John Stites Jazz Artist Organization
John Stites Jazz Artist is a private foundation based in Marshall, Michigan. It funds jazz-related awards and grants, with its website describing its award program as support for emerging musicians’ personal and artistic development.
Key facts about John Stites Jazz Artist Organization
In short: John Stites Jazz Artist Organization gave $198K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Michigan. 80% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 82-4459237
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $198,170
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- Average grant
- $13,211
- Median grant
- $6,725
- New grantees (estimate)
- 80% first-time grantees (12 of 15, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,188,400
- Primary geography
- Michigan (74% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing describes an application process in which a committee of three professional musicians who are not on the board scores applications and provides the scores to the board, which decides how many awards to give. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The filing describes two award cycles each year, with the first due February 15; the date for the second cycle is not…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2M
-10.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$198K
-25.3% YoY
Grant Count
15
-11.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$13K
-15.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John Stites Jazz Artist Organization reported a distributable amount of $71K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is John Stites Jazz Artist Organization open to new grantees?
80%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 15 grantees (80%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $21K repeat.
- 20% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 287% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated vision is to support emerging jazz musicians through personal development projects that enhance career opportunities, advanced workshops and training, and attendance at jazz artist competitions when awards can be applied to further performance development.
Its awards are for individual development, not for jazz events such as concerts, tours, or competitions. The website describes eligible projects as including mentorship or instruction, composition and arranging studies, exploration of new influences on jazz, and study of jazz instrumentation from other cultures.
Among the organizations supported in 2025, Jazz Education Network received $5,000. The grantee describes its mission as “building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences.”
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $198,170. Individual grants ranged from $1,485 to $80,000, with a median grant of $6,725. The largest listed grants were $80,000 to The Gilmore for jazz concerts, $25,000 to Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition for a jazz concert series, and $21,127 to Western Michigan University for a jazz concert series.
Review Cycle
The filing describes two award cycles each year, with the first due February 15; the date for the second cycle is not specified in the filing. The website states that 2026 award applications are closed.
How to Apply
in which a committee of three professional musicians who are not on the board scores applications and provides the scores to the board, which decides how many awards to give. Applicants may apply for $5,000–$25,000 awards, paid according to a schedule in the signed contract. The filing also describes smaller discretionary awards, up to $3,000, which require a board member to submit a request on the applicant’s behalf and board approval, as well as contract awards generally given to nationally known nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. The website says applications must include a timeline, budget, at least one letter of recommendation, and a performance tape or file to be scored; it also identifies supplementary documents as part of the application.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website says there are no geographic restrictions on applicants for Artistic Development Awards. In 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 11% to New York, 8% to Illinois, 3% to Louisiana, and 3% to Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2021) to $269K (2022). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $198K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Gilmore ($80K). Together the top 10 received $179K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 63 (94%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Gilmore Kalamazoo, MI | Jazz Concerts | $80,000 |
| Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalti Kalamazoo, MI | Jazz Concert Series | $25,000 |
| Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI | Jazz Concert Series | $21,127 |
| Gustavo Cortinas Fouilloux Chicago, IL | Jazz Compensation & Arranging Studie | $10,171 |
| Maxwell Bessessen Brooklyn, NY | Study of Woodwing Doubling in Jazz | $8,416 |
| Andrew Rathbun Kalamazoo, MI | Studies in Composing a Jazz Saxophon | $8,072 |
| Nick Weiser Dunkirk, NY | Study of Community Influence on Jazz | $7,496 |
| Miranda Agnew Brooklyn, NY | Jazz Compensation & Improvisation St | $6,725 |
| Keegan Marshall-House New Orleans, LA | Herbie Nichols Research Project | $6,000 |
| Braun Khan Logan, UT | Jazz Bass Development Studies | $5,513 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,188,400 | $80,338 | $225,071 | $198,170 | 15 |
| 2024 | $1,330,133 | $66,119 | $295,413 | $265,253 | 17 |
| 2023 | $1,559,427 | −$19,568 | $219,271 | $184,219 | 16 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,188,400 | $1,330,133 | $1,559,427 |
| Revenue | $80,338 | $66,119 | $-19,568 |
| Expenses | $225,071 | $295,413 | $219,271 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $203,211 | $275,960 | $198,501 |
| Net Investment Income | $62,885 | $47,108 | $31,799 |
| Distributable Amount | $70,914 | $76,925 | $79,987 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists F. William McCarty as president; Sandra Schaefer as secretary/treasurer; and Scott Cowan, Douglas Decker, and Kenyon Morgan as directors.
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization is led by F. William McCarty, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
F. William McCarty
President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$300 (2023) → $0 (2025)
Douglas Decker
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenyon Morgan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Cowan
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandra Schaefer
Secretary
Treasurer → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Thomas Knific (2021–2022) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $300, to F William McCarty (President).
Contact
Application contact: Johnstitesjazzawardsorg
Mailing address: 343 N Marshall Ave, Marshall, MI 49068
Phone: (269) 967-2347
Email: na
Website: https://johnstitesjazzawards.org
Frequently asked questions about John Stites Jazz Artist Organization
How much does John Stites Jazz Artist Organization give each year?
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization gave $198K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $265K across 17 grants.
What is John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's typical grant size?
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's median grant in 2025 was $6,725, and its average grant was $13,211, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John Stites Jazz Artist Organization that year got $8K on average.
Where does John Stites Jazz Artist Organization give grants?
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization gives mostly in Michigan: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (11%) and Illinois (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kalamazoo, MI (5 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does John Stites Jazz Artist Organization give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's largest grantees?
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's largest 2025 grantees include The Gilmore ($80,000), Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalti ($25,000) and Western Michigan University ($21,127), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John Stites Jazz Artist Organization?
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $203K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $71K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John Stites Jazz Artist Organization fund?
The organization’s stated vision is to support emerging jazz musicians through personal development projects that enhance career opportunities, advanced workshops and training, and attendance at jazz artist competitions when awards can be applied to further performance development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John Stites Jazz Artist Organization?
The filing describes an application process in which a committee of three professional musicians who are not on the board scores applications and provides the scores to the board, which decides how many awards to give. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's EIN?
John Stites Jazz Artist Organization's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-4459237. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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