Grants
Lacey Cunningham serves as a Program Officer at BCM, working with the grantmaking team to review applications, support grantees, and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. Her efforts focus on stewarding BCM’s resources to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of communities in the Greater New Orleans area. Lacey brings extensive experience from roles at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the University of New Orleans. She holds a B.A. in Business and Economics with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, an M.A. in Education, and certifications in Education and Urban Community Education. Currently a doctoral candidate, her research explores place-based education, community belonging, and picture books.
• What’s a hobby or passion you enjoy? I collect cookbooks and love exploring global foodways. Traveling to over 25 countries, I enjoy visiting grocery stores, public parks, and eating street food. I also run a social media account dedicated to takeout restaurants.
• What’s the best part of your job? I love hearing people’s passions and seeing how BCM supports their work. Visiting schools, clinics, and community gardens, and attending events like graduations and ribbon cuttings, inspires me to witness people improving lives with limited resources.
• What was your first job? I worked as a hostess and bakery clerk at Perkins Family Restaurant in Ohio, where I set the muffin sales record and proudly “stacked them high and watched them fly.”
• What’s your po’boy pick? It depends! Late night: roast beef and cheese from Gene’s (now closed). Fancy: Cochon de Lait from Katie’s or alligator sausage from Parkway. Classic: fried catfish from Hank’s.
• What’s your favorite parade? I love ‘tit Rex, which starts in front of my house. I even host a “tiny things” party to celebrate!