Community Partnership Grant Announcement 2025-2026

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Awards $2M in
Community Partnership Grants

Grants awarded to creatives, cultural organizations, educational institutions, and more to support Louisiana music, art, and cultural heritage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW ORLEANS (December 2, 2025) – The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 recipients of the Foundation’s Community Partnership Grants. Awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $6,500 have been distributed to education programs (in-school and after-school), music and arts presenting organizations, cultural equity arts, and individual artists with media or documentation projects from Southeast to Northwest Louisiana. Over 600 applicants in the Community Partnership Grant program are receiving $2 million in funding to support their work. A full list of recipients can be found at www.communitypartnershipgrants.org

“Each year, our Community Partnership Grants strengthen the cultural fabric of Louisiana by supporting the people and organizations who bring our communities to life,” says Foundation CEO Blake-Anthony Johnson. These awardees expand access, preserve heritage, and create opportunities that reach far beyond their neighborhoods. We’re proud to invest in work that ensures our culture continues to thrive for generations.”

Grant recipients will be honored during the Foundation’s Community Partner Celebration on Friday, December 5th, at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (1225 N. Rampart Street). The evening will be hosted by Great Day Louisiana host Malik Mingo, and will feature musical performances, light fare, updates on the Foundation’s beautification project, and presentations by a select group of this season’s grant recipients. To RSVP, visit www.jazzandheritage.org. 

Since 1979, the 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 – to promote, preserve, perpetuate, and encourage the music, culture, and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs, and other cultural, educational, civic, and economic activities. Over the last decade, more than $17 million in grants have been distributed to communities across Louisiana. 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mariah Forde, Assistant Director of Marketing
(504) 438-7516
mariah@jazzandheritage.org

About the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation uses proceeds generated by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell and additional funds for year-round programs in education, economic development, and cultural enrichment, including initiatives like the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, Congo Square Lecture Series, Class Got Brass, youth workshops, grants, music industry workshops, and festivals such as the Crescent City Blues & BBQ, Tremé Creole Gumbo, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco and Congo Square Rhythms. These free programs aim to support Louisiana’s cultural community and are complemented by assets like Jazz & Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7FM, the Jazz & Heritage Archive, and the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. For more information, visit www.jazzandheritage.org.