2023-2024

Community Partnership Grants

Deadline: Friday, July 14 at 11:00pm

Since 1979, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation has invested proceeds directly into the community with grants to fund projects that support the Foundation’s mission.


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.

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.

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

*For-profit businesses are not eligible for this program. Additionally, For-profit organizations cannot serve as fiscal agents for recipients.


Frequently Asked Questions

The Community Partnership Grants program offers grant awards 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. Activities funded by these grants must occur between Sept. 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, and take place in Louisiana.

Applicants may submit no more than one CPG application – and in only one of our five grant categories – per grant cycle.

Online Applications Only: We only accept applications through our online application portal. We do not accept paper applications.

To access the application, first read through the guidelines for the grant category that interests you. Then view our online application form here: https://jazzandheritage.gosmart.org/ through our online application portal.

The Five Categories Now Open Are:

• Jazz & Heritage In-School Education Programs in Music, Arts, and Cultural Traditions:

This category supports music and arts education in the schools by funding music and art instruction that takes place at Louisiana K-12 schools during the regular school day or after school. Schools (public or private) may apply for money to pay for instruments, instrument repair, sheet music, visual art supplies, or other needed materials to support arts instruction as part of the school’s curriculum. Only one application per school is allowed- teachers must verify with their principal, CEO, or School leadership and colleagues before submitting an application to make sure that no one else in the school is submitting one.



• Jazz & Heritage After-School and Summer Education Programs in Music, Arts, and Cultural Traditions: This category supports after-school and summer educational arts programs offered by nonprofit organizations. Organizations may apply for money only to pay the professional teaching fees of the artists or educators who provide arts instruction. Only nonprofit organizations in Louisiana may apply.



• Jazz & Heritage Presenting: Festivals and Concerts in Music and Performing Arts: This category supports employment for Louisiana performing artists by providing funding to Louisiana-based nonprofit arts organizations to help cover the cost of hiring Louisiana-based performers for festivals or other public cultural events in the state. Only nonprofits in Louisiana may apply. Organizations whose primary mission is not arts-based – such as social service agencies or municipal governments – only may apply if in partnership with an arts-based nonprofit.



• Jazz & Heritage Media – Documentation + Creation: This category supports the creation, documentation, or exhibition of artworks that reflect, interpret, document, or preserve the indigenous culture of Louisiana. Individuals and non-profits may apply. Priority will be given to Louisiana-based applicants.


• Jazz & Heritage Louisiana Cultural Equity Arts: This category supports new works from historically underrepresented creatives and arts organizations. It supports the creation, documentation, or exhibition of artworks that reflect, interpret, document, or preserve the indigenous culture of Louisiana. Individuals and non-profits may apply.

Application Assistance

Our team will be happy to answer questions or explain the grant process before the July 14th deadline.  Questions should be directed to grants@jazzandheritage.org, or by calling the Foundation at 504-558-6100, Monday – Friday between 10am-4pm.

APPLICATION ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS
We will host Zoom Q&As to answer your questions about the program, categories, guidelines, and the online application form. These will be held:

Wednesday, June 14, 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – RSVP HERE
Friday, June 16, 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – RSVP HERE

These workshops are free and open to anyone with an interest in applying for a Community Partnership Grant. To indicate your plans to attend, please RSVP using this online form. You will automatically receive the Zoom invite after you RSVP.

Can’t make the Zoom meetings? No problem – we’ll record the sessions and upload them to this page by Monday of the following week. Feel free to email any questions ahead of time to grants@jazzandheritage.org.


Resources

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation uses a web-based grant application from Go Smart.  Go Smart is a user-friendly system used by organizations around the country.  


Go Smart has created a series of Applicant Help Tutorial Videos for applicants. It is highly recommended that all applicants review the videos before beginning a new application. You can also review a PDF of the Applicant Tutorial.

You can always access the grant portal by using this link: https://jazzandheritage.gosmart.org/


Final Report Forms

Past grant recipients who still need to turn in final report forms can do so by selecting the form they need below. This report must be received before disbursement of future grant funds.


Past Grant Recipients

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has awarded thousands of grants that 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 dedicated to creating opportunities for communities across the state.

Click below to discover the numerous organizations and individuals making a positive impact in their community.