2026-04-29T12:56:26-07:00 2024-12-31 263720495 Washington CPA Services LLC 365 Canal Street Suite 2810 New Orleans LA 70130 990 2024-01-01 821126823 Benola Inc BENO 5048123487 PO BOX 52436 New Orleans LA 70152 Adrinda Kelly Executive Director 2026-04-29 true true Kemberley Washington P00720398 5042333536 X 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X PO BOX 52436 New Orleans LA 70152 522571 false X blackedunola.org X 2017 LA The mission of BE NOLA is to ignite the Black Brilliance that exists throughout schools and neighborhoods to ensure Black children thrive. To achieve this we: Research and codify the innovations and strengths of New Orleans Black educators, schools, and families Provide resources and professional development to Black educators and Black-led, Black-governed schools to exemplify quality Black education Convene and mobilize Black parents, educators and community partners to demand support for pedagogies, policies and practices that support quality Black education and whole child well-being Empower the larger public to know the past, acknowledge the present and demand the future of Black Brilliance in New Orleans 10 9 4 10 0 935411 521648 0 0 4076 923 939487 522571 29650 0 315186 319713 96000 104987 621850 548639 937036 994002 2451 -471431 940790 468966 30060 29667 910730 439299 X The mission of BE NOLA is to ignite the Black Brilliance that exists throughout schools and neighborhoods to ensure Black children thrive. To achieve this we: Research and codify the innovations and strengths of New Orleans Black educators, schools, and families Provide resources and professional development to Black educators and Black-led, Black-governed schools to exemplify quality Black education Convene and mobilize Black parents, educators and community partners to demand support for pedagogies, policies and practices that support quality Black education and whole child well-being Empower the larger public to know the past, acknowledge the present and demand the future of Black Brilliance in New Orleans false false 263777 Other programs 101920 70000 Black Is Brilliant Institute (Program 3) In May 2024, we proudly concluded our second cohort of the Black Is Brilliant Institute, welcoming 20 Black educators into our growing family of culturally competent educators. This six-month paid fellowship continues to guide fellows through an experiential journey of wellness, learning, and doing, grounded in our five core pillars: Black Educational History, Health and Wellness, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Holistic Curriculum, and Communal Infrastructure Building. Building on feedback from our inaugural cohort, we implemented key improvements to deepen the Institute's impact which included: ? Front-End Intensive - Extended retreat to foster deeper connections among FellowsAudience Expansion - Integrated alumni with Cohort 2 through networking events ? Culminating Project Shift - Moved to oral histories with elder educators Our fellows estimate that they impact a total of 1,922 children through their classrooms and communities. Our post-institute survey results revealed the following key insights: ? 100%fellows reported an increased sense of hope and possibility as Black educators ? 100% fellows showed growth in at least 2 domains of teacher identity ? 93% expressed intent to stay in education, citing renewed commitment and enthusiasm ? 80% reported growth in cultural competency ? 87% reported growth in wellness and self-care practices ? 2x connectedness to other Black educators nearly doubled 97235 50000 Black Is Brilliant Summit Pop-up at Essence Fest (Program 1) BE NOLAs annual citywide education summit provides a space at the beginning of the school year to affirm the connection and shared purpose of our education community in New Orleans, examine timely education issues from a strength-based lens, and connect educators to resources and support organizations in the broader "village. It embodies BE NOLAs mantra that education is a lifestyle by going beyond the four walls of a classroom to connect culture and education. In 2024, BE NOLA took a bold step toward nationalizing our Black Is Brilliant Summit by hosting our first-ever Summit Pop-up at ESSENCE Festival. This strategic activation served as a preview and foundation for our upcoming national summit launch in 2025. The Summit Pop-up embodied our core belief that "education is a lifestyle" by creating an extraordinary space during one of the nation's most celebrated gatherings of Black culture and community. Held at The Eliza Jane Hotel on July 4th, the sold-out event brought together educators, thought leaders, and community supporters from across the country to celebrate Black brilliance in education. This activation demonstrated the national appetite for culturally affirming spaces where Black educators can connect, recharge, and deepen their engagement with impactful education practices validating our vision for expanding the Summit's reach beyond New Orleans in 2025. In 2024, we hosted our inaugural Institute Alumni Retreat, bringing together graduates from both cohorts to reflect on their transformative experiences and chart our path forward. This powerful Expenses (Direct Costs) Total: $97,234.70 FY24 Revenue total: $50,000 gathering highlighted the Institute's lasting impact while surfacing critical insights for continuous support. 