New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation

What New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation does

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1970 in New Orleans, Louisiana, that owns and produces the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. The Foundation operates a multi-program portfolio anchored by Jazz Fest, which attracts 460,000 attendees annually and generates an estimated $350 million in local economic impact. Its subsidiary and affiliated programs include the Don "Moose" Jamison Heritage School of Music (serving nearly 300 students weekly, ages 8-18), WWOZ 90.7 FM (a listener-supported community radio station), the Jazz & Heritage Archive (a 50+ year collection of photos, posters, audio, and artifacts), the George & Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (education and performance facility opened 2015), and four free secondary festivals (Crescent City Blues & BBQ, Tremé Creole Gumbo, Congo Square Rhythms, and Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco). Economic-development and grant programs include Community Partnership Grants (up to $7,500 each, $2M+ distributed in 2025-2026), the Catapult Fund ($50,000 pool for culinary entrepreneurs in partnership with Capital One Bank and the New Orleans Black Chamber of Commerce), Discretionary Grants (up to $2,500 for cultural-community funeral expenses), and the Community Outreach Ticket Program.

The Foundation's business model is hybrid non-profit: festival ticket proceeds, ticket-related VIP upgrades, and concert-series sales ($10 per ticket) generate earned revenue, while Shell (presenting sponsor), First Horizon Bank (official bank and credit card, 11-year partner as of 2026), Capital One, Cox Communications, Peoples Health, and Goldfarb Financial provide corporate sponsorship income. Additional revenue comes from individual donations, foundation grants (e.g., $15,000 from the GRAMMY Museum in 2022), and in-kind contributions from instrument manufacturers (Fender, Shure, Yamaha, Casio, Zildjian, D'Addario). The technology footprint is modest and content-oriented: a searchable Jazz Fest performer database, digital archive collections, and standard event ticketing via Eventbrite; no AI, APIs, or proprietary software products are disclosed. The organization operates with a small staff of 11-50 people and is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Rachel Ferrouillet Cousin, with Sarita Carriere serving as Interim Executive Director.

Name

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation

Legal name

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://jazzandheritage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 that owns and produces Jazz Fest (460,000 attendees) and operates a portfolio of free community festivals, the Heritage School of Music, WWOZ 90.7 FM, an archive, and grant programs serving Louisiana's music and cultural communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage and Arts Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Traditional Festivals (Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous) (MPAGAEAB), Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)

Keywords

• Cultural nonprofit organization
• Music festival production
• Music education programs
• Community grants programs
• Cultural heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Festival Proceeds: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is the Foundation's main fundraising event, generating proceeds that are reinvested into year-round community programs supporting music and culture in Louisiana.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including Shell (presenting sponsor), First Horizon Bank (Official Bank and Credit Card), and various festival sponsors provide financial support in exchange for brand visibility at events.
3. Donations and Grants: Individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate contributions support educational programs, economic initiatives, and cultural preservation activities.
4. Program Fees: Some programs charge nominal fees such as $10 tickets for concert series, with proceeds supporting Foundation programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Foundation produces the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell as its flagship annual event, alongside four additional free community festivals (Crescent City Blues & BBQ, Tremé Creole Gumbo, Congo Square Rhythms, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco) and the Johnny Jackson Jr. Gospel is Alive! celebration. It operates year-round community programs including the Don 'Moose' Jamison Heritage School of Music, Community Partnership Grants, the Catapult Fund, Discretionary Grants, the Community Outreach Ticket Program, the Jazz & Heritage Archive, and WWOZ 90.7 FM community radio station, all designed to promote and preserve Louisiana's music, culture, and heritage.

