OVERVIEW: The Joel Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to arts education.
IP TAKE: The foundation does not maintain a website, which restricts transparency about grantmaking strategies and guidelines. This is a good regional arts funder to know in the New York area. The foundation typically makes grants for general support. That said, this funder prefers a proactive funding approach and does not accept unsolicited applications, which means that interested grant seekers will have to reach out to previous grantees to network or take a straightforward approach and reach out to this funder.
PROFILE: Established in 2012, the Joel Foundation was founded by singer-songwriter Billy Joel and family. Born in the Bronx in 1949, Billy Joel grew up on Long Island and got into piano early. He struck gold with 1973’s Piano Man, featuring hits like “Piano Man” and “Captain Jack.” He went on to make successful albums like Streetlife Serenade (1974), The Stranger (1977) and 52nd Street (1978). By 1999, his worldwide song sales had topped $100 million, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest that the Joel Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to arts education..
Grants for Arts and Arts Education
A longtime advocate for music education, Billy Joel first began holding “master class” sessions on college campuses some two decades years ago. He has also held benefit classes for the STAR Foundation (Standing for Truth About Radiation) and to establish the Rosalind Joel Scholarship for the Performing Arts at City College.
The Joel Foundation’s grantmaking has supported organizations like Exploring the Arts (ETA) and Perlman Music Program. ETA was founded by legendary singer Tony Bennett and his wife, Susan Benedetto and is dedicated to strengthening arts education in public high schools. The Joel Foundation made a $1 million pledge to continue support for ETA in a recent year. He’s also a strong supporter of the Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA).
He conducted a Master Class for LIHSA students and has visited them in their classrooms. Joel pledged $1.5 million in 2016 to LIHSA.
Joel also gave a scholarship to a budding pianist and recent LIHSA graduate to attend Berklee College of Music.
Grants for Human Services
Billy Joel and his wife Alexis, through their foundation, pledged several donations to fight the coronavirus pandemic, including $500,000 to buy personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between $5,000 and $250,000. In a recent year, the foundation gave away $540,000. In recent years, this funder’s giving tends to range from $650,000 to about $850,000. Assets hover around $4 million.
- Grantmaking primarily focuses on New York City, including Long Island. Past local grantees include The Perlman Music Program and Sing for Hope.
- The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
The Joel Foundation
360 Hamilton Ave, Ste 100
White Plains, NY 10601
