Vieux Carré Commission Foundation

What Vieux Carré Commission Foundation does

Vieux Carré Commission Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Federal Tax ID 90-0424605), founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina to support the Vieux Carré Commission—the Louisiana-constitutionally-authorized regulatory body overseeing ~4,000 historic structures in New Orleans' French Quarter. The Foundation's core products are preservation-focused educational resources rather than a unified software offering: the Design Guidelines for the Vieux Carré Historic District (a comprehensive 200+ page full-color document adopted by City Council in August 2015 and winner of the 2016 NAPC Commission Excellence Award for Best Practices); the Vieux Carré Virtual Library (an award-winning interactive map-based digital archive providing free public access to 44,000 scanned historic slides linked via GIS to individual properties); the Quarterly Care Workshop series (hands-on preservation training covering masonry, windows, woodwork, exterior paint, roofing, and lighting); the Colors of the French Quarter paint collection (developed in partnership with Helm Paint and Benjamin Moore); the Navigating the VCC webinar series; the Morrison Memorial Lecture Series; Exterior Lighting Design Guidelines; and Storm Preparedness programming delivered with NOLA Ready and BK Historic House & Gardens. Its target segments are French Quarter property owners and caretakers, design professionals and contractors, and preservation enthusiasts and the general public.

The Foundation operates with a 1-10 person team headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Kimberly W. Rosenberg (2025-2026). Its revenue model relies on tiered annual memberships ($25 Student up to $5,000+ Visionary/Corporate Sponsor), charitable donations, grants from foundations such as the Ella West Freeman Foundation and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, ticket and sponsorship revenue from the annual Spirit of the Vieux Carré Gala, and corporate partnerships. Free public resources (Design Guidelines, Virtual Library) serve as top-of-funnel content marketing, while paid memberships and events gate exclusive workshops and programming. An updated Design Guidelines edition is planned for 2026, building on the sellout of the 2016 hardback edition.

Name

Vieux Carré Commission Foundation

Legal name

Vieux Carré Commission Foundation

Website

https://vccfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Vieux Carré Commission Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that supports preservation of New Orleans' French Quarter through Design Guidelines, the award-winning Virtual Library digital archive, and educational workshops serving property owners, design professionals, and preservation enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Vieux Carré Commission Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit support organization for the Vieux Carré Commission, the constitutionally-mandated regulator protecting New Orleans' French Quarter. It publishes the 200+ page Design Guidelines for the Vieux Carré Historic District, maintains the award-winning Vieux Carré Virtual Library (an interactive map-based digital archive of 44,000 historic slides), and delivers preservation education through workshops, lecture series, and the Colors of the French Quarter paint collection.

