The Blues Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Blues Foundation supports music and arts education around its home base of Memphis, Tennessee and throughout the world.
IP TAKE: While its funding and support is laser focused on helping Blues musicians and increasing access to Blues music and culture, it is by and large an accessible funder for grantseekers working in this space. This funder prioritizes support for individuals over organizations, especially with its two emergency relief programs. It funds nationally and works with both aspiring musicians and established professionals. It’s also approachable, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
PROFILE: Established in 1980, The Blues Foundation is a music-focused foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. Joe Savarin was the founder of this foundation and its first executive director. The foundation presented the first National Blues Awards and has since grown to have an international membership of more than 4,000 people and organizations. The Blues Foundation “preserves blues heritage, celebrates blues recording and performance, expands worldwide awareness of the blues and ensures the future of the uniquely American art form.” Funding comes from membership dues, private donations, corporate sponsorships, private foundation grants, government agencies and art organizations. The foundation has a staff of around 100 blues music experts that administer the awards by selecting five nominees in 25 categories that are voted on by foundation members. In addition to these annual awards, the foundation has also offered emergency relief grants during urgent times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grants for Music
The Blues Foundation has two programs focused on supporting blues musicians, their families, and non-performing members of the Blues community. It also funds an emergency COVID relief program to help musicians survive the pandemic.
The Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) is an award that recognizes “individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Blues world.” This is separate from the Blues Music Awards, which acknowledges the best blues performance and recording from the previous year. KBA awards go to non-performers and are given based on merit as decided by a panel of Blues professionals. They recognize a lifetime of work to increase access, exposure, and appreciation of the Blues. The award is nomination only.
The HART Fund (which stands for Handy Artists Relief Trust) supports struggling Blues musicians and their families who are in need because of health concerns and medical and dental expenses. It will also help to cover funeral and burial expenses. Support is available online and applicants can request funding at bluesmembership@blues.org. In-need musicians can also receive free health screenings at events throughout the year; provided services include “checking blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, prostate cancer, Hep C, anemia, thyroid, kidney and liver testing via blood work.”
As its name suggests, the COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund supports Blues musicians who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the foundation’s program page, the fund has “assisted over 250 blues musicians by distributing approximately $284,500 in direct grants which included $166,500 in mortgage/rent payments, $50,000 in utilities and another $50,000 in telephone payments, and nearly $18,000 in car payments.” Musicians in need of emergency funding can contact LaTasha Nathaniel at latasha@blues.org.
Grants for Arts Education
In addition to grants for music and musicians, the Blues Foundation also supports programs that put the music—specifically the Blues—in schools. It also awards scholarships to help aspiring Blues musicians study and learn their craft.
The Blues in Schools program “offers the opportunity for students of all ages to engage in multidisciplinary, whole-language learning using the study of music, math, language arts, history, anthropology, and sociology in a hands-on approach celebrating creative self-expression.” Blues in Schools is not a grantmaking program. Instead, it works with educators to develop curriculum rooted in Blues music and history, particularly related to breaking down racial barriers and opening dialogue about cultural diversity. The program serves K-12 students and is tailored to the age of the students served. Possible iterations of the program include assemblies, workshops, or artists in residency.
The Generation Blues scholarship program works to “provide financial assistance to aspiring young Blues musicians whose limited financial resources might prohibit them from attending a Blues music learning opportunity.” Applicants must be under the age of 21 and are required to join the Blues Foundation as a Youth Member. Applicants must also intend “to study their instrument of choice at reputable camps, seminars, and workshop programs in the United States and Canada.” Requests to fund individual lessons or tuition are not considered.
Important Grant Details:
The Blues Foundation accepts unsolicited requests for funding. Prospective grantees interested in its HART Fund and COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund are asked to contact the foundation directly. Students interested in its Generation Blues Scholarship should complete the application available on the foundation’s website.
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