NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures (Nous) has launched its new grant program called the Dr. Homer J. Dupuy Grant Program for French in Louisiana.
Named after Dr. Homer J. Dupuy (1913-2005), a fervent advocate of Francophonie in Louisiana, this grant aims to sponsor events and programs whose goal is to advance the visibility and presence of Louisiana’s heritage languages — Louisiana French, Louisiana Creole (Kouri-Vini), and Indigenous languages — in the public space.
For the fall call for applications, Nous invites individuals or organizations with projects scheduled to take place between January and June 2026 to submit their applications now. A spring call for applications will be published in mid-April 2026 to support projects scheduled to take place during the second half of the year.
Through this program, Nous support projects in all 64 parishes across Louisiana with a focus on cultural and educational projects. For this specific call, Nous will be able to award funding ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the nature and scope of the project. In coming years, Nous plans to expand the program to $10,000 awards.
Commenting on the significance of the program, “One of the main barriers for transmission for French in Louisiana is a lack of available funding. This grant is part of Nous’s mission to invest back in the cultural keepers who transmit heritage languages to a new generation. It’s an honor to name this program after Dr. Homer Dupuy who advocated his entire life to promote French across Louisiana.”
Applications for the grant are open until December 18, 2025 and applications can be found at https://www.nous-foundation.org/homer-dupuy.
About the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures
Founded in June 2020, the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures is an institute dedicated to preserving and promoting French and Creole in Louisiana and the United States. The foundation’s actions center around three priorities: organizing cultural events, creating original content, and launching innovative programs based on an incubator model to promote language transmission.
Through an initiative launched and spearheaded by the Nous Foundation’s co-founders, Rudy Bazenet and Scott Tilton, Louisiana became the first state to join the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) in 2018. The OIF brings together 93 countries and regions, 16% of the global economy, and over 1 billion people.
About Dr. Homer J Dupuy
Dr. Homer J Dupuy (1913-2005) was a renowned medical doctor and civic leader who advocated for Francophone culture in Louisiana. Dr. Dupuy served as Chair of the visitation committee for General de Gaulle’s visit to New Orleans in 1960 and helped spearhead the installing of the Joan of Arc Statue. He also helped launch the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) in 1968 and oversaw the city of New Orleans’s 250th anniversary celebrations the same year.
In 1954, Dr. Dupuy, who was trained in internal medicine, treated a young Frenchman, who turned out to be President Jacques Chirac of France, with whom Dr. Dupuy maintained a lifelong friendship. For his efforts, Dr. Dupuy was recognized by the French government with the Chevalier and Officier of the Legion of Honor, and he also served as the King of Carnival (Rex) in 1963.