Baton Rouge Area Foundation

From disaster response to long-term resilience, community foundations play a critical role in helping regions prepare for what’s ahead.

BRAF recently represented the Gulf Coast at the 51st Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Colorado, one of the country's longest running gatherings focused on hazards and disasters.

Through the Community Foundation Resilience Network, John O’Donnell, BRAF’s community resilience officer, joined partner foundations as a panelist for a session titled “Building Regional Adaptive Capacity Through Community Foundations.”

The moderated discussion explored how community foundations can move from planning to investment, use data to shape regional priorities and support a scalable, Gulf-wide approach to resilience.

Learn about BRAF's disaster response efforts at braf.org/disasters.

🎉 Join us in celebrating Tamika Edwards-Raby, BRAF’s customer relationship manager, on four years with BRAF!

As CRM manager on BRAF’s enterprise strategy team, Tamika plays an important role in strengthening enterprise-wide systems by supporting data and process standards, running compliance checks, and keeping database information accurate and up to date.

In her free time, Tamika enjoys studying the Bible, spending time with her family, and pursuing the dreams God has placed on her heart. She is also passionate about creativity in all its forms, from building her brand to writing, fashion, graphic design, and interior design.

When asked what she enjoys most about working at the Foundation, Tamika shared:
“Being part of a culture of service. We are one body with many parts, and each person at the Foundation plays an integral role in furthering the philanthropic landscape of our region. It’s a joy to serve!”

Congratulations on four years, Tamika! We are grateful to have you on the BRAF team. 🌟