Economic Development

The Economic Development Initiative addresses median household income through workforce development; business startups and expansions; and support of regional economic development.

The Economic Development Initiative makes the link between healthy economies and healthy people. Healthy economies with low unemployment rates and higher-wage jobs provide people with the means to purchase medical insurance, make better healthcare choices and live healthier lifestyles.

The goal of the initiative is to raise the household income of people living in Central Louisiana by improving the region’s capacity to produce higher-wage jobs for all income levels and generate more wealth in its communities. The initiative consists of three components.

Featured Programs

Business Startups and Expansions

The Foundation supports a comprehensive and coordinated entrepreneurship support system in Central Louisiana. It funds the Business Acceleration System, which provides training, technical assistance, coaching and mentoring support services for local entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Workforce Skills and Talent Development

The Foundation supports efforts to build a cohesive and effective workforce development system in Central Louisiana that meets the demands of employers, has the capacity to quickly respond to change, and provides training opportunities and career paths for employment and advancement for Cenla residents. 

Business Culture and Environment

The Foundation provides a matching grant to Louisiana Central in support of its workforce and economic development activities. Louisiana Central continues to serve as the vehicle to build cooperation, coordination, teamwork and social cohesiveness for regional economic development objectives.

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