2026-05-15T11:30:21-07:00 2025-06-30 261726741 WatsonRice LLP 31 West 34th Street 7006 New York NY 10001 990 2024-07-01 133631523 Jazz Foundation of America Inc JAZZ 2122453999 247 West 37th Street No 201 New York NY 10018 Joseph Petrucelli Executive Director 2026-05-15 true true Baruti Bediako CPA P00740658 2124477300 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Joseph Petrucelli 247 West 37th Street No 201 New York NY 10018 23070211 false X WWW.JAZZFOUNDATION.ORG X 1992 NY The Jazz Foundation of America is a nonprofit that assists jazz and blue musicians by providing emergency assistance and creating work opportunities. 28 27 20 15 0 36759467 2414686 0 3299625 5205306 -899907 374687 39159185 7994679 487197 2046150 0 1822190 2086498 0 221336 1522347 1951319 3831734 6083967 35327451 1910712 72589739 74333954 219073 193308 72370666 74140646 X The Jazz Foundation of America is a nonprofit that assists jazz and blue musicians by providing emergency assistance and creating work opportunities. false false 2281407 The Jazz Legacies Fellowship is a program that will support 50 seasoned and accomplished jazz artists aged 62 years and older over a five-year period from 2024 -2029. The fellowship honors each recipient with a lifetime achievement award and an unrestricted grant of $100,000. Recipients will also be provided with resources for tailored professional and personal support, including recording and performance opportunities, production assistance, legal and financial counsel and more. 1256960 The Gig Fund /Provide Jazz and Blues Music Free to the Public. The Gig Fund produces free, pop-up performances for underserved audiences. The shows take place in public spaces as opposed to traditional and costly venues, and engage new audiences who would not otherwise have the chance to hear these accomplished players. Our dream is for this program to return us to the days when a band would just start playing during lunch hour or after-work, and people would gather to listen, dance, and sing, and there would be this shared experience, reminding us that We Are All In This Together. In 2024 the JFA provide 530 work opportunities for musicians through the Gig Fund Program. 1101020 Musicians' Emergency Fund/Housing and Emergency Assistance: Preventing homelessness and evictions for musicians in need and assisting with rent, mortgages, transportation, utilities and other essential living expenses. Most musicians have no savings, they rarely get paid properly, and they live gig to gig. For example, if someone cant work because theyve had an accident and are now behind in their rent, we pay their rent and/or utilities to keep them from eviction. We also make sure there is enough food on the table and] even go to the hospital with them for treatment if they are alone. In other crisis situations, we are needed to repair or replace instruments so that musicians can keep working. Whatever the situation calls for, we address the need through compassion and counseling from our social work team. JFA looks at the whole person and sees the long- and short-term challenges. This can include making home visits to an elderly person who is alone and even connecting them with younger musicians they can mentor who check in and help care for them. We also make calls after business hours to let them know they are not forgotten. Sometimes we uncover the root of someones depression or help reconnect them with estranged family members. Every case is special and needs more than what it first presents. Whatever the situation, we heal it as best we can with love, a helping hand, and some creativity. JFA assisted in 1,180 unique cases through the Musicians' Emergency Fund in 2024. 314567 Disaster Relief: Direct support for the musician community following catastrophic events. From Hurricane Katrina to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Ida our team is on the ground as soon as possible and to help with relief and recovery. Our social workers and case managers find out first-hand what needs to be replaced and repaired. We go home to home and offer emotional support and provide basic necessities like food, emergency supplies, and clothes for children. We replace instruments and equipment, help with car repairs, and enlist professionals to decontaminate houses to ensure a families safety. Musicians are already vulnerable before disaster strikes. They live paycheck to paycheck and things critical to their livelihood, like instruments and studio equipment, are kept at home. One flood can derail a lifetime of work, leaving great artists with nowhere to turn. This relief effort includes creating community concerts in places where work opportunities are limited for musicians due to disasters. These concerts also provide a healing experience for audiences who have experienced shared shock, loss, and trauma. During the pandemic, JFA's COVID-19 Musicians' Emergency Fund has extended support to thousands of musicians for assistance with basic necessities like rent payments, utility bills, and groceries. JFA provided support in 0 unique cases to musicians and their families in 2024 via our disaster relief efforts. 