Frequently Asked Questions

We know it can be a mouthful to say the full name. For simplicity’s sake, we shorten our name to “Better Louisiana.” Also, even though the organizations merged, we refer to our “Committee of 100” or C100, still as that selective group that remains a vital force for good who meet and work together to push forward our goals.

We believe people want change and new solutions for our state’s challenges. We think that requires organizations like ours to work differently and more collaboratively. Both organizations’ Boards of Directors saw an opportunity to create a  “1 + 1 = 3” moment, where the sum could be greater than the parts. While more common in the private sector, it’s rare for nonprofits to merge, especially ones that are long-standing organizations with proud histories and healthy financial positions. We chose to take the risk of change in order to have the opportunity for a bigger impact for our state. By combining our staff, we are able to do more faster and reduce duplication and build a bolder set of strategic priorities.

The members of Committee of 100 are CEOs, Founders, Executives, Presidents, and Chancellors from across Louisiana who have been nominated by their peers to work to create a better Louisiana, regardless of party or geography. Known as C100 (pronounced See-One-Hundred) for short, the group originated in the early 1990s and continues today as Louisiana’s business roundtable, an organization in which leading executives join together to advance forward-looking and common-sense priorities. Our C100 leaders are united for a common purpose: Louisiana.

The first step is to contribute to support our work and receive our communications. We are fueled by passionate Louisianans who believe in our state and support our mission and work. Anyone can make a contribution to join in support of our work and receive updates on our policy priorities, analysis, and events. Leaders who want to roll up their sleeves and do more may apply to be in a future class of Leadership Louisiana. Individuals who want to learn more about our Committee of 100 may reach out through this site to request more information.

Our data and policy research shapes our understanding of our state, especially our Louisiana Fact Book that measure the state’s progress. From the data, we set forth a policy framework called RESET Louisiana that assesses the state’s data and outlines policy priorities to improve our outcomes. From these broad policy priorities, we take on advocacy each year to address key policy changes with state elected officials and agency leaders. Across it all, our Board of Directors and Committee of 100 are empowered as a non-partisan group of leaders to advocate for economic development and policy reforms. They are joined in this work by the incredible, civically-minded individuals who participate in Leadership Louisiana and the 1,600 alumni who have gone before them.

Throughout planning of the merger, everyone saw that Leadership Louisiana is one of the best things available across the state and must continue, while we continue to enrich the experience and alumni engagement. Candidates apply on this site during the time of year when applications are open for submission, typically September and October. Anyone can apply. You can also sign up to be notified when applications are being accepted. We always advise that the quality and thoughtfulness within the application is critical for selection by the volunteers who review and score them independently. Frequently there are far more applications than seats in each class, and candidates may require multiple class-year-cycles before they secure a spot.

Each year, the organization leads on one or two priority policy priorities for which it advances research, advocacy and implementation, usually with a coalition of partners interested in the same. Beyond its lead initiatives, the organization assesses the policy changes recommended by others and takes positions in favor or opposed based on the alignment with policy positions. We are commonly involved on issues related to economic development, K-12 education, tax and fiscal issues, higher education, workforce and talent, infrastructure and insurance, to name a few recent priorities.