A group of Phish fans has sent a total of $7,000 in three unsolicited grants to support recovery from recent storms. The grants include:
- $2,500 on August 15th to 9th Grade Academy @ Lawrence High School of Lawrence, MA, which was extensively damaged by recent storms
- $2,500 on August 17th to Montpelier High School of Montpelier, VT, where the theater program was decimated (see Instagram post)
- $2,000 on August 18th to the WaterWheel Foundation of Burlington, VT, to support flood recovery in Vermont in conjunction with Phish’s Vermont Flood Recovery shows (see Instagram post)
These funds come from The Mockingbird Foundation’s Emergency Grants Fund, started in February of 2004 as a three-percent (3%) set-aside from the Foundation’s net proceeds. Disbursements are made to help call attention to the needs of music education programs which have been impaired by environmental damage (such as fires, floods, and hurricanes) or moral outrage (such as vandalism, theft, or political conflict). Awards are made by decision of the Foundation’s board, outside of the normal two-tiered competitive application process used by the Foundation for general grants.
The Mockingbird Foundation is an all-volunteer, fan-founded and -managed 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting music education for children. A leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 646 grants in all 50 states, totaling more than $2.3M. Funds for grants are generated through donations from a loyal base of fans, as well as through books, recordings, artwork, merchandise, and special events. Mockingbird is the leading provider of historical information about Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net (and three associated books, so far) since 1994. The Foundation has been operated entirely by volunteer fans of the band, without any salaries or paid staff, since its inception in 1996.