Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work centres on jazz education, performances or programming linked to Louis Armstrong's music, it fits the foundation's stated priorities, and projects serving youth, students, underserved populations or communities with limited access to arts education receive priority.
- A request of around $10,000 is realistic, since half of its 88 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $5,000 and $100,000, though its largest grant was $220,000.
- First-time applicants must start with a letter of intent, and because the foundation sets fixed deadlines, check the letter-of-intent deadline for the current cycle before you write.
- In its latest filing, 81% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in an earlier filing, so a first approach should be prepared with particular care.
- Organisations that are not U.S.-based nonprofits, or that cannot show at least three years of operation and service, should not apply.
Overview
Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation is a US private foundation based in Great Neck, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation supports musicians, jazz education, performances and programming as part of its mission to perpetuate the legacies of Louis and Lucille Armstrong. Its grant programme considers U.S.-based nonprofit organisations; most grantees are 501c3 organisations, while fiscally sponsored organisations are considered case by case. Eligible organisations must demonstrate at least three years of operation and service. Projects are expected to connect strongly to jazz education and meaningfully to Armstrong’s music and impact. Educational projects benefiting youth and students receive priority, as do projects serving underserved populations and communities with limited access to arts education. First-time applicants begin with a letter of intent, and approved applicants are invited to submit a full grant application.
Themes
- Musicians
- Jazz education
- Performances
- Programming
Geographic Focus
U.S.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations that are not U.S.- based non-profits
- Organizations unable to prove that they have been in operation and providing services for at least 3+ years
How to apply
Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) first; applicants selected by the Foundation are contacted to submit a full grant application.
Deadlines: A letter-of-intent deadline applies to each LAEF fiscal-year cycle.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 81% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 88 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The project should demonstrate a strong connection to jazz education.
- The project should align with the Foundation’s mission and demonstrate a meaningful connection to Armstrong’s music and impact.
- The Foundation gives special consideration to programmes named for LAEF or Louis Armstrong, when they still align strongly with its goals and priorities and receive a high evaluation score.
- Educational projects benefiting youth and students receive priority.
- The project budget should be reasonable, feasible and reflect the scope of the project.
- Applicants should provide information about intended and estimated community impact, including the number of people served, demographics and socio-economic impact.
- Projects serving underserved populations and communities with limited access to arts education receive priority.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 23% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 81% of grant dollars went to organisations Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 31 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $12,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Louis Armstrong House Museum · General$210,0002024 tax year
- Louisiana Museum Foundation · General$148,7752024 tax year
- Jazzmobile · General$125,0002024 tax year
- Queens College Foundation · General$121,0902024 tax year
- Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp · General$100,0002024 tax year
- Mount Sinai Beth Israel - Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine · General$75,0002024 tax year
- ASCAP Foundation · General$50,0002024 tax year
- Jazz Power Initiative · General$20,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jeffrey Rosenstock — Director
- Jackie Harris — Executive Director
- Robin Bell-Stevens — Vice-President
- David Chevan — Secretary
- Howard Schain — Treasurer
- Wynton Marsalis — President
- Josh Mayer — Director
- Jon Batiste — Director
- Alvin Benjamin Carter III — Director
- Deborah Ross — Director
- Kenneth Alleyne — Director
- Susan Devens — Director
- Michael Mossman — Director
- Jonathan Raskin — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,257,006 | $790,000 | $9,723,482 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,499,039 | $965,618 | $12,301,420 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,746,589 | $1,081,885 | $19,916,447 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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Applying to Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required