A nonprofit founded and run by Phish fans on an entirely volunteer basis has announced nineteen (19) new grants totaling $140,900. The Mockingbird Foundation has now disbursed 693 grants totaling more than $2.5M to support music education.
Mockingbird’s 29th round of competitive grants support the following programs at schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations in 13 states (AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, MD, NJ, NY, PA, TN, & TX):
- $5,000 to Algonquin Road School in Fox River Grove, IL, to fund Orff instrument sets for grades K-4 music program in “a small town with a small budget with big talent”
- $8,000 to Austin Classical Guitar in Austin , TX, to fund 30 guitars for ~150 at-risk students each year in five juvenile detention facilities across the state
- $8,000 to Barack Obama School For Social Justice in New York, NY, to fund new instruments (keyboards, guitars, drumline equipment) and repair of existing instruments
- $5,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs Of St. Lucie County in Fort Pierce, FL, to fund drum equipment purchases including a five-piece drum set
- $10,000 to Bradshaw Mountain High School Marching Bears Pto in Prescott Valley, AZ, to fund 25 students’ band fees and the purchase of 3 Baritones for the band program
- $10,000 to Clifton Music Boosters in Monrovia, CA, to fund various instruents for band and orchestra and repair of existing instruments
- $10,000 to Excel Program in Bridgeton, NJ, to fund 17 violins, 8 violas, and 5 cellos for a public school
- $10,000 to Friendship Armstrong Elementary And Middle School in Washington, DC, to fund recording studio setup and audio engeneering instruction at a public school
- $10,000 to Girls Write Nashville in Nashville, TN, to fund instruments for music lessons and production at a non-profit serving at-risk female youth
- $10,000 to International Elementary School (Brooklyn Prospect Charter Schools) in Brooklyn, NY, to fund instruments for K-5 music program and support for an additional after-school band program
- $3,000 to Irving Middle School in Pocatello, ID, to fund bluegrass instruments for a middle school music program focusing on bluegrass lessons
- $2,500 to Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, MD, to fund new instruments for a non-profit music program
- $6,000 to Mount Olive Elementary in Knoxville, TN, to fund ukuleles, djembes, and mini keyboards for grades K-5 at a public school – request doubled by Mockingbird
- $10,000 to North Rockland Central School District in Suffern, NY, to fund new instruments to replace of broken ones in a music program at a public school
- $2,000 to Plhs Pointer Association Music Boosters in San Diego, CA, to fund general funds for music boosters to assist with instrument repairs and other program costs – request doubled by Mockingbird
- $8,000 to Sugar Hill Academy Of Talent And Career in Gainesville, GA, to fund new Orff instruments sets in a K-5 classroom at a public school
- $5,000 to Summit School Inc., Dba The Summit Academy in Pittsburgh, PA, to fund funds to help support construction of a music studio and purchase new instruments
- $10,000 to Texas A&M San Antonio Institute For School And Community Partnerships in San Antonio, TX, to fund new instruments for a middle school band program
- $8,400 to The Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh, PA, to fund instruments for K-5 music program
Rounds 28 and 29 have been the two largest competitive disbursements in the Foundation’s history These nineteen grantees were selected from among 678 initial inquiries requesting a total of nearly $9 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 693 grants, in all 50 states, totaling $2,537,120.39. Proceeds are generated by celebrating the music of Phish through books, recordings, art, donations, and special events, including the upcoming Ninth Annual Runaway Open golf tournament in Denver.
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