← Back to US Funders Directory

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$2.1M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M
Decision Time
1mo
Success Rate
91%

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,117,917 (2023)
  • Success Rate: 91% (2024)
  • Decision Time: 3-4 weeks
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $7,500
  • Geographic Focus: Louisiana (statewide)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.jazzandheritage.org/
Phone: 504-558-6100 (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm CT)
Email: grants@jazzandheritage.org
Application Portal: https://jazzandheritage.gosmart.org/

Overview

Founded in 1970 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation was established by festival founders George Wein, Quint Davis, and Allison Miner with the mission to promote, preserve, perpetuate, and encourage the music, culture, and heritage of communities in Louisiana. The Foundation owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell (Jazz Fest), and channels festival proceeds directly back into Louisiana communities through grants and cultural programming. Over the past decade, the Foundation has distributed more than $15 million in grants to Louisiana communities, with $2.1 million distributed in 2023 alone. In the five decades since its founding, the Foundation has become a lighthouse of education, community support, and cultural preservation, generating $350 million annually in economic impact for the local economy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation offers Community Partnership Grants of up to $7,500 across five distinct categories (maximum increased from $5,000 in 2024):

  • Education In-School: Funding for music and art education programs in Louisiana K-12 schools during the school day and after school. Schools can apply for instruments, instrument repair, sheet music, visual art supplies, or other materials to support arts instruction.

  • Education After-School: Supports after-school and summer educational arts programs offered by nonprofit organizations. Organizations may apply for funding to pay professional teaching fees of artists or educators providing arts instruction.

  • Jazz & Heritage Presenting: Supports Louisiana-based nonprofits presenting festivals, concerts, and cultural events. Grants support performers' fees.

  • Louisiana Cultural Equity Arts & Creation: Supports individual artists creating new artistic works that showcase and interpret Louisiana's cultural heritage. Open to all individuals (individuals cannot use fiscal agents).

  • Media: Documentation + Creation: Supports documentation and exhibition of Louisiana culture through art exhibits/installations, visual art, photography, film projects, literature, Internet or electronic media projects, documentaries, performing arts, or recordings.

Priority Areas

Eligible arts education programs include music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, culinary arts, cultural traditions, folk life, and media arts. All funded projects must align with the Foundation's mission to promote Louisiana's music, culture, and heritage, and must take place in Louisiana.

What They Don't Fund

  • Expenses related to suit-making (including carnival, parading, second line, or masking groups)
  • Debt or endowments
  • Fundraising events
  • Reimbursements for past activities
  • Projects outside Louisiana
  • For-profit entities (also cannot serve as fiscal agents)
  • More than one application per organization per grant cycle

Governance and Leadership

Board Leadership

Board Officers:

  • Rachel F. Cousin, President (retired from U.S. Postal Service in 2013)
  • Ellen M. Lee, Secretary/Treasurer (retired Director of the Office of Community and Economic Development, City of New Orleans)
  • Tara Hernandez, Immediate Past Board Chair and Chair of the Search Committee

Notable Board Members:

  • Judge Sidney H. Cates, IV (board member since 2015)
  • J Pegues (joined Advisory Council in 2014, elected to Board in 2017)

Executive Leadership

Blake-Anthony Johnson, Chief Executive Officer (appointed October 2024, began serving January 2025)

Johnson stated: "I deeply admire the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation for its commitment to preserving the spirit of jazz and celebrating the cultural diversity that makes this city unique. New Orleans holds personal significance for me through my family's roots, and I am honored to serve an organization that uplifts both the legacy and future of this powerful art form, and the vibrant communities connected to it. This is a place where creativity and culture drive both daily life and economic opportunity. I'm eager to build on the Foundation's remarkable legacy, working together to further develop programs that inspire, empower, and position our artists and traditions on the global stage, ensuring they thrive for generations to come."

His leadership philosophy, shaped by mentors like Michael Tilson Thomas and Yo-Yo Ma, is rooted in creativity, inclusion, and deep respect for local culture.

Board Chair Rachel Cousin stated: "Blake-Anthony Johnson is a visionary leader whose artistic background, accomplishments, and civic engagement align perfectly with the mission of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation."

Don Marshall, former CEO who led the Foundation for two decades, retired in November 2023 and serves as a resource during the transition.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Foundation only accepts applications through their online portal at https://jazzandheritage.gosmart.org/. Paper applications are not accepted.

