Baton Rouge, La (March 7, 2024) —The Louisiana Budget Project, a leading statewide public policy research and advocacy organization, is changing its name to Invest in Louisiana. The new name was selected after a lengthy collaborative process with stakeholders and reflects the organization’s commitment to economic and racial justice policies that invest in people and underserved communities.

“We haven’t been just a ‘budget project’ for a long time,” Executive Director Jan Moller said. “Fiscal policies are the heart of what we do, but our work extends far beyond the state budget. It is time for our name to reflect our values and our expertise across a range of policy issues that affect low- to moderate-income Louisianans and promote racial justice.” 

The Louisiana Budget Project began in 2006 as an initiative of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) and became a stand-alone nonprofit organization in 2013.

“Louisiana’s economy will never reach its full potential until we fully invest in great schools with high-performing teachers, accessible and affordable health care, safe streets and a clean environment,” said Jesse Gilmore, chair of Invest in Louisiana’s Board of Directors. “The organization’s new name reflects our commitment to the policies that invest in Louisiana’s most critical resource – its people.”

The rebranding effort was led by For Good Content, a Baton Rouge-based communications firm led by Ginny Engholm, who partnered with SDMC, a Seattle-based consulting firm. As part of this project, SDMC’s Co-Design Institute convened people with lived experience who are impacted by policies and program areas critical to Louisiana Budget Project’s work to help guide the renaming process.

“The work with community experts radically transformed our understanding of what our organizational identity needed to be moving forward,” Moller said. “It was clear that if we wanted to have our work driven by the needs of the people we seek to serve, we needed a name that reflected that commitment.”

While the name is different, the organization’s mission remains unchanged. “The Louisiana Budget Project’s research and advocacy has long been critical to shaping our understanding of the policy choices we face as legislators,” state Rep. Matthew Willard of New Orleans said. “I look forward to the great things to come from Invest in Louisiana. 

The organization also unveiled a new, user-friendly website. 

The new website showcases years of research and analysis on tax and budget policies, public benefit programs, education, health care and family support policies such as paid parental leave. “We hope that the new site will offer policy experts and community members alike the information and analysis they need to understand the most important issues facing Louisianans,” said Stacey Roussel, Invest in Louisiana’s deputy executive director. 

For more information about the organization and to explore the new site, visit investlouisiana.org.

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About Invest in Louisiana

Invest in Louisiana, formerly Louisiana Budget Project, is a nonpartisan think tank that drives policy change to advance economic prosperity for all Louisianans through sound analysis, independent research, and community engagement. Invest in Louisiana envisions a fair and inclusive state where all children and families have opportunities to thrive. 

Media Contact

Jamie Carson

jamie@investlouisiana.org 

225-330-9841