ASCAP Foundation

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.

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

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

• Music education programs
• Music scholarships
• Composer awards
• Songwriter development
• Music nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

West New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Bang on a CancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education and talent development partnership supporting composers and new music initiatives
• VH1 Save The MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in 'Music in the Schools' program providing folios, sheet music, band arrangements and method books to public schools receiving musical instruments
• Alfred MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides printed music materials for the Music in the Schools program
• Fresh Air FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing musical instruments and visiting composers/songwriters to Fresh Air Fund Summer Camps for NYC children since 1999
• Manhattan School of Music Summer CampcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 1999 providing intensive musical instruction in musical theater, chamber music, percussion, and piano studies for students completing grades 6-11
• Berklee College of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost for Bart Howard Songwriting Scholarship and Berklee College of Music Songwriter-in-Residence master classes
• Rosie's Theater KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Musical Theatre Songwriting Program with Professional Performing Arts High School in NYC
• NYU Tisch School of the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost for Frederick Loewe Scholarship and Max Dreyfus Scholarship for musical theater composition students
• University of Southern California Thornton School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost for Betty Rose Scholarship (Composer-in-Residence Program) and Molly Hyman Music Scholarship
• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Songwriters: The Next Generation' showcase on Millennium Stage
• Brooklyn CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Mark Snow Lecture Series providing opportunities for aspiring film and TV composers
• Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost for Boosey & Hawkes Young Composer Award Honoring Aaron Copland and Ira Gershwin Scholarship
• WriteGirlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for songwriting program supporting young female songwriters
• Young People's Chorus of New York CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting young musicians and composers
• New Music USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting new music and composers
• National Alliance for Musical TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting musical theater development
• Copland HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting music education and Aaron Copland legacy

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascap-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 ASCAP Foundation