39285 Jazz Healer Award - The award will be award periodically at the discretion of the Board of Directors. It is intended to honor and individual who has displayed uncommon efforts over the course of their career to heal the jazz community through dedicated service to musician. Jazz and Blues in the Schools/Creating Employment: Dignified work that keeps the music alive. Most often, the best way to help blues, jazz, and roots musicians in crisis is to keep them working. Musicians who used to play six nights a week now have few or no options. The Jazz and Blues in the Schools program continues to be a vital source of income and optimism for our legendary elders. JITS serves multiple purposes: 1) providing dignified work for artists to continue doing what they love most; 2) presenting live music to underserved audiences at a variety of community venues and creating access to enrichment and entertainment; and preserving the legacy of jazz and blues through concerts by veteran audiences reaching new listeners. Many of the thousands of young attending their concerts have never heard live music. By sharing this music at schools that otherwise have limited access to arts and enrichment, we can help to build future audiences. In a digital world, this interaction provides the opportunity to learn how music is actually made. Through Jazz and Blues in the Schools, musicians feel alive with purpose, sharing their life stories with hundreds of new fans and passing on valuable lessons about the history and practice of blues, jazz, and roots music. JFA created 1,927 paid work opportunities for musicians in need through the Jazz and Blues in the Schools Program in 2024. Pro Bono Services: Referrals for medical, legal, and other assistance. Since 1994, JFA has provided a pro bono network for uninsured musicians in crisis due to health issues. Dizzy Gillespie was a patient at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey many times before his passing in early 1993 from pancreatic cancer. Dizzy expressed two wishes to his family in his last days: to support the greatest passion in his lifejazz and jazz musiciansand to have a memorial in his name at his hospital, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. The Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund helps underwrite the costs of hospitalization, diagnostic tests, and a full range of surgical and medical care for jazz musicians who are uninsured and without the ability to pay. Additionally, we have established a network of dentists and oral surgeons who either donate their services completely free or at deeply discounted rates. Pro bono legal services at the JFA include referrals to volunteer lawyers who provide assistance with housing, contract, royalty, estate, and other issues. JFA also works with other relief organizations and musicians' assistance organizations to secure additional and in-kind support for JFA clients. 353852 4993239 true true false false false false false false false true true true false true true true true false false false false false false false true false false false true true false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false true 349 0 true 20 true false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false X 28 27 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true false false true false false CA NY X Daryl Dunbar 2122453999 247 West 37th Street No 201 New York NY 10018 Joseph Petrucelli Executive Dir. 40.00 0.00 X 190669 0 20703 Daryl Dunbar CFO 40.00 0.00 X 156912 0 19352 Steve Jordan Artistic Dir. 15.00 0.00 X 158419 0 6337 Bridget Sullivan Dir of Giving 40.00 0.00 121322 0 17929 Petr Verner Dir. of Operations 40.00 0.00 102752 0 17186 Will Glass Pgrm Director 40.00 0.00 87438 0 30698 Alisa Hafkin Dir Social Svrs 40.00 0.00 95231 0 16885 Veronika Chatelain Pgrm Dir. Jazz Leg 40.00 0.00 94220 0 17369 Jarret Lilien Chairman 5.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Dr Nimesh Nagarsheth Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dr Daveed Frazier President 5.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Michael Devins Treasurer 5.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Ali McCartney Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Bonin Bough Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 William Douglass III Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dr Frank Forte Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Ben Giordiano Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Danny Glover Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Casey Lipscomb Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Peter Low Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Geoffrey Menin Board Member 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Michael Novogratz Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Robert Opartny Board Member 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Casey Patterson Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Michael Pietrowicz Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dakota Pippins Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lee Richards Board Member 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Marc Roth Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Abigail Scheuer Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Stephen Siegel Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Marlisa Vinciguerra Board Member 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Bill Wurtzel Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Sandy Jordan Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Hank O'Neal Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Jimmy Owens Board Member 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 1006963 146459 5 false true false Great Performances 2417 3rd Avenue Suite 300 Bronx NY 10451 Event Catering 165187 