added in an email.
The first three products to hit the convenience and grocery shelves will be Triple Chocolate Brownies, Ooey Gooey Cake and Banana Foster Cake, she added.
In the previous round of funding, the foundation received 316 applications for grants, but was able to fund only 25 projects with just less than $71,000 — down from more than $550,000 in 2008.