Causes: Arts & Culture, Cultural & Ethnic Awareness, Historical Organizations, History Museums

Mission: Founded in 1974, Our mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the historic cemeteries of New Orleans through restoration, education, and advocacy. In 1974, the Archdiocese of New Orleans announced a plan to destroy the wall vaults surrounding St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 and replace them with a chain-link fence. The preservation community was incensed. Save Our Cemeteries was created in response to this threat, but the organization quickly realized the problem of cemetery neglect was not limited to just one cemetery.

Results: To date, Save Our Cemeteries (SOC) has performed millions of dollars worth of capital improvements in New Orleans' cemeteries. Educated tens of thousands of visitors/tourists on the history, culture, significance and impact of New Orleans' historic cemeteries through educational cemetery tours and lectures.

Geographic areas served: The greater New Orleans metro area.

Programs: Education: tours and lectures(open to the public) are held throughout the year with topics ranging from jazz funerals to voodoo to yellow fever epidemic. Our guided cemetery tour allows the visitor a glimpse into the hisorical past of new orleans. Each year save our cemeteries holds a seminar covering a wide range of topics to educate tour guides with historically accurate knowledge.

restoration: save our cemeteries conducts cemetery restoration work each year as part of its mission. Grants, donations, tours and fundraisers support these endeavors. Projects include the restoring of abandoned tombs, landscaping, and making capital improvements. Also, proper restoration techniques for historic tombs are provided to tomb owners and cemetery operators.