{"id":16749,"date":"2025-01-04T14:47:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T22:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/?page_id=16749"},"modified":"2025-09-12T05:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:37:14","slug":"fundraising-music-grants","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-music-grants","title":{"rendered":"Music Grants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-container gb-block-container\"><div class=\"gb-container-inside\"><div class=\"gb-container-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\" style=\"min-height:151px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-16807\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/funding-guide-banner-blue-dots-1.png\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e9a35b3687c1ce8f572d86f377631803\" style=\"color:#484848;font-size:42px\">Music Grants<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"intro-box has-background\" style=\"background-color:#efeeeb\">Learn about grants for music by exploring our curated list of top music funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grantfinder-search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>search tool <\/strong><\/a>for GrantFinder. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/membership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Become a member.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-1 one-column gb-background-auto gb-background-no-repeat\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bg-radiant-dots-shortest.png);background-position:50% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-0 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\" style=\"padding-top:20px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-wideright\" style=\"padding-top:60px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:6px;background-position:80% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-2 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column ip-gf-key-funders-box gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Key Music Funders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list key-funders-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-a\/herb-alpert-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Herb Alpert Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-c\/aaron-copland-fund-for-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aaron Copland Fund for Music<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-d\/doris-duke-charitable-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doris Duke Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-g\/david-geffen-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Geffen Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/h-grants\/hearst-foundations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hearst Foundations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/m-grants\/andrew-w-mellon-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mellon Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/p-grants\/puffin-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Puffin Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/s-grants\/sparkplug-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sparkplug Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Funding trends for music grants<\/strong><br><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Philanthropy supports music nonprofits as well as individual musical artists. While charitable giving for music \u2013 and all performing arts \u2013 is modest compared to other philanthropic sectors, there are funders of all types dedicated to supporting music.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The League of American Orchestras <a href=\"https:\/\/americanorchestras.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Orchestras-at-a-Glance-Oct-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a> that there are about 2,200 professional, community, and youth orchestras in the United States \u2013 77% of which had budgets under $300,000 in 2022. The nation\u2019s 203 professional opera companies receive more than half their collective revenue in the form of private support, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.operaamerica.org\/media\/vknfsyf3\/2023-annual-field-report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Opera America<\/a>. There are also folk music ensembles, jazz groups, community choruses, and many other musical organizations operating outside the commercial realm that are vital parts of our cultural sphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where are music grants going?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Individual donors play an outsized role in music philanthropy. From concert series showcasing new composers to premiere orchestras, music is substantially supported by music lovers who become major donors. At the same time, more institutional funding goes to music than to other performing arts such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-for-dance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dance<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-theater-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">theater<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<!-- Non-displaying inline paywall marker. Editors: please keep this code block. Position this block before the first full-width paragraph or just above the foundations list heading. -->\n<div id=\"ipInlineOffer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-container foundation-list paywall gb-block-container\"><div class=\"gb-container-inside\"><div class=\"gb-container-content\">\n<p>While classical music organizations \u2013 especially major opera companies and orchestras in big cities \u2013 get the largest and most high-profile donations, there are many individuals, private and family foundations, and community foundations making grants for all kinds of music.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving for music is often place-based, with funders supporting concert series, venues, or ensembles in a particular geographic area. Private and family foundations, and community foundations, often make grants for music as part of an effort to support a vibrant arts and culture scene in a given city, town, or community. <a href=\"https:\/\/usregionalarts.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Regional arts organizations<\/a>, which are funded by a mix of public and private dollars, also make grants for musical artists and nonprofits. There are also city-based arts grantmakers that take the form of nonprofits implementing a municipality\u2019s arts funding program, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonartsalliance.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Houston Arts Alliance<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philaculturalfund.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Philadelphia Cultural Fund.&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many foundations that make grants for music focus on a genre or style, such as jazz or folk music. Regrantors, which play a prominent role in philanthropy for music, are often dedicated to a particular type of music \u2013 for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/2024-4-15-how-chamber-music-america-supports-the-fields-artists-and-ensembles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chamber Music America<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/chorusamerica.org\/grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chorus America<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earlymusicamerica.