The IBMA Foundation helps individuals, organizations, foundations, and corporations work together in supporting the future of bluegrass music. In a nation and a world that is divided in so many ways, music can unite and heal us. Explore this website and learn about the interesting and important ways the IBMA Foundation is working to make a difference, with people just like you. Through grant-making, philanthropy and planned giving, we can make the world a better place by sharing bluegrass with future generations. Come join us!
As 2023 draws to a close we are called to reflect on the year behind us. We are grateful for the experiences and opportunities throughout the year that strengthen our bluegrass family.
Help carry forward a spirit of gratitude from Giving Tuesday to the Year’s End so we can continue continue to aid those in need of assistance and sustain the programs and events that ensure our community thrives.
Your gift to our joint year-end fundraising campaign supports the work of the IBMA and helps transform and inspire the lives of those we serve. Your generous donation will be equally split between the IBMA, IBMA Trust Fund, and IBMA Foundation.
Emcee Masterclass (83 minutes), a part of the Bluegrass Stagecraft 101 series, is presented by the IBMA Foundation and IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass Alumni group. Moderated by award-winning broadcaster and emcee Katy Daley, presenters include event emcee/radio broadcaster Sherry Boyd, band emcee Dudley Connell (Seldom Scene, Johnson Mountain Boys), and band leader/broadcaster Chris Jones (Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Sirius XM). The webinar took place on November 8, 2023, and was sponsored by the Eppes-Jefferson Foundation. For info on the IBMA Foundation, visit bluegrassfoundation.org. And be sure to check out the other Bluegrass Stagecraft 101 educational videos on the IBMA Foundation YouTube channel!
Applications for Arnold Shultz Fund grants are due January 31, 2024. The Fund awarded a total of $29,000 in grants in 2023 for activities that increase participation in bluegrass music by people of color. Click HERE to download the application for Arnold Shultz Fund grants.
The IBMA Foundation awards project grants each year, usually in amounts between $1,000 and $2,500. The deadline to apply is December 1. Projects must align with the Foundation’s mission in one of the following areas: arts & culture, education, literary or academic programs, or history preservation. Click HERE for more info.
Congratulations to the 2023 college scholarship and Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award recipients!
Congratulations to five scholarship recipients!Apply for an IBMA Foundation Project Grant here, by December 1 2023.I feel fortunate to have grown up in a time and place where people were so supportive of those playing bluegrass music. Band members and fans became great friends. The IBMA Foundation is helping develop that same kind of music community now and for the future. The Foundation helps connect resources to programs and activities that involve our next generation of musicians. I am glad to partner with the Foundation by being a board member, donor and supporter! The IBMA Foundation is a great place to make a difference.
I know first-hand what great work the IBMA Foundation does because I was a board member for a number of years. There’s not an organization anywhere that makes a bigger investment in the future of bluegrass music by supporting educational programs.
I choose to support the IBMA Foundation—and the Arnold Shultz Fund, in particular—because I believe that it’s important to continue investing in the future of this music and to deliberately cultivate opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color musicians to reclaim ownership over the traditions we hold dear. As a bluegrass educator, I believe that cultural sustainability is paramount, and that means that we need to do everything we can to make sure that bluegrass music is a safe and supportive environment for everyone, not just people who look like me.
I’ve been playing bluegrass since I discovered the San Diego Bluegrass Club as a 12-year-old. These days I wear several hats: co-founder of Compass Records, producer and, of course, banjo player. When I was learning to play, there were so many people who went out of their way to help me, from my biggest musical heroes to countless parking lot pickers. The “play it forward” spirit of our community is one of its great treasures and it is a privilege for me to be able to help up-and-coming players. Building community is key to the future of bluegrass music. What better way to do that than to support those who will play the music forward, through the 21st century and beyond?
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Join the street team working together to create a brighter future for bluegrass.
Anyone willing to share information with friends and colleagues about IBMA Foundation-hosted scholarships, grants, and programs is WELCOME to sign up as a “Friend of the Foundation” and use the logo above. Fill out the form below to request a free brochure, sticker, and magnet.
Please display the Friend of the Foundation logo on your websites, social media pages, marketing messages, liner notes, and fliers.
The Friends of the Foundation group is open to all individuals, companies, and organizations interested in helping bluegrass music grow, sharing it with future generations and new audiences around the world. CLICK HERE to read about ways you could help as a Friend of the Foundation.
Click Here to be a Friend of the Foundation
The IBMA Foundation
1183 University Drive #105-215
Burlington, NC 27215
615.260.4807