In 1970, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation was set up to be the nonprofit owner of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - Jazz Fest - with a mission to sow the seeds of New Orleans’ unique culture for generations to come.
In the early days, the festival wasn't the world-famous event that it is today - one that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans and pumps $300 million a year into the local economy. It is often said that at the first Jazz Fest there were more performers onstage than people in the audience. But the founders believed that Jazz Fest would one day grow into a major success. Everyone involved wanted to make sure that the festival's proceeds would be redistributed into the local community.
The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was established with a distinguished board of directors and a full-time staff. It's mission: "To promote, preserve, perpetuate and encourage the music, arts, culture and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs and other cultural, educational, civic and economic activities."
The Foundation has developed numerous programs and assets. The Foundation's beacon to the world is the Jazz & Heritage radio station: WWOZ 90.7 FM. They also operate the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive as a resource for scholars and researchers. The Foundation has opened The Jazz & Heritage Center which is an educational center that holds workshops and conferences for the community. One event, the annual Jazz & Heritage Gala, brings together folks from the community and around the world who are dedicated to supporting the culture of New Orleans.
Other year-round cultural programming from The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation include: Don Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Jazz Journey concert series, The Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series, the Fiesta Latina, the Gospel is Alive! concert series, the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival and much more.
In the early days, the festival wasn't the world-famous event that it is today - one that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans and pumps $300 million a year into the local economy. It is often said that at the first Jazz Fest there were more performers onstage than people in the audience. But the founders believed that Jazz Fest would one day grow into a major success. Everyone involved wanted to make sure that the festival's proceeds would be redistributed into the local community.
The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was established with a distinguished board of directors and a full-time staff. It's mission: "To promote, preserve, perpetuate and encourage the music, arts, culture and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs and other cultural, educational, civic and economic activities."
The Foundation has developed numerous programs and assets. The Foundation's beacon to the world is the Jazz & Heritage radio station: WWOZ 90.7 FM. They also operate the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive as a resource for scholars and researchers. The Foundation has opened The Jazz & Heritage Center which is an educational center that holds workshops and conferences for the community. One event, the annual Jazz & Heritage Gala, brings together folks from the community and around the world who are dedicated to supporting the culture of New Orleans.
Other year-round cultural programming from The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation include: Don Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Jazz Journey concert series, The Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series, the Fiesta Latina, the Gospel is Alive! concert series, the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival and much more.
