The Mockingbird Foundation has announced nineteen (19) new grants totaling $144,158, the largest competitive disbursement in the Foundation’s history. Mockingbird, a nonprofit founded and run by volunteer Phish fans, has now disbursed 625 grants totaling more than $2.3M to support music education.
Mockingbird’s 28th set of competitive grants support the following programs at schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations in 15 states (AZ, CA, CO, GA, HI, IL, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NV, TX, VA, WA):
- Austin Classical Guitar of Austin , TX – $5,000 for guitars for student classes in youth detention centers
- Chief Leschi Schools of Puyallup, WA – $10,000 for drums for classes at 100% Native American school
- Molasky Junior High School (though Clark County School District) of Las Vegas, NV – $9,858 for various instruments for the band, orchestra, & guitar programs at a public middle school
- D.U.E.T. of Savannah, GA – $10,000 for training high school student musicians to teach K-8 students in underserved communities
- Education Through Music-Los Angeles of Burbank, CA – $10,000 for training music teachers to teach weekly classes at two schools in South Central LA
- Forkids, Inc. of Chesapeake, VA – $5,000 for instructor and instrument fees for two music programs to serve marginalized communities
- Foundation For Hearing And Speech Resources of Chicago, IL – $6,400 for instruments and ASL lessons for teachers serving hearing impaired students in Chicago schools
- Governor Morehead School For The Blind of Raleigh, NC – $8,800 for band instruments for a music program in a public school for visually impaired
- Hana Arts of Hana, HI – $10,000 for staffing to deliver music classes to students in rural Hawaii
- Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy of Independence, MO – $7,500 for instruments for a K-12 music program
- Mid Atlantic Burn Camp of Clarksville, MD – $10,000 for instruments and equipment for music classes for youth burn survivors
- National Blues Museum of St. Louis, MO – $6,000 for equipment for students to build and play their own guitars and amps
- Opportunities Unlimited For The Blind of Ionia, MI – $5,000 for teacher of Braille and equipment at a school for visually impaired students
- Rock To Recovery of Laguna, CA – $8,000 for staffing for music classes in substance recovery programs
- Rosie’s House: A Music Academy For Children of Phoenix, AZ – $10,000 for instruments in a percussion program for underserved students
- Rsu #56 Dirigo High School Music Program of Dixfield, ME – $5,200 for sheet music and MIDI keyboards for a rural public high school music program
- San Marcos Middle School of San Marcos, CA – $4,400 for instruments and stools for a band at a public middle school
- Silver Creek High School Education Foundation of Longmont, CO – $10,000 for drums for students with special needs and physical challenges in a high school band program
- Texas School For The Blind And Visually Impaired of Austin, TX – $3,000 for mariachi instruments for a mariachi band program at a public school for the visually impaired
These nineteen grantees were selected from among 1217 initial applicants who requested a total of nearly $10 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 is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has been operated entirely by volunteer fans, with no office, salaries, or paid staff, since its inception in 1996. 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 625 grants, in all 50 states, totaling $2,325,395.40. Proceeds are generated by celebrating the music of Phish through books, recordings, art, donations, and special events, including the upcoming Eighth Annual Runaway Open golf tournament in Denver.
For more information about Phish, see the official Phish.com or Mockingbird’s own fan-run Phish.net.
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