Kids Today

Running a nonprofit might sound like a mission of the heart. But it’s also very much a business.

These organizations have to pay staff, keep the lights on, and provide services. Yes, they rely on philanthropy. But they also need to generate revenue, build partnerships, and constantly make the case for their value—not just to donors, but to the community at large.

Acadiana has hundreds of nonprofits big and small. And to some extent they compete just like for-profit enterprises. There’s only so much money and attention in the world, even for a good cause. And what better cause is there than kids?

Lore Linton is the Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Acadiana, a nonprofit that blends play and learning for kids and their families.

Lore Linton, Executive Director of the Acadiana Children's Museum, has so many ideas for expanding museum activities she's running out of brain space and museum space

Lore Linton, Executive Director of the Acadiana Children’s Museum, tells Christiaan she has so many ideas for expanding museum activities she’s running out of brain space and museum space

Lore has a long history with the museum, starting as a volunteer and working her way through nearly every role. She became Executive Director in 2023 and has since expanded programming, grown attendance, and taken on the everyday challenges of operating a museum inside a 100-year-old building.

While half of CMA’s revenue comes from admissions and events like birthday parties, the other half comes from donations, grants, and sponsorships—the nonprofit hustle.

Annie Spell has seen nonprofits from the other side of the ledger. A psychologist by training , Annie is also a longtime donor and board member of organizations like the American Cancer Society, Hearts of Hope, Miles Perret Cancer Services, and the Children’s Museum of Acadiana itself.

Annie Spell, practising adolscent psychology is probably good preparation for serving in the Louisiana Legislature but it’s Annie’s role as a philanthropist and non-profit fund-raiser that Christiaan is interested in in this conversation

Annie says she grew up in a family that modeled community involvement—her grandfathers included both a longtime judge and entrepreneur. Annie ran a small, focused clinical practice working with adolescents, and did pro bono work for children in the court system. In 2025, she was elected unopposed to the Louisiana Legislature.

A major vehicle for Annie’s philanthropy is the Tides Medical Foundation, a fund associated with the biomedical firm founded by her husband.