Funding
When seeking funding, a good first step is to visit your local Foundation Center or state arts council office. They can help you locate a variety of funding sources, depending on the nature of your project. Below are several specific funding sources to consider.
| ORGANIZATION | FUNDS |
|---|---|
| Aaron Copland Fund | Music recording, performers, organizations |
| American Composers Forum | Composer assistance, music for dance |
| American Folklife Center (LC) | Ethnographic projects |
| American Music Center | Composer assistance, live for music dance program |
| American Music Education Initiative | Teachers of K-12 programs |
| American Musicological Society | Awards and travel Grants |
| American Musicological Society | Subvention for publications |
| American Society for Composers, Authors, and Publishers | Foundation grant and award programs |
| American String Teachers Association | Competitions, outreach funding for string players |
| American Symphony Orchestra League | Orchestral funding |
| Arnold Schoenberg Center | Research grants |
| Association for Recorded Sound CollectionsResearch | Research and travel Grants |
| Association of Hispanic Arts | Grants for visual and performing arts (regional) |
| Beebe Fund for Musicians | Study abroad funding for performers and composers |
| BMI Foundation | Awards, scholarships, internships, funds |
| Bogliasco Fellowship Program | Creative and scholarly work |
| Center for Black Music Research | Travel-to-the-collections grants |
| Center for the Promotion of Contemporary Composers | Composers |
| Classics for Kids Foundation | String programs for children |
| Creative Capital Foundation | Writings about the arts |
| Dena Epstein Award | Archival and library research in American music |
| Disney's The Music in You School Grant Program | Promoting scientific research on benefits of music |
| Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts | Scholarships & internships |
| Electronic Music Foundation | Grants, fellowships, residencies, commissions |
| Foundation Center | Reference guide for musicians |
| French American Fund for Contemporary Music | Fosters cultural exchange between France and USA |
| Fulbright Foundation | International educational and cultural exchange |
| Harmony Foundation Grants | Scholarships, young singers |
| Jerome Foundation Grants Program | Non-profit arts organizations |
| Kurt Weill Foundation | Research, travel, study |
| Library of Congress Felllowships | Internships, fellowships |
| Mockingbird Foundation | Funding for Children's Music Education Programs |
| Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation | Instruments for K-12 schools |
| Music Alive | Composers and new music projects |
| Music and Letters | Grants |
| Music Library Association | Awards and Grants |
| Music Performance Fund | Sponsors free concerts |
| Musical Online | Links to grants and other resourses |
| MusiCares Foundation | Grants for scientific research relating to music, archiving |
| Musicians Foundation | Provides emergency financial assistance |
| MusicLeader.net | Education, training |
| Nakamichi Foundation--Grants Program | Underwrites classical performances |
| National Association for Music Education | List of grants |
| National Association of Teachers of Singing | Composers, singers |
| National Endowment for the Arts | Grants |
| National Endowment for the Arts | Grants for performers, organizations |
| National Federation of Music Clubs | Student awards |
| National Humanities Center | Fellowships for advanced study |
| New York Foundation for the Arts | Opportunities for artists |
| NYFA Source | National directory of funding sources |
| Presbyterian Association of Musicians | Seed money grants |
| Reading, Writing, and Rhythm: The Chely Wright Foundation | Donates money for instruments in public schools |
| Rockefeller Foundation | Grants |
| Sinfonia Educational Foundation | Research assistance grants |
| Society for American Music | Funding for costs of publication |
| Society for Music Theory Publication Subvention Grants | Awards for music theory publications |
| Spencer Foundation Grants Program | education |
| Sphinx Organization Competition for Young Black and Latino Players | String players |
| The American-Scandinavian Foundation | Singers |
| VH1 Save the Music Foundation | Music education programs |
| Virgil Thompson Foundation | Organizations to promote serious music |
Selection Criteria
In order for a funding source to be represented here, it should:
- Be open to a national or international pool of musician-applicants.
- Be offered on a regular basis (rather than a one time opporunity).
- Not be a scholarship.
To submit a funding source (that meets these conditions) for possible inclusion, please let us know.