$4M windfall earmarked for Reconcile’s future

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

Imagine what a gift of $4 million can do for a nonprofit.
Reconcile New Orleans is deciding right how to use a $4 million unrestricted gift it recently received from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest single investment in the young adult workforce development program’s history.


“This grant from MacKenzie Scott meant a lot to me, because this person is changing the way philanthropy works in the world by saying, ‘We’re going to go out … and find the people who do good work and support them with an unrestricted gift’,” said Kheri Billy, chief executive officer of Reconcile New Orleans.

“We already know we are going to earmark it for a rainy-day fund,” said Billy, the former chief financial officer. “We live in New Orleans, and something’s gonna happen.  We had a lot of damage from Hurricane Ida (water came in through 100-year-old windows). … This grant allows us to finally have a savings account. That’s one piece of it, but the rest of it, our community stakeholders (board, young people, staff) get to decide.”

A new strategic plan, currently being formulated by the board, staff
and clients, will “map out Reconcile’s dreams” and the cost to implement and operate, said Caitlin Scanlan, chief development officer.

Program tenets stronger
The innovative program began in 1996 by Jesuit Father Harry Tompson and community members Craig Cuccia and Tim Falcon to provide young adults with paid workforce and life skills training – with a goal of self-sufficiency through individual career plans – in a supportive and loving environment.

The hospitality industry – the hotels and restaurants that fuel the top employment engine in New Orleans – was a natural partner at the onset.

“The origin story of the mission is still very relevant, this mission of service, and coming into a community that was struggling and really figuring out what it needed to support young people from this community and Father Harry’s vision,” Billy said. “How is that a reality today? I don’t think we’ve ever strayed far away from that vision.”

Constantly evaluating the program, Billy said Reconcile realized that the original eight-week program would better impact clients if it were longer. During COVID, a new strategic plan upped the training to 14 weeks, increased program enrollment from about 90 to 120 annually, amplified supportive services such as following up with clients a year after graduation and formed new partnerships with businesses, such as Ochsner, that exposed clients to future pathways other than just tourism.

In 2023, an alumni advisory council was created to form a peer-to-peer support network.

“Our philosophy is our young people need a more supportive transition as they transition to their pathway of choice – whether it be employment or education,” Scanlan said. “Kheri always said this was a person-to-person business. Our young people have been able to thrive because there is a team of caring adults dedicated to supporting their development.”

“We were really intentional about our work and wanted young people to stay with us longer and … check in monthly,” Billy added. “We want to make sure they are staying on a path that they designed and dreamed up for themselves. And what does that person need (as an individual) from us that we make sure they stay there and are doing well  – meeting work objectives or connected to education. We have some young people who go on to college. … It’s really career exploration and stabilizing young people.”

Empathetic to youth
Billy puts to good use her past experiences of “service for others” at Catholic nonprofits Second Harvest Food Bank, the Daughters of Charity and at De La Salle High School. She sees her job and the mission of Reconcile as a service supporting young adults ages 16-24 as they navigate their future.

Having been nurtured by caring adults as a youth – attending the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Summer Witness program run by the archdiocesan Social Apostolate and a local Catholic school for several years – Billy strives to recreate that same environment where young adults feel safe, cared for and supported. She also understands clients, having been a non-traditional student herself, who took a gap year between high school and college to figure out her career path.

With an accounting background, Billy joined the Reconcile staff five years ago to stabilize the nonprofit financially. In 2012-13, Reconcile incurred debt by renovating all five floors of its building to expand programming to include more space for catering, workshops, training, mock career interviews and one-on-one assistance (case management and mental health support).

The following two years were directed at looking at the root causes – such as mental or physical health or food insecurity – that created barriers for young adults to attend work or the program. Café Reconcile serves its young clients breakfast and lunch daily.

“We aren’t here to save anybody,” Billy said. “We are here to support young people. You cannot save anybody. You can help them find their own way. That’s the same thing from a spiritual standpoint. You’ve got to  figure out today what’s happening with young people and how do we talk to young people with what’s relevant.”

Bright future ahead
Billy said the large infusion of funds will ensure the future success of Reconcile New Orleans by making program enhancements sustainable. She sees Scott’s gift, coupled with continual donations from regular program supporters, as a community coming together to preserve a special place.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we have to be really thoughtful on how that money is put into play,” Billy said. “This (money) is not just for the people who work here or the young people who come to us today. This type of funding is meant to help us sustain ourselves beyond today. We want Reconcile to be around for the people who are behind us – the young people who are 10 years old right now who might need us in the future.”

Café Reconcile serves lunch daily and is available for catering in-house or otherwise. Visit https://cafereconcile.org/.

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