Reference Guide for Musicians

If you are an individual in the field of music and are looking for information on grants, this reference guide will help you in your search. We have selected a few of the most important print and electronic resources for you to begin your search.

Because most private foundations make grants only to incorporated nonprofit organizations, individual grantseekers must follow a different funding path than organizations with tax-exempt status. Some private foundations currently offer support for individual projects; it is up to you to determine which foundations might be interested in your particular subject area or project.

The Foundation Center has identified a range of materials useful to musicians seeking funding for the support of their own creative pursuits. Feel free to refer to them, read introductions, scan indexes, and think of all the subjects and terms by which you can identify your project. A knowledge of support available from local music and arts organizations will also be to your benefit. You need to be both creative and flexible in your approach to seeking funding.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of grantseeking, you may want to start with the Individual Grantseekers area of the Foundation Center's web site. Here, you will also be able to access Foundation Center Worksheets for individual projects, which help you develop a statement of purpose and funding and affiliations profiles.

Information on proposal writing for individual grantseekers can be found in our FAQ "Where can I find information on proposal writing for individual grantseekers?".

Electronic Resources for Musicians

Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (http://gtionline.foundationcenter.org/)
The Foundation Center's online database of more than 7,000 grantmakers that provide support to individuals. Available at a low monthly subscription rate.

American Music Center (http://www.amc.net)
Resource center for American contemporary music and jazz. Administers grant programs, and provides information on grants and competitions for composers and performers.

ASCAP Foundation (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) (http://www.ascapfoundation.org/)
Lists prizes and awards to composers in various areas of music.

BMI Foundation (http://www.bmifoundation.org)
Describes awards, scholarships, internships, and fund programs established to encourage young composers and support the work of accomplished concert-music composers in such areas as classical music, jazz, and musical theater.

Grammy Foundation (http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Foundation/)
Provides information on grants that support the archiving and preserving of the music and recorded sound heritage of the Americas.

Michigan State University Libraries - Grants for Individuals: Music (http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3music.htm)
A comprehensive listing of funding opportunities including web sites, databases, books, and announcments.

National Endowment for the Arts (http://arts.endow.gov/grants/index.html)
Provides information on grants that support music performances, residencies and festivals.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) - For Artists (http://www.nyfa.org/level1.asp?id=1)
Provides information on fellowships and fiscal sponsorship for artists, including NYFA Source a national database of awards, services, and publications for artists of all disciplines. Free registration is required.

Recommended Books for Individual Musicians

Edelson, Phyllis, ed. Foundation Grants to Individuals. New York, NY: The Foundation Center, annual. Profiles more than 7,000 foundation programs that make grants to individuals for education, arts and culture, general welfare, and more.

Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources. . Medford, NJ: Information Today, annual. Describes over 3,500 grant programs in all subjects. Covers government, public and private foundation, corporate, association and other special interest support programs.

Directory of Grants in the Humanities . Westport, CT: Oryx Press, 2005. Over 3,700 funding programs by foundations, federal and state government agencies, corporations, professional organizations and associations, some of which support film and video productions.

Jentsch, Chris and Christopher Michael, comps. Opportunities in New Music. 10th ed. New York, NY: American Music Center, 2002. A listing of ongoing American and foreign competitions, grants, commissioning programs, workshops, calls for scores, and artist colonies. Describes opportunities for performers, both individuals and ensembles, in the fields of jazz and contemporary concert music. Entries give contact information.

Musical America Worldwide. East Windsor, NJ: Commonwealth Business Media, Inc., annual. Includes a listing of North American and international contests, foundations, and awards in the fields of music and performing arts. Entries provide name of contest, foundation or award; chief officer(s); fax, cable, and/or telex; address and phone number; frequency; purpose; eligibility; prizes; deadline; competition dates; and entrance fee.

Sova, Kathy, et al. Dramatists Sourcebook: Complete Opportunities for Playwrights, Translators, Composers, Lyricists and Librettists. . New York, NY: Theatre Communications Group, 2006. Contains a "Fellowships and Grants" section listing foundations and organizations that offer funding to playwrights, composers, translators, librettists, and lyricists. Notes guidelines, application procedures, deadlines, remuneration, and frequency of these funding sources. Includes a listing of sources of emergency funds for writers in severe temporary financial difficulties, the addresses and phone numbers of state arts agencies, and artists colonies and residencies.

Webster, Valerie J., ed. Awards, Honors & Prizes. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, annual. Directory containing information on more than 22,500 organizations and awards recognizing achivement in all fields including music.

For other articles and books for musicians, composers and performers, check under the subject headings "Music--directories", "Performing arts--directories", or "Individual grants and grantseekers" in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

For Individuals with Fiscal Sponsorship

Musicians that have established a fiscal sponsorship arrangement should use the Center's Foundation Directory Online or Grants for Arts, Culture, and the Humanities to look for potential funders.