The Mockingbird Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit founded and run entirely by Phish fans, has announced twenty (20) new grants totaling $141,263 in support of music education for children. This is Mockingbird’s 24th round of competitive grants, and the largest disbursement in the Foundation’s history and brings total disbursements by the Foundation to more than $1.6M.

The grants were enhanced by funds from Phish’s own WaterWheel Foundation, which allowed the board to double two of the grant requests; by the Kristy Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund (KAMM), which provided 50% of one of the grants; and through the direct contributions of hundreds of Phish fans. Mockingbird also increased five grants beyond the requested amounts, having been particularly impressed by those applicants.

These newest grants support the following programs at schools, centers, and non-profit organizations in twelve states:

• $5,000 for instruments at Aim Services, Inc. (Saratoga Springs, NY)
• $14,800 for instruments at Alvord Unified School District (Corona, CA)
• $10,000 for instruments at A Place Called Home (Los Angeles, CA)
• $8,000 for equipment at ARTogether (Oakland, CA)
• $10,000 for instruments at Chestnut Oaks Middle School (Sumter, SC)
• $10,000 for instruments at Chicago Vocational Career Academy (Chicago, IL)
• $5,000 for various expenses at City Of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Myrtle Beach, SC)
• $3,093 for instruments at Enoch Elementary (Enoch, UT)
• $3,400 for instruments at Finley Road Elementary School (Rock Hill, SC)
• $20,000 for staffing at Friends For A_Dog Foundation Ltd. (Lincoln, VT) – doubled by Waterwheel
• $2,000 for instruments at Friends Of The Perry (South Boston, MA)
• $10,000 for scholarships at Girls Rock Detroit (Detroit, MI) – matched by KAMM
• $2,500 for various expenses at Leonard V. Moore Middle School (Roselle, NJ)
• $7,000 for instruments at Midlands Arts Conservatory (Mac) (Columbia, SC)
• $5,000 for general funds at Nashville Opera (Nashville, TN)
• $9,910 for instruments at Nashville Symphony Association (Nashville, TN)
• $2,560 for instruments at Northview Elementary School (Jennings, MO)
• $7,000 for instruments at Vandercook College Of Music (Chicago, IL)
• $3,000 for instruments at Whiting High School (Laramie, WY)
• $3,000 for instruments at Worcester Public Schools (Worcester, MA) – doubled by Waterwheel

These twenty grantees were selected from among 1,156 initial applicants who requested a total of more than $40 million, far beyond the Foundation’s resources. Due to such high demand, Mockingbird’s two-tiered online application process remains one of the most competitive in the nation. Each year, we are able to fund a slightly higher percentage of inquiries, making grants slightly less competitive, thanks to the tremendous generosity of fans. We hope that you will consider making a tax-deductible donation through the Foundation’s website at www.mbird.org so that we can continue to increase the percentage of applicants whom we are ultimately able to fund.

The Mockingbird Foundation has been operated entirely by volunteer fans, with no salaries or paid staff, since its inception. Mockingbird is now a leading provider of historical information about the band Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net since 1994. Also a leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 446 grants, in all 50 states, totaling $1,623,786.40. Proceeds are generated by celebrating the music of Phish through books, recordings, art, donations, and special events, including poster exhibitions, poker tournaments, and golf tournaments.

For more information about Phish, see the official Phish.com or Mockingbird’s own fan-run Phish.net.

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