Nonprofit Finance Fund
JazzNet was a five-year funding initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The initiative, which was managed by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, was designed to strengthen regionally significant jazz presenting organizations, primarily through building endowments.
WolfBrown was hired to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the program. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research, the consultants assessed the degree to which the grantees met JazzNet’s goals and also evaluated the program’s design. The evaluation determined that the program was a success on many levels and has much to teach funders. Not only did it allow organizations to establish or enhance endowments, it also brought greater visibility to smaller, non-traditional jazz presenters and greater understanding of jazz to mainstream presenters.