The Mockingbird Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit founded and run entirely by Phish fans, has announced twelve new grants totaling $81,000 in support of music education for children. The grants come from Mockingbird’s 21st round of competitive grant-making, include support from several band-related charities, and bring the Foundation’s total disbursements to more than $1.1M.

The announcement comes on the 20th anniversary of the Foundation’s formal incorporation (March 28, 1997) – 21st round of grants starting the 21st year.

Three of the grants have been doubled thanks to funds from the band’s own WaterWheel Foundation. Four were made possible by matching funds from the Kristy Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund. Combined, these partners graciously provided over $27,000, in addition to Mockingbird’s $54,000 contribution. This funding partnership among the three organizations started last fall, and will hopefully augment grants for years to come.

These newest grants support the following programs at schools, centers, and non-profit organizations in nine states:

• $5,000 for instruments at Artistas Y Músicos Latino Americanos (AMLA) (Philadelphia, PA)
• $5,000 for instruments at Barbara A. Sizemore Academy (Chicago, IL)
• $3,000 for instruments at Blue Bear School of Music (San Francisco, CA)
• $8,000 for scholarships at Civic Music Association of Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI) – matched & doubled
• $5,000 for instruments at Clinton School (Chicago, IL)
• $5,000 for instruments at Coal City High School (Coal City, IL)
• $20,000 for instruments at Community School of the Arts (Charlotte, NC) – matched & doubled
• $10,000 for instruments at Dongola USD #66 (Dongola, IL) – doubled
• $5,000 for equipment at Levi Elementary School (Memphis, TN)
• $5,000 for general funds at MSU Community Music School-Detroit (Detroit, MI) – matched
• $5,000 for staffing at Rock to the Future (Philadelphia, PA) – matched
• $5,000 for staffing at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (Ferguson, MO)

These twelve grantees were selected from among more than 955 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 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 the leading provider of historical information about the band Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net since 1994. A leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 326 grants, in all 50 states, totaling over $1,100,000. 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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