Colburn Foundation

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OVERVIEW: Endowed by the late Richard D. Colburn, the Colburn Foundation supports classical music performance and education, working mainly in Southern California. 

IP TAKE: This foundation mostly limits its grantmaking to the classical music scene in Southern California. However, it gives to organizations of a broad range of sizes, including small ensembles and music schools. Colburn does not accept proposals, but if you feel your organization is a good fit here, reach out to the foundation’s administrator for a discussion about opportunities.

PROFILE: The Colburn Foundation was endowed in 1999 by the late Richard D. Colburn, who steered Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED). The foundation’s mission is “to encourage the education and performance of classical music, and to preserve the classical music genre, i.e., works composed in the 17th to early 20th century.” Grantmaking is mainly limited to Los Angles and its surrounding areas.

Grants for Music and Arts Education

Classical music performance and education is the Colburn Foundation’s main giving focus, and Los Angeles is its geographic priority. The foundation’s largest grantee each year is the affiliated Colburn School, a performing arts school in Los Angeles that serves as a high school for serious musicians and dancers and also awards bachelors and masters degrees in music. The Colburn School typically receives as much as $4 million from the foundation each year. Other substantial grants, ranging from $70,000 to about $900,000, support large, well-known music organizations in Los Angeles, including the Los Angeles Opera, the Los Angels Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Da Camera Society. Smaller grants tend to go to community music organizations and music education in the Los Angeles area. Grantees include the American Youth Symphony of El Segundo, the Long Beach Opera, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and Delerium Musicum, “a self-conducted chamber orchestra dedicated to providing impassioned and engaging musical performances that deeply connect the audience to the musicians.”

Only a few grants support organizations outside of Southern California. These have included Young Concert Artists of New York City, Philadelphia’s Marlboro School of Music and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Grants for Higher Education

The Colburn Foundation also supports music education at colleges and universities in California and elsewhere. Tax filings reveal ongoing support to UCLA. Other California grantees include California State University at Northridge, the California Institute of the Arts, Occidental College and the University of Southern California. In New York City, the New School has also received grants.

Important Grant Details:

With the exception of its multi-million dollar yearly grants to the Colburn School, this funder’s grants range from $1,000 to about $950,000.

  • Grantmaking is mainly limited to organizations involved in classical music performance and education.

  • Los Angeles is the foundation’s primary grantmaking site.

  • Music organizations of all sizes have received grants, with the largest grants going to larger and better-known outfits.

  • For additional information about past giving, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.

  • This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals, but relevant organizations may reach out to the foundation’s administrator, Carol Rinn, via email at crinn@colburnfoundation.org “to determine the suitability of the intended request.”

Submit general inquiries to the foundation via email at crinn@colburnfoundation.org or telephone at (818) 399-4427.

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