What We Do
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. was established in 1970 with a mission to sow the seeds of our unique culture for generations to come.
As the nonprofit owner of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -- Jazz Fest -- the foundation works all year long to promote and develop the culture of New Orleans and the surrounding region. Our areas of focus are education, economic development and culture. We have a dedicated, full-time staff that manages a diverse portfolio of important programs in each of these areas.
We also maintain a number of major assets. The Foundation's beacon to the world is our Jazz & Heritage radio station: WWOZ 90.7 FM (visit www.wwoz.org), hailed by Rolling Stone, Esquire and others as one of the nation's premier broadcast outlets. We also operate the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive as a resource for scholars and researchers. We recently established the The Jazz & Heritage Center, an education facility on Rampart Street adjacent to our Foundation offices. Our annual Jazz & Heritage Gala brings together folks from our community and around the world who are dedicated to supporting the culture of New Orleans.
See our events schedule to learn more about our year-round cultural programming, which includes the Jazz Journey concert series, free festivals, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series, exhibits in our Jazz & Heritage Gallery and much more.
Educational Programs
The Don "Moose" Jamison Heritage School of Music provides free, weekly after-school instruction in music performance and theory to teen-agers from throughout the New Orleans region. Our Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series delves into the history of New Orleans culture and the ways our artists have responded to the world around them. School Day at the Fest gives 1,500 elementary and middle school students a memorable field trip to Jazz Fest complete with a behind-the-scenes look at the inner-workings of the event.
Economic Development Programs
Sync Up: The Jazz & Heritage Talent Exchange and the Talent Exchange web site connect our independent musicians to festival producers and media music buyers throughout the world. Our Community Partnership Grants reinvest Jazz Fest proceeds directly back into the community to support projects in music and the arts. Our Raisin' the Roof program helps the cultural tradition-bearers of south Louisiana to become home-owners or find affordable housing.
Cultural Programs
All year long, the Foundation produces cultural events that spotlight our unique culture while supporting the people who create it. Our Jazz Journey concert series presents top-level performers in intimate settings. Our annual Gospel Is Alive program celebrates the rich tradition of sacred music in New Orleans. Each year, our Community Outreach Tickets program ensures that thousands of New Orleans residents are able to experience Jazz Fest regardless of their income. And we promote our culture — and our economy — by producing an array of free festivals throughout the year: The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest, Fiesta Latina, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival and the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival.
