February Message from Nancy Cardwell

Here’s a February Valentine for you! Thanks so much for everything you do to create, support, and share bluegrass music with the world. A special thanks to those who have made donations to one of the many IBMA Foundation grant programs, scholarships, and other work to help make the future of bluegrass brighter for future generations, and to those who made a donation to the IBMA Foundation at the end of 2022. If you’re still looking for a way to get involved and help, here are some ideas:

$500 – pays for a live, educational presentation of bluegrass music for students at a school through our Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-Grant program.

$500- $1,000 pays for a Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant for Young Musicians (age 21 and younger), to help with the expense of lessons, camps, workshops, educational materials and instrument repair.

$500- $1,000 pays for an individual Arnold Shultz Fund grant to help a person of color with educational expenses like lessons, workshops, camps, instrument repair, etc.

$1,000 honors the work of the scholar who presents the best academic paper on bluegrass music during the current year, with the Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award

$1,000 sponsors the annual gathering of bluegrass college educators at World of Bluegrass in Raleigh or the Bluegrass College Info Session that spotlights bluegrass programs at colleges and universities, plus some live music from student bands.

$1,000 – $2,000 supports an Arnold Shultz Fund grant to encourage participation in bluegrass music by people of color.

$1000 – $2,000 pays for one of our flagship IBMA Foundation project grants, supporting a bluegrass-related program or initiative in the areas of education, arts and culture, literary and academic events, and historic preservation. An article in this newsletter announces the 2023 project grant recipients.

$1,000 – $2,500 supports a scholarship for a female bluegrass musician, a bluegrass songwriter, an individual studying broadcasting or sound engineering, or a college student majoring or minoring in a bluegrass-related field or who performs in a bluegrass ensemble.

$1,200 sponsors the annual Bluegrass College Educators Luncheon at World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC.

$2,500 sponsors a reception for grant, scholarship, and award recipients for the year during World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC.

A gift of any amount is welcome for the programs listed above, or simply to be used “where needed most.” We’ll also be happy to speak with you about donations of stocks, contributions to the IBMA Foundation’s permanent endowments, or your estate plans.

RETURN to the Feb. 1, 2023 issue of The Cornerstone.