LCEF is currently staffed by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. BRAF seeks to expand access to opportunity in greater Baton Rouge and across south Louisiana.  They pursue their mission by serving donors to build the assets that drive initiatives and solutions, supporting local nonprofits to ensure overall impact and sustainability, engaging community leaders to develop appropriate responses to emerging opportunities and challenges, and by partnering with others to leverage collective resources and create the capacity to be a stimulus of positive regional change.  

Among the largest community foundations in the country, BRAF has a long history of creating transformative non-profit organizations and public-private partnerships. Their responses are uniquely tailored to local needs and often result in establishing and managing funds designed to solve complex challenges.

Located on the Gulf Coast, BRAF knows hardship. They started Employees 1st, a supporting organization, to deliver hardship grants after natural disasters. This program works with employers to stand up funds for their employees to apply for and receive individual grants after experiencing a qualified event and meeting IRS guidelines in their application. 

John O'Donnell  was hired by BRAF spring of 2025 to serve as LCEF’s Program Director. John is a strategist specializing in energy access and disaster recovery, with over a decade of experience leading complex initiatives at the intersection of public infrastructure, equitable development, and systems implementation. His work focuses on advancing community-scale solutions that improve energy resilience, reduce household burdens, and create more accessible pathways into the clean energy economy. 

Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, John has led recovery and infrastructure efforts across multiple federally declared disasters, designed policy-informed programs to strengthen local systems, and built partnerships among governments, utilities, philanthropy, and community-based organizations. His leadership emphasizes practical execution, equitable access, and long-term impact. 

Prior to his current role, John founded a consulting firm that advised public sector and nonprofit clients on disaster resilience and critical infrastructure investment across the United States. He has also launched technology ventures focused on data-driven solutions for health and emergency preparedness and played a key role in regional economic development through the creation of a tech-focused business incubator in Southwest Louisiana.