Key Application Requirements:

  • Organizations must have IRS 501(c)(3) official designation and/or be incorporated in Louisiana
  • Organizations without appropriate legal structure must apply with a fiscal agent
  • Schools must include a letter on school letterhead signed by the principal, chief administrative officer, or board chair approving the grant application
  • Applicants may submit no more than one application in only one of the five grant categories per grant cycle
  • Multi-site organizations can only submit a single application per cycle, authorized by the executive director/CEO
  • Any outstanding Final Reports from previous grant cycles must be submitted by September 1 to be eligible for awards in the current cycle

Application Support: The Foundation encourages applicants to review instructional videos before beginning applications. Staff are available Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm CT at 504-558-6100 or grants@jazzandheritage.org to provide guidance and answer questions.

Applications can be saved and returned to later, but applicants must remember to regularly save work. Once submitted, applications cannot be edited.

Decision Timeline

Grant review period: 3-4 weeks from application deadline
Notification method: Email

Success Rates

In 2024, the Foundation achieved a 91% applicant award rate, with the majority of eligible applicants receiving grant funding. In the 2022-2023 cycle, the Foundation awarded $1.4 million across more than 500 Louisiana organizations, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 and an average award of $3,000.

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation's publicly available materials do not specify a reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. For clarification on whether unsuccessful applicants can reapply in subsequent cycles or if any waiting period applies, contact grants@jazzandheritage.org or 504-558-6100.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's documented guidance and funded projects, successful applications demonstrate:

Strong Alignment with Mission: The Foundation carefully evaluates how projects promote, preserve, perpetuate, and encourage Louisiana's music, culture, and heritage. Review the 2022-2023 grant recipients list for examples of successful projects in each category.

Thorough Preparation: The Foundation emphasizes that applicants should "make sure you have read the guidelines and eligibility for the grant you are applying for before starting your application." It is "highly recommended that all applicants review the videos before beginning a new application."

Complete and Accurate Applications: The Foundation warns that "if you do not provide an answer to one of the required questions, you will not be able to submit your application." Applicants should download copies of all submitted forms to their computer.

Geographic Focus: All funded activities must take place in Louisiana during the grant period (typically September 1 through August 31).

Examples of Funded Projects (2022-2023):

Education In-School: John F. Kennedy High School (music), Warren Easton Charter High School (theatre), NOLA Nature School (visual arts/photography)

Education After-School: By Grace (creative writing), Artivism Dance Theatre (dance), Kids' Orchestra (music), Creole Wild West (cultural heritage/folklife)

Jazz & Heritage Presenting: Baton Rouge Blues Festival, Jazz in the Park, Gentilly Fest

Louisiana Cultural Equity Arts: Jamar Pierre (mural celebrating "Piano Greats of New Orleans"), Alfred Banks (album recording "YesterMonth"), Titos Sompa (performance piece "From Kongo to Kongo Square")

Media & Documentation: Denise Frazier ("Les Cenelles: Digital Asset Management Repository"), Kevin McCaffrey ("Year By Year History of Jazz Fest Book"), Leo Sacks (film "A Taste of Heaven: Gospel of Maestro Raymond Anthony Myles")

Responsive Staff Support: The Foundation states: "The Foundation is happy to talk over the phone and guide you through any steps that need clarification - they are in the office Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm and available at 504-558-6100."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Exceptional success rate: With a 91% award rate in 2024, most eligible applicants receive funding—focus on meeting all eligibility criteria rather than making your application stand out competitively
  • Choose your category carefully: You can only apply in one of the five categories per cycle, so ensure your project aligns clearly with your chosen category's specific guidelines
  • Louisiana-focused only: All projects must take place within Louisiana and align with the Foundation's mission to promote Louisiana's music, culture, and heritage
  • Get help if needed: The Foundation actively encourages applicants to contact them with questions—take advantage of this support at 504-558-6100 or grants@jazzandheritage.org
  • Complete final reports on time: Outstanding reports from previous cycles will make you ineligible for current funding—submit all reports by September 1
  • Maximum grant increased: The Foundation raised maximum grants from $5,000 to $7,500 in 2024, showing commitment to expanding support
  • Review past recipients: Study the published lists of grant recipients to understand what types of projects are successfully funded in each category

References

All sources accessed December 23, 2025.

← Back to US Funders Directory