Mockingbird Foundation
/OVERVIEW: Founded and maintained by fans of the rock band Phish, the Mockingbird Foundation supports innovation in music education. It also provides monetary aid to schools whose music programs have suffered physical losses after disasters and schools in areas where the band Phish performs.
IP TAKE: The Mockingbird Foundation is a volunteer organization that raises money for music education. Its competitive grants support innovative music education at schools and nonprofits, while its emergency grants help music programs and departments at schools recovering from disasters or loss. The foundation also makes tour-related grants to schools in areas where the band Phish and its members perform. It has recently made a number of grants to improve virtual access to music education through the COVID-19 crisis.
Mockingbird accepts initial grant inquiries through an online inquiry form, and invites applicants to submit full proposals in April. Grantmaking is limited to the U.S. It’s approachable and relatively accessible, but you’ll have to be patient since this is a volunteer-run organization.
PROFILE: The Mockingbird Foundation was founded in 1996 by Craig DeLucia and some other fans of the rock band Phish to raise money for music education. Supported entirely with fan donations and run by volunteers, the foundation has no physical headquarters or salaried employees. It operates from the belief that direct experience with music can contribute to the general wellbeing of children and youth. Grantmaking emphasizes underserved populations and unconventional forms of music. This funder acknowledges that positive outcomes are not always measurable.
Grants for K-12 and Arts Education
The Mockingbird Foundation funds projects in three separate categories: competitive grants, emergency grants, and tour-related grants. Competitive grants are awarded to music programs at schools or nonprofit organizations through a selection process in which Mockingbird board members vote for projects based on their quality and innovation. Emergency grants aim to help music programs at schools that have suffered losses due to disasters such as flooding or fire, while tour-related grants are generally directed toward schools in communities where Phish or its members’ solo-projects perform. In 2020 and 2021, the foundation also made COVID-19 relief grants to improve access to music education during the coronavirus pandemic.
Important Grant Details:
The Mockingbird Foundation makes between $100,000 and $300,000 a year in grants ranging from $100 to $10,000. Grantmaking is limited to the U.S. Past grantees include public and private schools, music schools, after school programs and special education programs. A list of recent grantees is available on the foundation’s website.
The Mockingbird Foundation accepts grant inquiries via an online inquiry form at any time, and generally responds to these by January 15 of each year. If selected, applicants are invited to submit full proposals, which are due in April. General inquiries may be sent to the foundation’s executive director via email.
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