The Natalie Cole Foundation and Nat King Cole Foundation have joined forces earlier this year to support scholarships and charities focused on music education and other causes. The partnership builds on each foundation's commitments, funding organizations such as the Harlem School of the Arts and Berklee College of Music. Natalie Cole's estate fully supports her foundation, directing all royalties to charitable efforts.
The Natalie Cole Foundation, established after the singer's death in 2015, has donated more than $1 million in the last two years to scholarships and causes worldwide, including a community center in Costa Rica. CEO Howard Grossman emphasized its unique structure: “Unlike any foundation that is entertainment-derived that we know of… we are the only foundation of our type where 100% of the money goes to charity.” Grossman, Natalie Cole's former business manager, works with a board including Eduardo Pabellon, Seth Berg, Barbara Rose, and Michael Crain to select recipients. Examples include the Bhatia Family Village in Los Angeles for autistic adults, TM23 Foundation soccer fields for underprivileged children, and the David Foster Foundation. Arts initiatives support the Harlem School of the Arts, Grammy Camp, and Playing for Change Foundation. Meanwhile, the Nat King Cole Foundation, formerly Nat King Cole Generation Hope, was founded in 2008 by Cole's daughters Casey and Timolin Cole to provide music education in South Florida and Chicago. Timolin Cole stated, “We thought it would be an important and wonderful way to keep our father’s memory alive.” The foundations partnered earlier this year to amplify impact, jointly funding Grammy Camp scholarships, Harlem School programs, City of Hope, and Children’s Hospital of L.A. Last November, Berklee College of Music awarded their inaugural $75,000 voice scholarship to Paris Pineyro. Recently, Casey and Timolin attended the Vienna Philharmonic Ball to announce funding for the first American scholarship at the Vienna Philharmonic Academy. Casey Cole noted, “It’s about a shared belief that our father and sister had about the transformative power of music.” Grossman added that the collaboration complements their common goals.
