08/18/2026
What is impact, and how do we measure it?
We’ve been thinking a lot about this at the Preservation Hall Foundation. As we’ve gathered stories and data to share what we’ve accomplished so far this year, one question has stayed with us: What is impact, and how do we measure the impact of this work?
Is it the 88% increase in local school visits to Preservation Hall this year?
Is it the nearly 6,000 students from across the country who have spent time with Preservation Hall musicians, learning about New Orleans history and culture?
Is it the local programming: the Stomp Troopers, LEDE workshops, parades, masterclasses, and partnerships that bring musicians and communities together?
Maybe impact is all of these things. But we also know that impact isn’t always something that can be captured in a number.
Because while we’re measuring the ways this work reaches students, musicians, and communities, we’re also experiencing its impact ourselves.
We are changed by the musicians who share their knowledge with us. By the students who show up curious and leave inspired.
We may not always be able to measure that kind of impact. But we feel it every day.
Read our 2026 Mid-Year Impact Report to see what we’ve been up to so far this year.
🔗 in bio
📸 by Isabelle Guzman
