New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund

What New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund does

New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund (NOTCF) is a non-profit economic development corporation based in New Orleans, Louisiana, that administers cultural grants funded exclusively through the city's Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax. The fund operates a tiered grant program across three levels (Level 1: $1-$2,500; Level 2: $2,501-$9,999; Level 3: $10,000-$30,000), with three annual application cycles in January, May, and September. It supports six cultural sectors: Culinary Arts, Design, Entertainment, Literary Humanities, Preservation, and Visual Arts and Crafts, serving a broad base of individual artists and cultural organizations.

The organization's core "product" is its grant administration platform, comprising eligibility rules, application workflows, and review processes that route tax proceeds to cultural stakeholders. It has extended its offering beyond direct cash grants through a partnership with The Ella Project to deliver legal workshops for grantees, adding capacity-building services to the mix. NOTCF also runs an annual Honors Gala — entering its 5th year on January 14, 2027 — which functions as both a brand-building and stakeholder-engagement vehicle.

NOTCF's business model is structurally a tax-revenue pass-through rather than a commercial revenue model. Its income is the administrative allocation from the Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax, and its outflows are grants plus operating costs for a small staff (reported as 6 to 9 employees). The fund is led by CEO Lisa D. Alexis. The statutory designation as the recipient of the Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax provides a regulatory monopoly on this funding channel in New Orleans, making the entity's economics a function of local tourism volume rather than competitive market dynamics.

Name

New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund

Legal name

New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation

Website

https://notcf.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund is a non-profit economic development corporation that administers Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax-funded grants across six cultural sectors for artists and cultural organizations in New Orleans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Economic Development Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Cultural grant funding
• Non-profit foundation
• Tourism development
• Arts funding programs
• Cultural economy support

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax: NOTCF receives revenue exclusively from the Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax, which is generated when hotel rooms in the New Orleans area are occupied. This tax revenue funds the grants and programs that support cultural industries and culture bearers of the City of New Orleans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NOTCF is a non-profit economic development corporation that provides grant funding, workshops, and programs to support cultural industries and culture bearers of the City of New Orleans. Its core offerings consist of three tiers of grants (Level 1 Mini-Grants of $1–$2,500, Level 2 Mid-Level Grants of $2,501–$9,999, and Level 3 Large Grants of $10,000–$30,000) distributed through annual cycles. The foundation is funded exclusively by the Hotel Occupancy Privilege Tax and operates programs such as the Elevation Series workshops, the annual Honors Gala, and the Economic Development Program covering six cultural sectors.

Product overview

New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund (NOTCF) is a non-profit economic development corporation that operates as a grant-funding organization rather than a technology product company. The organization offers three tiers of grants (Level 1 Mini-Grants: $1-$2,500, Level 2 Mid-Level Grants: $2,501-$9,999, Level 3 Large Grants: $10,000-$30,000) to support cultural industries and culture bearers of New Orleans. Additional programs include the annual NOTCF Honors Gala, Elevation Series educational workshops, and the Economic Development Program covering six cultural sectors. The organization does not offer technology products, APIs, or SaaS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level 1 Mini-Grant Grants ranging from $1 to $2,500 supporting smaller projects and individual culture bearers including Mardi Gras Indians, Krewe Riders, Baby Dolls, Social Aid and Pleasure Club Members, Brass Band Members, Musicians, and other cultural practitioners for single creative productions or community events.
• Level 2 Mid-Level Grant Grants ranging from $2,501 to $9,999 for mid-level projects that reach larger audiences and support organizations or businesses, ideal for training cultural workers, larger community events, and initiatives with broader impact on New Orleans' cultural economy.
• Level 3 Large Grant Grants ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 for large-scale projects with extended timelines and wide reach, supporting comprehensive training programs, multi-community events, and city-wide cultural initiatives that significantly advance sustainable tourism and cultural preservation.
• NOTCF Honors Gala Annual gala event celebrating outstanding individuals and organizations whose work strengthens New Orleans' culture across six cultural sectors: culinary arts, design, entertainment, literary arts and humanities, visual arts and crafts, and preservation.
• Performance Report System Online system for grant recipients to submit performance reports within 30 days of project completion, measuring the impact and sustainability of funded projects to demonstrate NOTCF's community impact.
• Economic Development Program Strategic program with six key cultural segments (Culinary Arts, Design, Entertainment, Literary Humanities, Preservation, Visual Arts and Crafts) guiding activities and resource programming for supporting the cultural community.
• Elevation Series Workshops Free educational workshops for cultural artists and practitioners covering topics such as contracts, negotiation, and professional development skills, offered in partnership with organizations like The Ella Project.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Ella ProjectcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 May 2026The Ella Project co-presents educational workshops with NOTCF, such as 'The Art of Contracts and Negotiation' workshop featuring attorney Mark Davis. This partnership provides legal education and resources to cultural bearers and artists in New Orleans, helping them understand contracts and negotiation skills.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• The Ella Project: New Orleans nonprofit providing legal and business education to artists and cultural organizations. Comparable as a cultural capacity-building partner and NOTCF's co-presenter for the Elevation Series workshops.
• Prospect New Orleans: Citywide contemporary art triennial in New Orleans; a NOTCF grantee. Comparable as a flagship cultural organization in the same city that benefits from NOTCF and similar local funding streams.

Direct peers

• Joan Mitchell Foundation: New Orleans-headquartered national foundation supporting visual artists and arts organizations through grants and programming. Comparable as a place-based cultural grantmaker with multi-tier grant programs and artist-focused capacity building.
• Greater New Orleans Foundation: Regional community foundation making grants across the New Orleans area, including cultural and community programs. Comparable as a geographically concentrated grantmaking foundation serving overlapping nonprofit and cultural grantees.
• Arts Council of New Orleans: New Orleans' primary local arts funding and advocacy organization, also a NOTCF grantee. Directly comparable as a cultural grantmaker and community arts builder operating in the same city and sector mix.
• The Helis Foundation: New Orleans-based private foundation funding arts, culture, and community programs. Direct peer in the local cultural grantmaking space (also a NOTCF grantee partner).

Broad incumbents

• Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts: National private foundation making grants to visual arts organizations. Comparable as a private cultural grantmaking foundation, though operating nationally and focused specifically on visual arts.
• National Endowment for the Arts: Federal agency providing grants and support for arts and cultural projects nationwide. Comparable as a public/tourism-linked cultural funder distributing grants to cultural organizations across all sectors.
• Ford Foundation: Large national private foundation that funds arts, culture, and community development globally. Comparable as a private foundation making cultural and economic development grants, though vastly larger and broader in scope.

Regional players

• Louisiana Division of the Arts: State government arts funder for Louisiana, distributing grants to cultural organizations and individual artists. Comparable in funding cultural economy across overlapping geographies, but state-funded rather than hotel-tax-funded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-orleans-tourism-and-cultural-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund