ASCAP Foundation
The ASCAP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1975 and affiliated with ASCAP, that supports music creators through scholarships, awards, talent development workshops, and music education outreach across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersWest New York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ASCAP Foundation does
The ASCAP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization incorporated in June 1975 following a bequest from the estate of Jack Norworth, writer of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.' Headquartered at 250 West 57th Street in New York, the Foundation is dedicated to nurturing music talent, preserving the legacy of past creators, and sustaining the creative incentive for today's composers and songwriters through educational, professional, and humanitarian programs. It operates as the charitable arm of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), the largest US music rights organization, while functioning as a distinct legal entity with its own Board of Directors led by President Paul Williams.
The Foundation's core offerings are organized into five program areas: Awards Programs (e.g., Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, Richard Rodgers Awards, Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards), Scholarship Programs (20+ scholarships hosted at institutions such as Berklee, NYU Tisch, USC Thornton, UCLA, Manhattan School of Music, LaGuardia High School, and Queens College), Outreach and Education Programs (Music in the Schools reaching 2,000+ public schools since 2000, Music Heals Division, Children Will Listen, Summer Guitar Project, Living Archive Project), Talent Development Programs (Songwriter Workshop Series in Pop, R&B, Jazz, Musical Theater, Film & TV, Gospel, and Country held across Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville), and a Grants Program that funds 501(c)(3) partner organizations by invitation.
The Foundation does not sell products or services and operates on a contribution-based revenue model, funded by donations from ASCAP members, other foundations (notably The Herb Alpert Foundation, The Cain Foundation, and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation), corporations, and music fans. Its lean operational team of fewer than 10 employees administers a delivery network of over 40 program partners spanning schools, festivals, theaters, and community organizations. Marketing and outreach are conducted via the foundation website, email newsletter subscriptions, annual digital yearbooks, and organic social media. The Foundation holds the GuideStar Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2024 and 2025.
ASCAP Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ASCAP Foundation
- Legal name
- The ASCAP Foundation
- Website
- https://ascapfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The ASCAP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1975 and affiliated with ASCAP, that supports music creators through scholarships, awards, talent development workshops, and music education outreach across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ASCAP Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Nonprofit Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
Keywords
Where ASCAP Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ASCAP Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Contributions: The ASCAP Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization supported entirely by contributions from ASCAP members and music fans throughout the United States. The Foundation does not generate revenue from product sales but relies on donations, bequests, and endowment income to fund its programs.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
ASCAP Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The ASCAP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides scholarships, awards, songwriter workshops, grants, and music education/outreach programs for music creators at all career stages. It funds these initiatives through contributions from ASCAP members, foundations, corporations, and music fans across the United States, and operates through a network of more than 40 program partners.
Product overview
The ASCAP Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting music creators at all stages. The core offerings include Awards Programs (recognizing emerging and established composers through programs like Morton Gould Young Composer Awards), Scholarship Programs (dozens of scholarships for music students at institutions including Berklee, NYU, and USC), Outreach Programs (Music Heals Division, Children Will Listen, Music in the Schools), Talent Development Programs (Songwriter Workshops in multiple genres, Mark Snow Lecture Series), and Grants for partner 501(c)(3) organizations. The Foundation coordinates these through a network of over 30 Program Partners and communicates via email newsletters. All programs are supported by donations from ASCAP members and music enthusiasts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Awards Programs
- Scholarship Programs
- Outreach and Education Programs
- Talent Development Programs
- Grants Program
Companies that use ASCAP Foundation
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ASCAP Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ASCAP Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Bang on a CancoreMusic education and talent development partnership supporting composers and new music initiatives
- VH1 Save The MusiccorePartnership in 'Music in the Schools' program providing folios, sheet music, band arrangements and method books to public schools receiving musical instruments
- Alfred MusiccoreProvides printed music materials for the Music in the Schools program
- Fresh Air FundcorePartnership providing musical instruments and visiting composers/songwriters to Fresh Air Fund Summer Camps for NYC children since 1999
- Manhattan School of Music Summer CampcorePartnership since 1999 providing intensive musical instruction in musical theater, chamber music, percussion, and piano studies for students completing grades 6-11
- Berklee College of MusiccoreHost for Bart Howard Songwriting Scholarship and Berklee College of Music Songwriter-in-Residence master classes
- Rosie's Theater KidscorePartnership for Musical Theatre Songwriting Program with Professional Performing Arts High School in NYC
- NYU Tisch School of the ArtscoreHost for Frederick Loewe Scholarship and Max Dreyfus Scholarship for musical theater composition students
- University of Southern California Thornton School of MusiccoreHost for Betty Rose Scholarship (Composer-in-Residence Program) and Molly Hyman Music Scholarship
- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsmajorPartnership for 'Songwriters: The Next Generation' showcase on Millennium Stage
- Brooklyn CollegecorePartner for Mark Snow Lecture Series providing opportunities for aspiring film and TV composers
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and ArtcoreHost for Boosey & Hawkes Young Composer Award Honoring Aaron Copland and Ira Gershwin Scholarship
- WriteGirlcorePartnership for songwriting program supporting young female songwriters
- Young People's Chorus of New York CitycorePartnership supporting young musicians and composers
- New Music USAcorePartnership supporting new music and composers
- National Alliance for Musical TheatercorePartnership supporting musical theater development
- Copland HousecorePartnership supporting music education and Aaron Copland legacy
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
ASCAP Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- D'Addario Foundation: Music-focused grantmaking foundation supporting music education and creator development; comparable nonprofit funding music programs in schools and communities.
- The Herb Alpert Foundation: Major arts-focused philanthropic foundation that funds music education and young composer programs; currently a financial partner of the ASCAP Foundation for the Young Jazz Composer Awards.
Direct peers
- Young Concert Artists: Nonprofit identifying and launching the careers of young classical and jazz musicians through competitions and management; comparable talent-development mission for emerging music creators.
- National YoungArts Foundation: Nonprofit identifying and supporting young artists (including musicians and composers) through awards, residencies, and educational programming; directly comparable talent-development model.
- New Music USA: Grantmaking and advocacy organization supporting new music creators; comparable as a music-focused grantmaking foundation with overlapping program partners.
- BMI Foundation: Charitable arm of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), a US performing rights organization; operates scholarships, awards, and music education programs targeting songwriters and composers in direct parallel to the ASCAP Foundation.
- Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to honoring and supporting songwriters through induction ceremonies and education programs; closely aligned mission of recognizing and developing music creators.
- SESAC Foundation: Charitable arm of SESAC performing rights organization; provides scholarships and grants for music creators, directly comparable as a third PRO-affiliated foundation.
- GRAMMY Foundation (MusiCares / Recording Academy): The Recording Academy-affiliated charitable organization running music education preservation and creator-support programs; the most analogous major-PRO-adjacent foundation serving music creators.
Broad incumbents
- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: Major US performing arts institution with broader programming; operates educational and creator-development initiatives that overlap with the Foundation's outreach and scholarship work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ASCAP Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceASCAP Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ASCAP Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ASCAP Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
ASCAP Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ASCAP Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ASCAP Foundation
What does ASCAP Foundation do?
The ASCAP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides scholarships, awards, songwriter workshops, grants, and music education/outreach programs for music creators at all career stages. It funds these initiatives through contributions from ASCAP members, foundations, corporations, and music fans across the United States, and operates through a network of more than 40 program partners.
Is ASCAP Foundation a public or private company?
ASCAP Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ASCAP Foundation founded?
ASCAP Foundation was founded in 1975. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ASCAP Foundation based?
ASCAP Foundation is headquartered in West New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does ASCAP Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Contributions.
Who are ASCAP Foundation's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are D'Addario Foundation and The Herb Alpert Foundation. Direct peers are Young Concert Artists, National YoungArts Foundation, New Music USA, BMI Foundation, Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, SESAC Foundation and GRAMMY Foundation (MusiCares / Recording Academy). Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ASCAP Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for ASCAP Foundation.
What industry is ASCAP Foundation in?
ASCAP Foundation's product category is Music Nonprofit Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8600.