The Mockingbird Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit founded and run entirely by Phish fans, has announced thirteen new grants totaling $75,000 in support of music education for children. The grants come from Mockingbird’s 19th round of competitive grant-making, include support from several band-related charities, and bring the Foundation’s total disbursements to more than $918,000.
Nearly one-third of the grants exceed the amounts which had been requested by the applicants. One request was increased within the board’s own review and resources. Two others were made possible by matching funds from the Kristy Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund. Four more have been doubled thanks to funds from the band’s own Waterwheel Foundation. Combined, these partners graciously provided $20K, in addition to Mockingbird’s $55K contribution, the start of a partnership among the three organizations through which Mockingbird hopes to augment grants for years to come.
These newest grants support the following programs at schools, centers, and non-profit organizations in ten states, including the Foundation’s first grant in Utah:
- $5,000 for instruments at Alabama Symphony Orchestra (Birmingham, AL)
- $4,000 for instruments at Boys and Girls Club of Vista (Vista, CA)
- $10,000 for instruments at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy (Chicago, IL) – doubled
- $5,000 for instruments at Hilo Intermediate School (Hilo, HI)
- $2,000 for instruments at Jesse S. Bobo Elementary School (Spartanburg, SC)
- $5,000 for instruments at Legacy Music Alliance (Salt Lake City, UT)
- $10,000 for staffing at Mainly Mozart, Inc. (San Diego, CA) – doubled
- $10,000 for scholarships at Manna House Workshops, Inc. (New York, NY) – matched & doubled
- $5,000 for instruments at Moreno Valley Unified School District (Moreno Valley, CA)
- $5,000 for scholarships at Philadelphia Chapter of The American Harp Society (Philadelphia, PA) – increased, matched, & doubled
- $5,000 for general funds at SoundStrings (Red Wing, MN)
- $5,000 for instruments at Southern Utah University Preschool & Teacher Education Program (Cedar City, UT)
- $4,000 for instruments at The Alberta School of Performing Arts (Tuscaloosa, AL)
These thirteen grantees were selected from among more than 877 initial applicants who requested a total of more than $2.5 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 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 the leading provider of historical information about the band Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net since 1994. The Foundation will soon publish the third edition of the popular trade paperback The Phish Companion. A leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 274 grants in 46 states, totaling $918,093.40. Proceeds are generated by celebrating the music of Phish through comprehensive books, innovative recordings, special art prints, creative donation premiums, and special events for the Phish fan community. The Foundation has been operated entirely by volunteer fans of the band, without any salaries or paid staff, since its inception in 1996.
For more information about Phish, see the official phish.com or Mockingbird’s own fan-run phish.net.
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