The Threadhead Cultural Foundation is seeking donations of items for a raffle leading up to the days of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Funds raised through the raffle will support the foundation’s round 14 grant cycle in the fall of 2022.

Founded in 2009, the non-profit Threadhead Cultural Foundation was launched to promote the cultural heritage of New Orleans through grants and assistance to musicians, artists, and others involved in endeavors relating to music and other artistic expressions whose work is in the tradition of preserving, promoting and disseminating the cultural heritage of New Orleans and the surrounding area of Louisiana. The Foundation raises funds through memberships, fundraising events and donations. Funds raised are granted to artists and artistic projects through an application process usually conducted in the fall of each year.

Donations of raffle items has been ongoing and include coveted items such as gift cards to local attractions, restaurants and hotels, music and cultural-related items, art, jewelry and even a few funky items bidders might like to add to their collections.

This past December, the Threadhead Cultural Foundation funded 22 grants to regional artists, awarding $80,000 to support new works by local artists such as Sarah Quintana and Erica Falls, youth arts and dance programs like Make Music NOLA and the Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund, and other cultural projects in New Orleans. The deadline for donated raffle prizes is Wednesday, April 6, and submission forms and instructions for mailing or drop-off of items are available here.

To date, the Foundation has given grants to 163 artists in thirteen rounds of grant funding. A total of more than $615,000 has been rewarded through grants, donations and special programs.