From “After ‘learning curve’ of buying Tipitina’s last year, Galactic launches charity”
by Keith Spera | November 20, 2019 | nola.com
…Just in time for their one-year anniversary as owners, they’ve launched the Tip-It Foundation, a new, philanthropic initiative.
Its website, tip-itfoundation.org, went live this week. And on Friday, the Tip-It Foundation will partner with the Second Harvest Food Bank for the fourth annual “Harvest the Music” fundraiser at Tipitina’s.
Scheduled performers include the Honey Island Swamp Band, the Brass-A-Holics, Bo Dollis Jr. & the Wild Magnolias and Miss Mojo. Showtime is 8 p.m. General admission is $15. VIP tickets are $100 and include balcony access, dinner and drinks.
Moore and his bandmates bought Tipitina’s from businessman Roland Von Kurnatowski, who had owned the famed club at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street for more than 20 years. The deal included the building and the business, but not the Tipitina’s Foundation, the nonprofit Von Kurnatowski had established.
In the years after Hurricane Katrina, the Tipitina’s Foundation gave millions of dollars’ worth of instruments to school marching bands and administered a well-regarded music industry mentoring program for students.
But questions arose about how Von Kurnatowski intermingled the nonprofit with his other businesses, which included real estate development and an investment fund.
Wanting to steer clear of any such questions, the Galactic team opted to start fresh with a new philanthropic entity.
Unlike the Tipitina’s Foundation, the new Tip-It Foundation is not a stand-alone 501(c)3 nonprofit. Instead, it is a donor-advised fund administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
In the foundation, Galactic and Tipitina’s now have a reputable partner to handle the often complex legal and accounting chores associated with philanthropy.
“We knew we wanted to continue the tradition of Tipitina’s having a philanthropic aspect and being involved in music education outreach,” Galactic keyboardist Rich Vogel said. “Working with the GNOF seemed like the right way to get started.”
By buying the club, “we bit off a lot,” Moore said. Partnering with the foundation “is a way to grow in philanthropy in an organic way.”…