In memory. In community. In possibility.
Honoring Dan Lucas through support for artists, students, and communities—from the mountains of Western North Carolina to the neighborhoods of New Orleans and beyond.
Meet our granteesThe meaning behind the giving
Dan Lucas passed in 2008 after a life full of love and curiosity around music, outdoor adventures and scientific pursuit. He lived for most of his adult life in Asheville, NC and received his BS at UNCA in 2006. At the time of his death, he was a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of California - Berkeley.
The Dan Lucas Memorial Fund supports organizations that make these opportunities possible. Its grantmaking combines sustained relationships with timely responses to community needs, with many gifts also honoring the memory of Dan’s father, Peter Lucas.
People, places & possibility
Meet eight of the organizations whose work the Fund has supported over time.
LEAF Global Arts
A longstanding relationship with LEAF spans jazz education in Asheville, international programming in Costa Rica, and the development of the LEAF Global Hub. In 2024, the Fund awarded $50,000 to LEAF’s Hurricane Helene Artist Emergency Fund, extending that commitment to artists facing extraordinary disruption.
$268,000cumulative support
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French Broad River Academy
Support has included after-school field trips, campus development, memorial scholarships, and summer camp programming. Following Hurricane Helene, a $5,000 grant supported rebuilding critical campus infrastructure. The Fund annually supports scholarships for the Salamander Adventure Camp program.
$58,000cumulative support
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New Orleans Film Festival
The Fund has supported festival presentations, operations, and filmmaker development. Recent grants include $4,000 for the Emerging Voices Directors Lab and Southern Producers Lab and $10,000 for the 2026 New Orleans Film Festival—supporting both the development of stories and the places where audiences encounter them.
$64,000cumulative support
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Preservation Hall Foundation
Grants have supported the Legacy Program and the musicians at the heart of Preservation Hall. In 2020, the Fund provided $12,000 for COVID emergency relief for the Preservation Hall musician collective. Sustaining a musical tradition also means caring for the culture-bearers who embody it.
$39,500cumulative support
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UNC Asheville Foundation
UNC Asheville was the first organization to receive funding from the Dan Lucas Memorial Fund. The Fund has supported UNC Asheville’s music programming through concerts, faculty lectures, the Ecomusicologies Conference, and the UNCA Loves Piano series. Across years of support, the commitment remains consistent: opportunities to listen, learn, and connect through music.
$39,010cumulative support
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Give A Beat Foundation
Greg served on Give a Beat’s Founding Board. The organization seeks to align the dance music community with anti-recidivism and social justice initiatives in California. Grants from the Fund have supported organizational growth, reentry mentorship, and the On A New Track program. A 2025 challenge grant encouraged board giving while supporting mentorship and music business development. These investments recognize music as a source of connection and a pathway toward new possibilities.
$21,500cumulative support
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Upturn Arts
Through repeated grants since 2016, the Fund has supported Upturn Arts, including seasonal programming and a 2024 challenge grant. This sustained relationship reflects the importance of showing up over time, helping organizations continue the creative work their communities value.
$21,250cumulative support
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Community Sailing New Orleans
Support has included initiatives to expand participation and $5,000 for summer camp scholarships in 2022. These grants help create opportunities for more people to experience sailing, learn new skills, and build connections on the water.
$13,750cumulative support
Visit websiteCare in times of hardship
Alongside arts and education, the Fund has supported urgent, practical needs.
Carry the legacy forward
Explore the organizations featured here. Attend a performance, discover a program, volunteer, or support a cause that speaks to you.
Contact the Fund