Product overview

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation is a nonprofit cultural organization that operates as a multi-program portfolio rather than a single product. The core offerings include the flagship New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest), five annual community festivals (Crescent City Blues & BBQ, Tremé Creole Gumbo, Congo Square Rhythms, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco, and Johnny Jackson Jr. Gospel is Alive!), and the Don 'Moose' Jamison Heritage School of Music serving nearly 300 students weekly. Supporting infrastructure includes the Jazz & Heritage Archive, WWOZ 90.7 FM community radio station, and the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. Economic development programs include Community Partnership Grants, Catapult Fund small business accelerator, and Discretionary Grants. Educational extensions include Vocal Workshops, HSM Beginners, Pro-Audio Workshops, Allison Miner Series, Tom Dent Lectures, Fellowship Research Grants, and the Class Got Brass school competition. The Sync Up Conference provides industry professional development. All programs serve the Foundation's mission to promote, preserve, perpetuate, and encourage Louisiana's music, culture, and heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) The flagship annual music and cultural festival presented by Shell, featuring multiple stages of jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean, and folk music, along with Louisiana cuisine and arts and crafts. Attracts 460,000 annual attendees.
• Don 'Moose' Jamison Heritage School of Music A free afterschool music education program serving nearly 300 students weekly, ages 8-18, with in-depth music training, ensemble playing, and music theory instruction at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center.
• Jazz & Heritage Archive A repository that identifies, collects, preserves, and protects materials of cultural and historical significance to New Orleans and Louisiana, including records from the Foundation's programs and over 50 years of Jazz Fest materials including photos, posters, film footage, audio recordings, and artifacts. Open to the public by appointment.
• WWOZ 90.7 FM The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station, a listener-supported, volunteer-programmed community radio station owned by the Foundation, broadcasting live from Jazz Fest and covering many events in and around New Orleans.
• George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center The Foundation's education and performance facility featuring seven state-of-the-art classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, and a recording studio. Houses the Heritage School of Music and serves as the venue for concerts, lectures, and workshops.
• Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival A free three-day festival featuring live blues and jazz performances, a local art market, and BBQ vendors held annually at Lafayette Square Park in New Orleans.
• Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival A free weekend celebration in Louis Armstrong Park showcasing the music, food, and dance of the Tremé neighborhood, featuring diverse gumbo offerings and live brass band performances.
• Congo Square Rhythms Festival A free weekend festival at Louis Armstrong Park celebrating African diaspora traditions, featuring music, dance, food, and art markets on the outskirts of the French Quarter.
• Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival A free festival celebrating the indigenous sounds and traditions of southwest Louisiana, held at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center.
• Johnny Jackson Jr. Gospel is Alive! Celebration An annual free community outreach program and educational workshop celebrating gospel music, engaging senior citizens through partnerships with the New Orleans Council on Aging.
• Class Got Brass A brass band competition program for Louisiana middle and high schools, presented by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation, awarding more than $50,000 in instruments and supplies to winning schools.
• Community Partnership Grants Grant program offering up to $7,500 to support music and art education programs, cultural events, and projects by Louisiana-based 501c3 nonprofits, K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, and artists.
• Catapult Fund A small business accelerator program providing financial workshops and cash grants from a $50,000 pool for entrepreneurs in the creative industries, particularly culinary arts, conducted in partnership with the New Orleans Black Chamber of Commerce and funded by Capital One Bank.
• Discretionary Grants Limited grants up to $2,500 for funeral or mortuary expenses supporting individuals who made meaningful contributions to Louisiana's music and cultural traditions, including Black Masking Indians, Social Aid & Pleasure Club members, and Louisiana musicians.
• Community Outreach Ticket Program Program distributing free Jazz Fest tickets to Louisiana-based nonprofits providing direct social services to children, disabled, elderly, and poor communities, supporting access to the festival for underserved populations.
• Sync Up Conference Year-round educational sessions for entertainment industry professionals connecting Louisiana's independent artists with music, film, and digital media professionals.
• Jazz & Heritage Concert Series Ticketed concert series at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, with tickets at $10 (e.g., Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Concert Series) and proceeds supporting Foundation programs. Includes Chanteuse series celebrating women in New Orleans music.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 300 students receive free weekly music education through the Heritage School of Music
