Corporate Partnerships

Make a Difference, Through Jazz

The Institute is unlocking opportunity for students in need every day, and corporate partnerships give companies the opportunity to join in. A 2019 survey by Markstein and Certus Insights found that 46% of consumers pay close attention to a brand’s social responsibility efforts when they buy a product. Corporate partnerships allow companies to make a meaningful, measurable impact on students in need across the United States and around the world. More than 85% of participants in Jazz in the Classroom, for example, are students of color, and the majority come from low income backgrounds and underserved communities. Whether advancing STEM education via Math, Science & Music or generating educational equity through Jazz in the Classroom and BeBop to Hip-Hop, the Institute is passionate about creating value for our students and our sponsors.

Jazz is a hot property in corporate advertising campaigns, reports a recent article from The New York Times. One advertising executive explained the upsurge in interest this way: “Bottom line, jazz has integrity. It’s never corny. It moves. And its percussive quality, its energy, livens up anything associated with it.” Companies can tap into this energy by sponsoring the Institute’s programs. In the process, sponsors build brand awareness with the discerning and desirable audience of jazz listeners – and help jazz flourish.

Causes Connect with Consumers

Consider this: cause-marketing studies conducted by Cone/Roper have consistently found that when price and quality of products are perceived as equivalent, the majority of consumers – more than 70% – will choose the brand linked to a cause. Surveys also find that consumers single out education as the top cause businesses should be working to support.

How Does a Partnership Work?

A corporate partnership can be as simple as sponsoring one of our Jazz in the Classroom education programs for public school students. Better yet, companies can leverage their sponsorship through jazz-themed promotions, advertising campaigns, executive and employee engagement and other activations around large-scale events such as the Institute’s International Competitions and International Jazz Day. The result is a brand image that stands out from the crowd.

The Institute offers a wide variety of corporate partnership and cause-marketing opportunities. For a full listing of available sponsorships, contact the Institute at (202) 364-7272 or send us an email.