A Conversation with Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Executive Director

Giuseppe Basili, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Executive Director

Peter Dugan was an eighth-grade student in Philadelphia when he received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s (JKCF) Young Scholar Award. That award supported him throughout his academic career and came full-circle when he stepped into the role of host at From the Top and had the opportunity to speak with Young Artist Award recipients about how the Foundation’s support was changing their lives too.

Peter sat down with JKCF Executive Director Giuseppe Basili to learn more about the Foundation and its connection with From the Top.

Listen to Peter and Giuseppe’s conversation:

From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Since its founding in 2000, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded $332 million in scholarships to nearly 3,900 individuals, accompanied by comprehensive educational advising, career counseling, and other support — and invested $144 million in grants to organizations that also work to expand access for high-achieving students with financial need. Through this sustained investment, the Foundation has become one of the nation’s leading voices in promoting equity in education.

From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation are both invested in identifying and empowering talented young people. Our partnership was formed in 2005 to fulfill Jack Kent Cooke’s vision of enabling promising young musicians with financial need to develop their talents. It has been one of the most impactful collaborations in From the Top’s history. In 20 years, more than $4.2 million in awards has been granted to 428 remarkable young artists striving to attain excellence in music despite financial barriers.

The award is used to help offset the often prohibitively expensive costs of studying classical music at a high level. The exceptional artists supported by this award are changing the face of classical music. We’re proud to give them the tools, mentorship, and visibility they need to thrive in a competitive field. This program invests early – and the careers of our alumni show just how far that support can go.