Community Partnership Grants

Since 1979, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation has invested proceeds from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell directly into the community with grants to fund projects that support the Foundation’s mission.


Through the Community Partnership Grants program, the Foundation provides grants to schools, artists, and arts-based nonprofit organizations throughout the state.  Over the last decade, more than $13.5 million in grants have been distributed to Louisiana communities.  The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is now accepting requests for funding of up to $5,000 to support music and art education programs, cultural events put on by Louisiana arts-based nonprofits, new artistic works that interpret Louisiana culture, and other projects that support the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s mission. Click Here to Learn More >>>

Our Mission

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. promotes, preserves, perpetuates, and encourages the music, culture, and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs, and other cultural, educational, civic, and economic activities.

Our Vision

Our vision is to make quality arts programs accessible throughout Louisiana and support the artists and nonprofits that create them. We see deeper public awareness and broadening appreciation for the fine arts; better arts education reviving school environments; wider access to the arts fostering understanding among cultures; and artists and arts organizations enhancing the quality of life for all Louisiana communities.

Our Belief

The Foundation believes that diversity in art and cultural expressions are crucial; that the creative expressions of historically underrepresented communities and people are fundamental to the arts and culture of Louisiana. Further, the Foundation recognizes that historically underrepresented groups, artists, and non-profits, have been excluded from funding opportunities due to both explicit discrimination and implicit biases.

Who Can Apply

Community Partnership grants are available to the following groups:

  • 501c3 nonprofit organizations; Louisiana nonprofit organizations
  • Individuals (may only apply in the Media Documentation category or the Louisiana Cultural Equity Arts category)
  • Institutions of higher education in Louisiana
  • K-12 public, private, or parochial schools in Louisiana
  • Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes in Louisiana

The Donald Harrison, Sr. Museum is a small community based one. The continuous support of the Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation has been immeasurable in the museum’s ability to document, preserve, and present the indigenous cultural expressions of New Orleans to diverse audiences. We are most grateful for the funding of projects and programs that serve elders and children. Additionally, the application and reporting process are obviously designed to be inclusive and not burdensome to organizations and individuals who are from and work in communities that birth and nurture the unique cultural expressions that make New Orleans, New Orleans.

– Big Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson

Past Grant Recipients