Davies reflects on BRAF accomplishments after 25 years

Baton Rouge Area Foundation President John Davies reflected on his 25 years of service to the organization at the foundation’s 49th annual meeting Wednesday night. In a presentation to more than 200 BRAF members, Davies highlighted a list of now-familiar projects, programs, institutions and initiatives that were founded or launched over the past quarter century, due largely to BRAF’s support and leadership. It is an impressive list by all accounts, including the BREC Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, Forum 35, BREADA Red Stick Farmers Market, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, Plan Baton Rouge, Lamar Dixon Expo Center, Reilly Theater at Swine Palace, Shaw Center for the Arts, Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, Center for Planning Excellence, Red Stick Animation Festival, East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority, Water Institute of the Gulf, and New Schools for Baton Rouge, among others. Looking ahead, Davies says the future holds even more growth for the Capital Region. “The next 25 years promise to be years of great economic prosperity for Baton Rouge,” he says. BRAF also released its 2012 un-audited financial report at the meeting. Assets were down more than 6% to $563 million from $603 million in 2011. BRAF attributes the decline to the fact it made more grants last year than in almost any other year in its history, in addition to weathering a drop in the value of its real estate assets. In 2012 BRAF received some $30.5 million in contributions from donors and awarded $37.6 million in grants—$10 million more than in 2011. —Stephanie Riegel