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Early Music America<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/newmusicusa.org\/get-funding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New Music USA<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Corporate funders often give for music in the form of sponsorships of concert series or festivals. There are also some music-industry philanthropies, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ascapfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ASCAP Foundation<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As in most areas of philanthropy, recent years have seen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/2022-2-24-eleven-ways-funders-are-supporting-social-justice-within-and-through-the-arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">increasing attention to diversity and equity<\/a> in music grantmaking. Grantmaking for music also overlaps with grantmaking for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/arts-education-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arts education<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/arts-culture-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arts and culture<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grants for music go to individual artists (sometimes in the form of fellowships or awards) as well as to nonprofits including orchestras, festivals, musical ensembles, concert series, and music education programs. Grants and gifts also support college and university music programs. Donations and grants for music support capital projects for venues as well as programs and performances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most private giving for music invests in opera and orchestra companies that have longstanding relationships with foundations and major donors, IP found in our State of American Philanthropy brief on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/state-of-american-philanthropy-pdfs\/giving-for-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Giving for Music<\/a>. Grants for individual artists come from funding initiatives such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/2024-1-31-more-than-just-a-check-this-funder-couples-cash-and-professional-support-to-help-artists-thrive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Creative Capital<\/a>, which provides financial as well as other kinds of support such as professional development; grantmakers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstpeoplesfund.org\/programs\/fellowships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">First People\u2019s Fund<\/a>, which supports Native artists in various disciplines; and a few private foundations, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/outsized-philanthropy-meet-the-family-foundation-giving-chicago-performing-artists-six-figure-awards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Walder Foundation<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also grants for initiatives at the intersection of music and other issues such as health and community well-being from funders such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/weareallmusic.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">We Are All Music Foundation<\/a> or those who support <a href=\"https:\/\/pmhu.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Project: Music Heals Us<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gaps in music funding&nbsp;<\/strong><br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While orchestras and opera companies in major cities are well supported by philanthropy, there is a gap in funding for musical organizations in small and mid-sized cities as well as rural areas. Because music education is chronically underfunded in public schools, nonprofits and philanthropy attempt to fill the gap, and there is substantial need for funding in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group modified-date-row is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f56a869c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p><em>Published on <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:400;\" class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2025-01-04T14:47:00-08:00\">January 4, 2025<\/time><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px;width:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"color:#ddd\" class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-spacer-divider gb-divider-size-1\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-1 one-column gb-background-auto gb-background-no-repeat\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bg-radiant-dots-shortest.png);background-position:50% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-0 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\" style=\"padding-top:20px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-wideleft\" style=\"padding-top:60px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:6px;background-position:80% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-4 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25180599d95e511ffa03116cedf5db8d\" style=\"color:#d79533\"><strong><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.giarts.org\/\"><strong>Grantmakers in the Arts<\/strong><\/a> (GIA) is the national network of private, public and corporate arts funders focused on providing \u201cleadership and service that advances the use of philanthropic and governmental resources to support the growth of the arts and culture.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansforthearts.org\/\"><strong>Americans for the Arts<\/strong><\/a> focuses on advancing the arts broadly in the United States. It is an important organization for the music community, producing white papers, research on fundraising trends and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansforthearts.org\/by-topic\/funding-resources\">a repository<\/a> of funding resources.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/culturaldata.org\/smu-dataarts\/our-merger\/\"><strong>SMU DataArts\u2019<\/strong><\/a> mission is \u201cto empower arts and cultural leaders with high-quality data and evidence-based resources and insights that help them to overcome challenges and increase impact.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1717795313312_1033\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theperformingartsalliance.org\/\"><strong>Performing Arts Alliance<\/strong><\/a> is the national policy advocate, leadership forum and learning network for America\u2019s nonprofit performing arts organizations, artists and allies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about grants for music by exploring our curated list of top music funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities using the search tool for GrantFinder. Become a member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":470,"featured_media":0,"parent":13716,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":true,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-16749","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/470"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16749"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224371,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16749\/revisions\/224371"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}