50602 45000 BE NOLA Collective (Program 2) For five years, our BE NOLA Collective School Support Program has provided financial and capacity-building support to schools in New Orleans that are founded, led, and governed by Black New Orleanians. To date, this program has supported 10 schools, 25 school leaders, and more than 125 teachers, grounding our work in the understanding that Black-governed, Black-led schools (BGBLS) possess unique characteristics essential to Black families and student success. In 2024, we undertook comprehensive research to evolve our school support model and better serve the diverse landscape of Black educational spaces in New Orleans including, but not limited to, charter schools. We surveyed 126 New Orleans parents across 4 Black-governed, Black-led education spaces to understand opportunities for increased family belonging and engagement. We conducted an intimate listening tour with leaders across 8 Black education spaces to inform our model redesign. Based on these insights, we have evolved our approach to help fuel, strengthen, and maintain healthy, enduring Black-led education through four key aims: Aim 1: Stability- Ensuring strong operational infrastructure to withstand changing education landscapes Aim 3: Partnership - Equipping schools to serve families well and build sustainable community engagement Aim 2: Wellbeing - Supporting holistic achievement and development of diverse Black children Aim 4: Protection - Protecting unique approaches from appropriation or minimization In the Fall of 2024, we began implementing our updated model with The Leah Chase Schoolthe first direct-run public school in New Orleans in 18 years. 50602 45000 513534 true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false true false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 44 0 true 4 true false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false X 10 9 false false false false false false false true false false false true true true true true true true true false X Adrinda Kelly 5048123487 PO BOX 52436 New Orleans LA 70152 X Ashana Bigardf Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dr Margarret Montgomery-Richard Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Bishop Tom B Watson Director 0.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Adrinda Kelly Executive Dir. 50.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lona Edwards Hankins Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Gina Bell Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dr Jeff Benjamin Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Okyeame Haley JD LLM Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Tale Lockett Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Mischell Davis Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Avione Brown Pichon Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Thelma French Treasurer 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Darryl Kilbert Vice President 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Stacy Martin Secretary 0.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Jonathan Wilson President 0.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Bill Rouselle Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 0 false false false 0 521648 521648 Black Is Brilliant Inst. 541900 Bloomberg/BRAF 541900 Kellogg Foundation 541900 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other Income 900099 923 923 923 522571 923 X 0 29650 29650 0 0 0 0 282561 185284 97277 0 14783 14783 22369 14402 7967 0 1307 631 676 51799 51799 0 96000 96000 0 247750 143225 104525 8558 2429 6129 15 15 0 0 3612 3612 18803 922 15658 2223 0 2640 2640 0 0 0 15697 15697 Events 137191 130212 2865 4114 Books and subscriptions, etc. 18914 479 18435 Business meeting expenses 12710 1048 11662 Business and event reg 10342 10342 19301 5252 14039 10 994002 513534 375481 104987 849790 422966 0 0 91000 46000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 940790 468966 8356 29667 21704 30060 29667 X 910730 439299 910730 439299 940790 468966 -471431 X false false false X 222080 442985 341340 935411 593022 2534838 0 0 222080 442985 341340 935411 593022 2534838 0 2534838 0 0 40502 4076 44578 2579416 324000 0.98270 0.97770 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 522571 522571 522571 994002 994002 994002 false false 0 0 Mentor Grants 10 29650 Cash Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b The Board reviews the 990 for accuracy. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 No documents available to the public.