1 110505 2304181 375626 2414686 0 1480122 1480122 0 0 0 18462657 14737473 3725184 3725184 3725184 642307 338059 304248 304248 0 0 Other Income 900099 70439 70439 70439 7994679 70439 5509554 1271500 1271500 774650 774650 0 0 563474 394432 84521 84521 0 1206135 1064377 70879 70879 0 176016 137566 19225 19225 140873 115555 12659 12659 30000 30000 29867 29867 38937 38937 0 0 254932 254932 0 136287 1260 135027 112326 45331 64348 2647 25954 5831 20123 0 70358 650 69708 180251 173724 6527 0 0 0 0 11776 11776 9366 6556 1405 1405 Performance fees 732617 732617 Production 178090 178090 Bad debts 50000 50000 Funerals/memorials 47016 47016 43542 14217 29325 6083967 4993239 869392 221336 997482 5972431 68515 0 9986049 5121759 0 0 0 0 0 2775 16429 334071 102810 213216 231261 6847356 5201524 40075228 47995177 0 0 14399118 9795373 72589739 74333954 49402 62083 169671 131225 219073 193308 X 3276628 3352251 69094038 70788395 72370666 74140646 72589739 74333954 1910712 -140732 X false true X true false X 3211787 3432601 2723170 36759467 2414686 48541711 0 0 3211787 3432601 2723170 36759467 2414686 48541711 32839116 15702595 669353 1673955 690937 535903 1480122 5050270 304248 304248 3446 52000 70439 125885 54022114 0.29070 0.25940 X Part I: Additional Information The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) is a national nonprofit that provides assistance to musicians and families in times of crisis. Our core programs include housing assistance, pro bono healthcare, disaster relief, meaningful employment, and direct financial support. We typically assist approximately 1,500 individuals annually. JFA maintains a robust schedule for our performance programs which presents free concerts accessible to the public in community venues. Last year, our performance programs (including presentations at schools, nursing homes, hospitals, senior centers, parks, libraries, greenmarkets, and other community spaces) reached more than 60,000 audience members. These programs generate roughly 3,000 paid performance opportunities for underemployed artists annually. We also record and archive more than 100 concerts annually for public streaming via Facebook and YouTube, each including calls to action to donate. We promote these events via monthly mailings to our internal donor list (over 12,000 contacts), social media marketing and public relations outreach for press listings. JFA achieves meaningful public support and emphasizes public-facing fundraising and programming. JFA continues to host annual benefit concerts (either the Spotlight Jazz" event or the Great Night gala) and other fundraisers (e.g. a Los Angeles-based event) which are open to the public and contribute significantly to our annual revenue. Our goal is for invitations to these fundraisers and public performances to travel far and wide, reaching the broadest possible audience to induce donations. JFA has accrued more than 150,000 followers across various channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube), consistently featuring content with calls to action to donate. A review of JFAs donor lists shows a variety of funding sources including private foundations, individual donors across a broad range of giving levels, corporate donations, government grants and event participants. Per an analysis of our donor database, we have received contributions from an average of 1,321 unique individual donors per year over the past five fiscal years. (In the fiscal year ending 06/30/2025, the total was 1,461.) These totals included contributions from donors in all 50 states as well as donors from abroad. The median gift size across 9,662 individual contributions during that period was $75. Our board includes representatives of the musician community and other individuals who do not necessarily contribute as donors but have platforms to communicate JFAs mission and programs to the public. This includes high-profile public figures like actor Danny Glover and musician/producer Steve Jordan. It also includes musician Jimmy Owens, a longtime professor at the New School and advocate for musicians rights. Photographer/author Hank ONeal, producer Sandy Jordan, and designer/guitarist Bill Wurtzel constitute an element of the board focused on community outreach through their connections to artists in the field. Likewise, Dr. Frank Forte, Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth and Mike Pietrowicz are all affiliated with Englewood Health and JFAs programs for providing musicians with access to healthcare. The evaluation of musicians requesting assistance from JFA occurs at the staff level independent of donor and board involvement. Our team of licensed clinical social workers manages intakes and assessments, conducting interviews to determine need and recommend assistance. We have an application process that helps us better understand a client's life circumstances and financial situation. Musicians often find us through referrals from peers and general awareness within the music community. One artist will refer another, or a concerned community member will reach out and encourage JFA to call someone. JFA also appears in Google searches, organic searches and on resource lists shared by other organizations. Last, we have amassed a database of thousands of client musicians over the decades. We check in with people regularly (ongoing outreach), which often reveals new issues with an individual or a peer. The two 2023 donations that contributed to JFA's fall below the 33-1/3 threshold were: 1) a five-year $15 