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First Horizon BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 April 2026First Horizon Bank has been a sponsor of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for 11 years, expanding to become the 'Official Bank and Credit Card of Jazz Fest.' The bank introduced a new First Horizon Lounge near the Festival and Congo Square stages, exclusively available to First Horizon debit and credit cardholders with complimentary food and refreshments. The partnership is positioned as vital to the future of Jazz Fest.
• Gia Maione Prima FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Gia Maione Prima Foundation presents Class Got Brass, a program of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation that supports music education in schools while promoting traditional brass band music of New Orleans. The foundation provides gift certificates for instruments and supplies to winning schools.
• New Orleans Black Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the New Orleans Black Chamber of Commerce to administer the Catapult Fund, providing business training and grants to entrepreneurs in the creative industries.
• Cox CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCox Communications powers the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, providing sponsorship support for this free weekend celebration of music, food, and dance at Louis Armstrong Park.
• Goldfarb FinancialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGoldfarb Financial presents the Chanteuse: Celebrating New Orleans Women in Music Concert Series, held annually during Women's History Month at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center.
• Peoples HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPeoples Health presents the Johnny Jackson Jr. Gospel Is Alive! Celebration, an annual educational workshop and community outreach program engaging senior citizens through gospel music.
• Preservation Hall FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Preservation Hall Foundation provides additional resources including sheet music, instructional materials, and classic recordings to help band directors prepare students for the Class Got Brass competition.
• Musical Equipment DonorsminorOthersMusical equipment makers donated instruments and gear for the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center including Fender (guitars, amplifiers), Shure (microphones), Yamaha (drums), Casio (keyboards), Zildjian (cymbals), and D'Addario (strings).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• French Quarter Festivals, Inc. New Orleans-based nonprofit that produces French Quarter Festival, a free annual music and food festival. Direct peer in mission, structure, and local market, both operating free festivals in the same city with similar goals of celebrating Louisiana culture.
• Essence Communications (Essence Festival): Producer of the Essence Festival in New Orleans, one of the largest African-American music and culture events in the U.S. Direct competitor for festival attendance, sponsors, and cultural positioning in the same metropolitan market.
• Newport Festivals Foundation: Nonprofit producer of the Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival. Closely comparable as a long-standing jazz/heritage festival–producing nonprofit with educational programming and a similar model of reinvesting festival proceeds into community and artist support.
• Monterey Jazz Festival: 501(c)(3) nonprofit producer of one of the world's longest-running jazz festivals, with an associated education program (Monterey Jazz Festival Clinic). Direct comparable in nonprofit structure, jazz focus, and education-driven mission.
• Preservation Hall Foundation: New Orleans nonprofit dedicated to preserving and perpetuating traditional New Orleans jazz. Peer in cultural-preservation mission, local focus, and education programs; operates the famous Preservation Hall venue referenced in the Foundation's Class Got Brass partnership.
• Ravinia Festival Association: Nonprofit producer of the Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in North America, with a strong education mission. Comparable as a long-tenured festival-producing nonprofit with year-round programming, owned venue, and educational outreach.
• Carnegie Hall Corporation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating one of the world's most prestigious concert venues with deep education and community programs. Comparable as a music-focused nonprofit that owns its venue, runs year-round programming, and reinvests earned revenue into community access.

Broad incumbents

• South by Southwest (SXSW): Large multi-format music/film/tech festival and conference. Comparable in scale and cultural reach to Jazz Fest, though for-profit and broader in scope; useful benchmark for the upper bound of festival programming complexity and sponsorship economics.
• Coachella (Goldenvoice / AEG Presents): One of the largest and highest-grossing music festivals in the world. Useful comparable for premium ticketing, sponsor integration, and brand-driven festival economics, even though the Foundation's nonprofit structure differs from Goldenvoice's for-profit model.

Emerging players

• Sweet Home New Orleans: New Orleans nonprofit seeded by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation in 2005 to channel funds and services to the local cultural community post-Katrina. Adjacent mission in supporting Louisiana musicians and cultural workers, overlapping donor and beneficiary base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jazznheritage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation