A nonprofit founded and run by Phish fans on an entirely volunteer basis has announced eighteen (18) new grants totaling $132,900. The Mockingbird Foundation has now disbursed 692 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):

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 692 grants, in all 50 states, totaling $2,529,120.39. 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.

#33#