million grant to support a new program aligned with our core mission of musician assistance, and 2) a $20 million contribution to our endowment. Although this revenue was recognized in a single year, it represents support that will be spread across a longer period (and in the case of the endowment, theoretically, in perpetuity). While these 2023 donation represented significant charitable investments in the organizations mission, JFA has maintained active engagement with a wider donor community through ongoing public fundraising, events, online giving, and diversified institutional support. It is our objective to continue increasing public support as we believe there is room to scale based on our clients needs and based on the publics appreciation for our programming. Part I, Line 12f: Supported Org Not Named in Organizing Documents RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 54162420 4799187 1440370 57521237 31371866 20000000 3995654 965582 239518 54162420 28961477 3694389 1284000 31371866 35439512 -5337360 1140675 28961477 30356376 6570776 1487640 35439512 1.00000 false false false 260440 34014 226426 73631 68796 4835 231261 47995177 Endowment fund receivable 9662351 Rent Security Deposit 6000 Right-of-use asset 127022 9795373 Lease Liability 131225 131225 X 8129012 -140732 529997 389265 7739747 254932 254932 7994679 6359032 529997 529997 5829035 254932 254932 6083967 Part V, Line 4: Intended uses of the endowment fund. BEGINING ON JANUARY 1, 2019, AND EACH TAXABLE YEAR THEREAFTER, 4% OF THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE ENDOWMENT FUND ON THE FIRST BUSINESS DAY, SHALL BE EXPENDED IN EQUAL QUARTERLY INSTALLMENTS TO SUPPORT THE JAZZ FOUNDATION OF AMERICA'S CHARITABLE PURPOSES AND PROGRAMS. Part X : FIN48 Footnote Generally accepted accounting principles provide guidance for how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, presented, and disclosed in the financial statements, and require the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken to determine whether the tax positions would more-likely-than-not be sustained by the Foundation upon examination by the applicable taxing authority. Management is not aware of any violation of its tax status as an organization exempt from income taxes or of any exposure to unrelated business income taxes. The Foundations tax returns remain subject to examination by the taxing authorities, for three years after they have been filed. false Dinner & Show 642307 642307 25000 77557 36150 153327 642307 642307 25000 77557 36150 153327 292034 350273 false 0 0 Assistance to Jazz/Blues Musicians 836 774650 FMV Food,clothing,shelter,other assist Assistance to Jazz/Blues Musicians 28 1271500 FMV Awards, honorariums and grants X X false false false false false false false false false Daryl Dunbar CFO 156912 6276 13076 176264 Joseph Petrucelli Executive Dir. 190669 7627 13076 211372 Steve Jordan Artistic Dir. 158419 6337 164756 X 1446 375626 FMV false false false Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD RECEIVE AND REVIEW A COPY OF THE TAX RETURN BEFORE IT IS FINALIZED. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAINTAINS THE CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORMS, WHICH ARE SIGNED ANNUALLY BY EACH DIRECTOR, PRINCIPAL OFFICER, AND MEMBER OF A COMMITTEE WITH THE GOVERNING BOARD. IF THERE IS A POSSIBLE CONFLICT, THE BOARD MEMBERS, NOT INCLUDING ANY MEMBER THAT HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, REVIEW THE FACTS TO DETERMINE IF AN ACTUAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS AND WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTION SHALL BE TAKEN. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15a The Executive Committee (Chairman, President, and Treasurer) determines the compensation of the Executive Director and top managemant. They look at comparable salary data from other nonprofits in the NYC area from the annual compensation report from the New York NonProfit. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY, AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Pro Bono Services: Referrals for medical, legal, and other assistance. Since 1994, JFA has provided a pro bono network for uninsured musicians in crisis due to health issues. Dizzy Gillespie was a patient at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey many times before his passing in early 1993 from pancreatic cancer. Dizzy expressed two wishes to his family in his last days: to support the greatest passion in his lifejazz and jazz musiciansand to have a memorial in his name at his hospital, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. The Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund helps underwrite the costs of hospitalization, diagnostic tests, and a full range of surgical and medical care for jazz musicians who are uninsured and without the ability to pay. Additionally, we have established a network of dentists and oral surgeons who either donate their services completely free or at deeply discounted rates. Pro bono legal services at the JFA include referrals to volunteer lawyers who provide assistance with housing, contract, royalty, estate, and other issues. JFA also works with other relief organizations and musicians' assistance organizations to secure additional and in-kind support for JFA clients. In 2022, JFA made medical, dental, and legal referrals in 12 cases and combined its efforts with other organizations in 235 cases. The Pro Bono services totaled $714,955 for the this fiscal year.