Songbook Foundation names new development officer

11/23/2021 12AM

Jo Garcia brings years of local fundraising experience to role

 

CARMEL, Ind. – The Great American Songbook Foundation has hired a new development professional to build local and national philanthropic support for its historical preservation and music education initiatives.

 

Jo Garcia begins work Nov. 29 as the Foundation’s Individual Giving Officer, charged with forging new relationships locally and nationwide to build and expand the organization’s individual donor base.

 

A Bradley University graduate, Garcia served most recently as community outreach manager for the Indianapolis Indians, leading fundraising efforts for the new Indianapolis Indians Charities and also chairing the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She previously worked several years overseeing multi-million-dollar fundraising campaigns for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Indianapolis. She was named 2021 Community Ambassador of the Year at the United Way of Central Indiana’s ELEVATE Awards, and she serves on the board of the Carmel-based Children’s TherAplay Foundation.

 

“Jo’s experience and initiative made her a standout candidate for this vital role,” said Christopher Lewis, Executive Director of the Great American Songbook Foundation. “Philanthropic support is increasingly important as the Foundation continues to build its national reputation and pursue its ambitious plans for the future.”

 

The Songbook Foundation is headquartered at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel but is laying the groundwork to establish a freestanding Songbook Hall of Fame & Museum to house its Songbook Library & Archives, which has grown to more than 4,000 linear feet of materials representing the creators and performers of America’s timeless popular music. The vast collection includes recordings, sheet music, images, memorabilia and other items linked to such figures as songwriters Meredith Willson (The Music Man), Gus Kahn (“It Had to Be You”) and Hy Zaret (“Unchained Melody”).

 

About the Great American Songbook Foundation

The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy^® Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the timeless musical standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. Headquartered at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, the Foundation advances this rich musical legacy by curating a vast archive of items representing its creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy^® summer intensive. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum^®. More information is available at TheSongbook.org.