Product overview

The Vieux Carré Commission Foundation operates as a preservation-focused non-profit offering a portfolio of educational resources and tools rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Design Guidelines for the Vieux Carré Historic District (a comprehensive 200+ page document available free online and as a hardback edition), the award-winning Vieux Carré Virtual Library (an interactive map-based digital archive with 44,000+ scanned historic slides), and the Quarterly Care Workshop series providing hands-on preservation training. Additional offerings include the Colors of the French Quarter paint collection (developed with Helm Paint and Benjamin Moore), the Navigating the VCC workshop series, the Morrison Memorial Lecture Series, Exterior Lighting Design Guidelines, and Storm Preparedness resources. These products work together to support property owners, design professionals, and preservation enthusiasts in maintaining the historic character of New Orleans' French Quarter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design Guidelines for the Vieux Carré Historic District A comprehensive 200+ page full-color design guidelines document with 369 color photographs and 219 detailed drawings, instructing property owners, design professionals, contractors, VCC staff, and Vieux Carré Commissioners on appropriate exterior changes to properties within the historic district. Available free online in PDF.
• Vieux Carré Virtual Library An award-winning interactive map-based digital archive providing free public access to 44,000 scanned historic slides linked to individual properties, GIS mapping of every structure in the French Quarter, and detailed building color ratings.
• Quarterly Care Workshop Series Hands-on historic preservation workshops teaching French Quarter property owners and caretakers essential maintenance practices, compliance with Vieux Carré Design Guidelines, and how to evaluate contractor work; covering masonry, windows, woodwork, exterior paint, roofing, lighting, and graffiti removal.
• Navigating the VCC Workshop Series Free workshop series helping property owners and tenants navigate VCC processes, featuring VCC Staff presentations and live Q&A on different aspects of the permitting and compliance process.
• Morrison Memorial Lecture Series A biennial lecture series (continuing in 2025) that educates the public about historic preservation while honoring longtime French Quarter advocates Jacob Haight Morrison and Mary Meek Morrison.
• Exterior Lighting Design Guidelines Comprehensive state-of-the-art exterior lighting design guidelines adopted by the VCC, addressing security, pedestrian safety, and aesthetics for property owners, with prescriptive guidelines for exterior illumination tailored to various building types.
• Storm Preparedness Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 2016 NAPC Commission Excellence Award for Best Practices for Design Guidelines
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Spain (Cultural Gift Program)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Spain gifted historic Spanish tile street signs to French Quarter property owners, with free replacements available through a cultural gift program for restoring historic neighborhood signage.
• Helm PaintflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Created the Colors of the French Quarter special paint color collection, a limited edition paint palette derived from Benjamin Moore's collection of 3,500+ colors. Helm Paint made a generous 2025 donation making this collection possible.
• Benjamin MooreflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnered to create the Colors of the French Quarter special paint color collection, curating historically appropriate paint colors for French Quarter properties.
• Vieux Carré CommissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Core partner organization - the Foundation was established to support and further the constitutional mission of the VCC. The Foundation funds major projects, provides educational resources, and supplies equipment to assist the VCC in preserving the French Quarter's architectural heritage.
• The Historic New Orleans CollectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Morrison Memorial Lecture Series, coordinating biennial educational lectures on historic preservation since 2002.
• Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents, and Associates (VCPORA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-coordinator of the Morrison Memorial Lecture Series and partner for Flood Resilience virtual lecture series on historic preservation and climate adaptation.
• NOLA ReadyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to deliver Hurricane Preparedness lectures specifically tailored for French Quarter property owners, addressing storm preparation for historic structures.
• BK Historic House & GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Hurricane Preparedness Lecture series, providing venue and support for storm preparation education for French Quarter residents.
• New Orleans Master Crafts GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in presenting the 'Who Built Dat?' walking tour and Restoration Rx workshop, highlighting the contributions of free people of color to New Orleans building arts.
• French Quarter Business Association (fqba)minorOthersAffiliate organization partner supporting French Quarter preservation and business community interests.
• French Quarter Citizens (fqc)minorOthersAffiliate organization partner representing French Quarter residents and preservation advocates.
• Louisiana LandmarksminorOthersAffiliate organization partner focused on preservation of Louisiana's historic landmarks.
• Louisiana Memorials Fund (LMF)minorOthersAffiliate organization partner supporting Louisiana memorial preservation efforts.
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Restoration Rx: A Morning with the Masters workshop series, bringing expert preservation education to the French Quarter.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Preservation Commissions (NAPC): National nonprofit supporting local preservation commissions. Comparable as the body that awarded the VCC Foundation's Design Guidelines (2016 NAPC Commission Excellence Award) and operates in the same preservation ecosystem.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The largest national nonprofit focused on historic preservation, providing grants, advocacy, and education. Directly comparable as a preservation-focused 501(c)(3) but operates nationally rather than at the neighborhood scale of the VCC Foundation.

Regional players

• Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia: Regional preservation nonprofit providing advocacy, education, and technical assistance. Comparable as a preservation advocacy nonprofit operating within a single historic urban district at similar scale to the VCC Foundation.
• New Orleans Architecture Foundation (NOAF): Local nonprofit promoting awareness of New Orleans architecture and built environment through education and tours. Comparable mission of architecture-focused public education, with overlapping audience in the same city.
• New York Landmarks Conservancy: NYC preservation nonprofit offering technical advice, grants, and education for owners of historic properties. Comparable as a city-scale 501(c)(3) that pairs technical guidance with financial support for historic-property owners.

Direct peers

• Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans: New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) that promotes historic preservation through education, advocacy, and resource programs. Operates in the same city and similar mission space, overlapping on workshops, advocacy, and homeowner education.
• Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents, and Associates (VCPORA): Civic and preservation advocacy organization representing French Quarter residents and property owners. Direct peer in mission and constituency, co-coordinating the Morrison Memorial Lecture Series and the Flood Resilience lecture series.
• Louisiana Landmarks Society: Affiliate partner and statewide preservation advocacy nonprofit. Comparable as a fellow 501(c)(3) focused on preservation education and advocacy in Louisiana, with overlapping donor base and programming.
• Historic New Orleans Collection: A museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Comparable as a partner on the Morrison Memorial Lecture Series and as a fellow steward of French Quarter historical archives.
• French Quarter Citizens (FQC): Affiliate nonprofit advocating for the welfare of French Quarter residents. Comparable as a small neighborhood-scale 501(c)(3) preservation and civic-advocacy organization in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vcc_foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/VieuxCarreCommissionFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/vcc_foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vieux-carre-commission-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vieux Carré Commission Foundation