Skip to main content

About Us

  • Donors & Patrons

    The mission and work of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is not only made possible by the hundreds of thousands of people who buy our music every year, but also by those who support our ongoing mission by generous donations in cash or in kind. These individuals and organizations increasingly play a key role in ensuring Smithsonian Folkways remains a vibrant label through its releases and acquisitions. We would like to acknowledge:

$5 million and above

Sage Foundation

$1 – $5 million

Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation

$500,000 – $1 million

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture
The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation

$100,000 – $500,000

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
National Museum for African American History and Culture
National Museum for African American History and Culture
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
The Smithsonian Latino Center
The Smithsonian Latino Center

$50,000 - $ 100,000

E.W. Littlefield, Jr.
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
Arhoolie
Chris Strachwitz

$10,000 - $50,000

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
The Embassy of Colombia
Scottish Arts Council
Rodger Glaspey
Jerry Zink

Patrons ($1,000 and over per year)

Natasha Chisdes

Norbert Goldfield

Stephen Herman

Melanie Hopkins

Brian Keenan

Patrick McNees

Jeffrey D D. Menoff DDS

Mark Skinner

Dan Tappan

Andrew Weisburd

George P. Winslow


Donations

Donations of Labels/Collections

The Asch Estate – Archival materials

Cook Records

Dyer-Bennet Records

Mickey Hart – for the Mickey Hart collection

Monitor Records

Deborah Robins – for The Alan Oakes Tapes

Carolyn and Alan Stern - For Educational Activities

Bobby Susser – for Bobby Susser Songs for Children

UNESCO – for the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music

Western Jubilee Recording Company

In Kind Donations

Columbia Records – for the production of Folkways: A Vision Shared to fund the Smithsonian's acquisition of Folkways Records

El Centro de la Diversidad Cultural de Venezuela - for Venezuela recordings

Artists who donated their royalties

Lester W. Bradley

Harold C. Conklin

Eric Davidson

Olivia Dutcher

Eastronics

Caleb Finch

Margaret W. Fanning

Golden Gate Gypsy Orchestra

Jim Griffith

Sorrel Doris Hays

Roscoe Holcomb

Sarah Hydorn

Pauline Janitch

Ward Keeler

Joel Lavoie

Mercedes Lopez

Howie Mitchell

Ellie Mao Mok

David J. Murray

Scott Odell

Mark Olf

Ludwig Olshansky

Steven C. Panish

Juan Jorge Rodriguez

Wallace Sife

Mary Jo Slattery

Andrew T. Stewart

Puli Toro

Thomas Turino

Newman Young