named programs · 1 · from sources
What they call their work
Curation & Development
Identifies and supports culturally significant contemporary music projects with strong narratives, cultural identity, and social awareness, providing resources for recording, production, and promotion
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Musician Advocacy and Labor Representation 1 activity
- Advancing a patronage model for sustainable music supportPublicly advocates for a cultural shift toward patronage-based funding to sustain independent music outside commercial market pressures, promoting long-term ecosystem health for musicians.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Curating and releasing albums by independent artistsCurates, organizes, and releases music projects by established and emerging independent artists across diverse genres, with a focus on preserving the album as an art form. Has curated and released over 650 albums and maintains a long-term distribution and promotion partnership with Ropeadope.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Funding the creation of contemporary music albumsProvides non-recoupable grants to independent musicians for the creation and production of culturally relevant albums, enabling artists to retain revenue from the outset. Supports specific projects through designated donor funding with recognition on all materials.
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Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
- Integrating music into community initiativesSupports community organizations by incorporating original and curated music projects into their programming, strengthening cultural engagement through artistic collaboration.
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Site-Specific Artistic Installations and Performances 1 activity
- Producing immersive music experiences in collaboration with cultural institutionsCreates and presents unique music listening experiences in partnership with museums, galleries, gardens, and community centers, often integrating visual art, curation, and live performance to elevate music as a multidisciplinary art form.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$156K
Contributions & grants$155K99%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$1K1%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$201K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$36K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$32K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$32K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue +95.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FABIAN BROWN | TREASURER | 10 | $30K |
| LOUIS MARKS | PRESIDENT | 10 | $6K |
relationships · 31
Who they work with
- Ben Rubin Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Chief Adjuah Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Chief Adjuah Partner — Cultural ambassador and pioneer collaborating on new projects with Third Way Cultural Alliance.
- Grounds For Sculpture Partner — Collaborated to co-present an event featuring live music, art, and conversation on creative freedom.
- Heights In Progress Partner — Co-founded by Third Way co-founder Fabian Brown, indicating organizational alignment and shared community focus.
- Jamaaladeen Tacuma Partner — Artist leading the Mexico City Expedition and co-leading The 101 Audio Odyssey with Marshall Allen.
- Jamaaladeen Tacuma Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Lisa Marie Simmons Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Lydia Liebman Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Marshall Allen Partner — Artist co-leading The 101 Audio Odyssey with Jamaaladeen Tacuma.
- PNC Bank Government — Designated institutional asset manager for the endowment fund, providing asset management and strategic guidance.
- Robert Sadin Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Ropeadope Partner — Affiliate organization that releases music projects to the world using their industry experience and reputation.
- Ropeadope Partner — Collaborative relationship between Third Way Cultural Alliance and Ropeadope in support of independent music and cultural sustainability.
- Ropeadope Partner — Collaborative relationship reflected in shared leadership and mission between founders of Third Way Cultural Alliance and Ropeadope.
- Ropeadope Partner — Collaborative relationship through leadership and curation by co-founder Louis Marks and Fabian Brown.
- Ropeadope Partner — Founding partner organization that informs TWCA's mission through its 25-year history of supporting contemporary independent artists.
- Ropeadope Partner — Long-term partner responsible for organizing, distributing, and promoting Third Way's music projects.
- Shayna Steele Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- Todd Clouser Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- UpCal Entertainment Partner — Collaborated with Third Way Cultural Alliance to support the creation of "Tambô".
- WRTI Partner — Partnered with radio presenter and educator Nicole Sweeney of WRTI, who moderated the event conversation.
- Watson & Associates Funder — Provided a designated donation to support the production of Lisa Marie Simmons' album through Third Way Cultural Alliance.
- Wulf Muller Partner — Artist-ambassador affiliated with Third Way Cultural Alliance
- community centers Partner — Engages community centers as venues for music presentations and artist discussions.
- curators Partner — Collaborates with curators to develop thematic music and art experiences.
- galleries Partner — Partners with galleries to integrate music presentations with visual art exhibits.
- gardens Partner — Works with botanical or public gardens to provide unique audience experiences through music programming.
- museums Partner — Collaborates with museums to present music as a living, listening experience within cultural exhibitions.
- videographers Partner — Collaborates with videographers to produce narrative content for music presentations.
+ 1 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Album as Cultural Artifactmethodology: album-as-art-formBy preserving the album format as a cohesive artistic medium, the organization ensures that music serves as a culturally significant narrative form, particularly for socially conscious and historically rooted projects, because the album allows for deeper storytelling and artistic intentionality than fragmented digital releases.
- Artist-Centered Sustainability via Patronagemethodology: artist-patronage-modelBy removing financial and commercial market barriers through donor-supported patronage, the organization enables artists to maintain creative freedom and produce culturally important work, because direct community funding decouples artistic value from streaming-era commodification and allows long-term, mission-driven creation.
- Cultural Narrative Over Commercial Aestheticmethodology: cultural_narrative_firstBy prioritizing cultural narrative and historical significance in project selection over technical or commercial musical quality, the organization amplifies underrepresented voices and fosters deeper understanding of identity and heritage, because music functions most powerfully as a vehicle for cultural memory and social continuity when rooted in lived experience.
- Immersive Interdisciplinary Presentationmethodology: immersive music presentationBy integrating music with visual art and spatial design in cultural venues, the organization creates immersive experiences that deepen audience engagement with artistic intent, because multi-sensory, contextualized presentation fosters insight and emotional resonance beyond audio-only consumption.