New Orleans, LA Nonprofit Executive Jobs: 2026 Leadership Guide
A city with one of the most distinctive nonprofit economies in the South, anchored by two large health systems, a celebrated set of universities and cultural institutions, and a deep network of community organizations.
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Key Highlights · New Orleans 2026
Anchor employers: Ochsner Health and LCMC Health. Cultural depth: Tulane, Xavier, Audubon, and the National WWII Museum. Pay reality: reported CEO compensation runs roughly $213K to $406K at established organizations, with a few large cultural institutions far above.
Market Intelligence: New Orleans in 2026
New Orleans has one of the most distinctive nonprofit economies in the South, shaped by culture, recovery, and a fierce sense of place. Two large nonprofit health systems anchor the job market, a celebrated set of universities and cultural institutions draw national talent, and a dense layer of community organizations carries the city’s long work on poverty, housing, and education. For a mission-driven executive, New Orleans rewards leaders who understand the city on its own terms.
The roles that open most often run across healthcare, higher education advancement, cultural institutions, and human services. Leaders who thrive here are community-rooted, comfortable with the philanthropic rhythms of a recovery-shaped city, and steady through the funding cycles that follow each storm season. A lower cost of living than the coastal giants, paired with an unmatched quality of life, keeps committed leaders in the region.
Nonprofit Executive Pay
These figures come from the IRS Form 990 filings of named New Orleans organizations, pulled from ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. We do not invent salary numbers. A couple of very large cultural institutions sit far above the typical nonprofit and are flagged below.
| Organization | Role | Reported Total Compensation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater New Orleans Foundation | President & CEO | $406,215 | IRS Form 990, FY 2024 |
| The National WWII Museum | EVP & CFO | $374,411 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2024 |
| United Way of Southeast Louisiana | President & CEO | $346,117 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2025 |
| United Way of Southeast Louisiana | EVP & COO | $255,419 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2025 |
| Greater New Orleans Foundation | VP Finance & Operations | $242,371 | IRS Form 990, FY 2024 |
| Covenant House New Orleans | Chief Executive Officer | $220,535 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2024 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans | President & CEO | $213,811 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2024 |
| United Way of Southeast Louisiana | Chief Financial Officer | $164,845 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2025 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans | Director of Development | $100,886 | IRS Form 990, FY June 2024 |
Reported compensation from ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (IRS Form 990). The Audubon Nature Institute (reported CEO pay near $1.9M, inflated by deferred compensation) and the National WWII Museum (an $82M-plus institution, CEO above $725K) are upper-end outliers; their CEO rows are left out so the table reflects the typical market.
For market context, Salary.com reports a New Orleans nonprofit executive-director average near $110,100 (range roughly $95,200 to $122,600), and PayScale puts the local nonprofit program-director figure near $58,500. Salary.com’s nonprofit COO and CFO model numbers for New Orleans run into the high six figures and are inflated by large-employer data, so the 990 figures above are the better guide.
Health Systems
Two large nonprofit health systems anchor the New Orleans job market, recruiting senior clinical, administrative, and development leaders.
LCMC Health
A New Orleans nonprofit system including Children’s Hospital, Touro, and University Medical Center.
Access Health Louisiana
A community health center network serving roughly 50,000 patients across 16 parishes.
CrescentCare
A New Orleans community health center founded from the NO/AIDS Task Force.
Colleges & Universities
New Orleans universities, including two HBCUs, hire across advancement, finance, and administration.
Major Nonprofits & Human Services
New Orleans human-services organizations carry the city’s long work on poverty, housing, and youth, and hire executive and program leaders.
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
An anti-poverty United Way serving seven parishes.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana
The regional food bank.
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans
A large multi-service human-services nonprofit.
Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana
Homelessness, behavioral health, and family services across 16 parishes.
Youth Empowerment Project
A community-based youth organization.
Foundations, Arts & Culture
New Orleans foundations and cultural institutions hire program officers, directors, and chief executives.
Preservation Resource Center
A historic-preservation nonprofit founded in 1974.
Audubon Nature Institute
The nonprofit operating the city’s zoo, aquarium, and parks.
The National WWII Museum
One of the country’s premier cultural institutions.
Public Sector & Public Health
Government and schools are among the largest mission-driven employers in the city.
City of New Orleans
The city’s civil-service job portal, which also covers the Health Department.
Louisiana Department of Health
The state public-health agency.
Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
The regional public water utility.
Local & Regional Search Firms
Dedicated nonprofit search talent based in New Orleans is thin, so we are candid: the strongest options are a regional Louisiana firm and a Gulf South generalist, plus a national mission-focused specialist.
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
https://thinkingahead.com/service/nonprofit/
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a nonprofit CEO earn in New Orleans?
Reported Form 990 pay for established New Orleans organizations runs from roughly $213,000 at Second Harvest to $406,000 at the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Salary.com puts the broader executive-director average near $110,100, with smaller organizations lower. Audubon and the National WWII Museum pay far above that.
Which firms run nonprofit searches in New Orleans?
Dedicated local nonprofit search talent is thin. The strongest options are ThinkingAhead, a national specialist, Emergent Method in Louisiana, and The Personnel Consulting Group, a Gulf South generalist. See the section above.
Who are the largest mission-driven employers?
Ochsner Health and LCMC Health, the area universities including Tulane and Xavier, major cultural institutions such as Audubon and the National WWII Museum, and human-services groups including United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Second Harvest.
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