named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal
Produces and promotes a multi-artist tribute album featuring 41 songs, with proceeds supporting mental health initiatives and music education.
Mental Health Resources
Donates a percentage of raised funds to mental health organizations supporting musicians, including Backline and MusiCares, and provides direct financial assistance to musicians in need.
Music Education
Procures and donates musical instruments and gear from partners like Fender, Martin, and Zildjian to schools in New Jersey and New York, and funds music lessons for students.
No One Above You
Releases archival music recordings and a photographic memoir to celebrate Neal Casal's legacy and generate funds for foundation programs.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Music Education Support 1 activity
- Distributing musical instruments and providing music lessons to student musiciansProvides musical instruments and music lessons to aspiring student musicians in schools across New Jersey and New York, including documented donations to Morris Knolls High School and Jefferson Township High School.
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Mental Health Research and Services Funding 1 activity
- Funding mental health programs for music industry professionals through grantsAllocates proceeds from foundation initiatives to support mental health organizations serving musicians, including awarding over $25,000 to MusiCares following a tribute concert and directing ongoing funding to Backline and other organizations.
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Nonprofit Retail and Merchandise Sales 1 activity
- Generating funding through merchandise sales and partnershipsGenerates revenue for foundation initiatives through the NCMF Store, including a capsule collection partnership with imogene+willie and sales of limited-edition merchandise, pre-orders, and tribute project-related products.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Producing and issuing archival and tribute music releasesProduces and releases archival recordings and tribute albums, including the five LP/three-CD box set Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal featuring 41 tracks performed by 130 musicians, and the archival album No One Above You (The Early Years 1991–1998) with restored demo recordings.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Providing financial assistance for mental and physical health care to professional musiciansOffers financial support to professional musicians for mental and physical health care, including ongoing funding to mental health organizations such as Backline and MusiCares.
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Publishing books and photo memoirs documenting Neal Casal's life and workPublished a 304-page photo memoir titled No One Above You and a 240-page hardcover coffee table book Tomorrow's Sky: Photographs by Neal Casal, both documenting his artistic legacy through photography and personal history.
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financials · form 990 · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$347K
Contributions & grants$195K56%
Program service revenue$151K44%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$315K
Program expenses98%
Admin / overhead2%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$35K
Cash$35K
Investments$0
Liabilities$4K
Net assets$31K
Liquid reserves1.4 mo
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020
Who runs it
board members · 8
- Christy Coleman — Board Member
- Claudio Miranda — Board Member
- Dave Schools — Board Member
- Dr Lyn Rowbotham — Board Member
- Matt Sandoski — Board Member
- Michele Augis — Director
- Nicole Poulos — Board Member
- Willa Scantlebury — Board Member
relationships · 34
Who they work with
- Backline Funder — One of the mental health organizations for musicians that receives a portion of proceeds from the Highway Butterfly project.
- Backline Partner — Collaborates with Backline to administer the Neal Casal Fellowship, supporting clinical programming for mental health in the music industry.
- Backline Partner — Partner organization in the production of the podcast "Highway Butterfly: The Stories of Neal Casal".
- Backline Partner — Receives ongoing financial support from NCMF to scale mental health and wellness programs for music industry professionals.
- Bob Weir Partner — Collaborated musically with Neal Casal in studio sessions and live performances.
- Christy Coleman Partner — Board member and former creative muse of Neal Casal, with whom he shared a nine-year relationship.
- Dave Schools Partner — Board member and co-producer of Highway Butterfly, who performed with Neal in Hard Working Americans.
- Fender Guitars Partner — Provided donated gear in partnership with NCMF for instrument donations to high schools in New Jersey.
- Gary Waldman Partner — Board member and executive director who founded the foundation based on his 30+ year friendship with Neal.
- James Iha Partner — Collaborated musically with Neal Casal in studio sessions and live performances.
- Jay Blakesberg Partner — Collaborated as producer of the photography book "Tomorrow's Sky: Photographs by Neal Casal."
- Jeff Hill Partner — Musical collaborator who contributed to completing Neal Casal's recordings.
- Jena Kraus Partner — Musical collaborator who contributed harmony vocals to Neal Casal's recordings.
- Jim Scott Partner — Grammy-winning producer who co-produced Highway Butterfly and produced multiple Neal Casal albums.
- John Ginty Partner — Musical collaborator who added piano and Hammond B-3 organ to Neal Casal's recordings.
- Jon Graboff Partner — Musical collaborator who contributed pedal steel, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar to Neal Casal's recordings.
- Kevin Calabro Partner — Publicist and artist manager who supported all of Neal’s projects and now supports the Neal Casal Music Foundation.
- Lucinda Williams Partner — Collaborated musically with Neal Casal in studio sessions and live performances.
- Matt Sandoski Partner — Board member and longtime touring audio engineer who worked with Neal on Circle Around the Sun.
- Michele Augis Partner — Board member and digital strategist supporting the foundation’s vision and mission.
- Missi Callazzo Partner — Record label executive whose label distributed Neal Casal's band releases and the forthcoming Highway Butterfly.
- MusiCares Funder — Recipient of donations from the Neal Casal Music Foundation, including proceeds from tribute concerts and album sales.
- MusiCares Partner — Recipient of donations from NCMF, including over $25,000 from a tribute concert and proceeds from the Highway Butterfly tribute album.
- Osiris Media Partner — Co-produces the podcast "Highway Butterfly: The Stories of Neal Casal" in partnership with the Neal Casal Music Foundation.
- Phil Lesh Partner — Collaborated musically with Neal Casal in studio sessions and live performances.
- RPF Records Partner — Co-releasing the archival album No One Above You (The Early Years 1991–1998).
- Ricki Blakesberg Partner — Curated the photographs for the book "Tomorrow's Sky: Photographs by Neal Casal" using Neal's Instagram, Tumblr, and photo albums as a creative guide.
- Sheryl Crow Partner — Collaborated musically with Neal Casal in studio sessions and live performances.
- The Jayhawks Partner — Collaborated musically with Neal Casal in studio sessions and live performances.
- Tyler Ramsey Partner — Collaborated with the foundation through a musical tribute and public reflection on mental health in the music community.
+ 4 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Direct Mental Health Support for Musicians with Minimal Barriersmethodology: direct-support-no-red-tapeBy providing direct funding for mental health services to musicians without bureaucratic hurdles, the foundation increases access to care, because reducing administrative friction enables timely intervention and respects the unique challenges musicians face in seeking help.
- Legacy-Based Support for Musicians and Music Educationmethodology: legacy-based_charitable_supportBy honoring Neal Casal's legacy through archival, artistic, and community-driven initiatives, the foundation inspires ongoing support for musicians' mental health and student music education, because connecting present-day impact to a respected artist’s life strengthens engagement and purpose.
- Music Education Access Through Instrument and Lesson Provisionmethodology: music-education-and-mental-health-supportBy providing free instruments and music lessons to students in need, the foundation nurtures future musicians and promotes equity in music education, because access to tools and training enables artistic development and honors Neal Casal’s commitment to musical growth.