The Foundation provides grants to nonprofits to make lives better in the region. It also takes on projects, often with partners, to remake Baton Rouge. One of the first initiatives of the Foundation was Plan Baton Rouge, architect Andres Duany's urban plan for the city center that guided the rebirth of downtown. Here are a few of the projects currently underway at the Foundation:

The Water Institute - Vast areas of Louisiana and Gulf Coast deltas are expected to vanish with rising seas and disappearing wetlands. As a response, the Foundation, working with state and federal leaders, is creating the Water Institute, a stand-alone nonprofit that will assemble top scientists across many fields to guide the response to land loss. The institute will be worldwide resource.

Old South Baton Rouge - The Foundation hired urban planners to write a strategy for bringing Old South Baton Rouge back to life. The community, located between downtown and LSU, has seen more than $150 million in new investments in just five years. The Foundation now is coordinating efforts to add more housing and retail spaces for the neighborhood.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence - In its third year, the annual book competition will award $10,000 to the best work of fiction submitted by an African-American writer. The next winner will be honored in January 2010. The book award recognizes the accomplishments of Mr. Gaines, a Louisiana native and resident considered among the greatest writers of his time. For more information, visit ErnestJGainesAward.org.

CityStats - The project measures the quality of life in East Baton Rouge, telling us how far we have come, where we are and where we need to go. CityStats uses 50 quality of life indicators. The goal is to use the indicators to move our community towards a shared vision. Read more at BRCityStats.org.

For additional information about Foundation initiatives, e-mail Mukul Verma of the communications department at mverma@braf.org.