By Nancy Cardwell
As a child when all my friends were so excited about toys and Christmas gifts Santa might bring, my mother taught me that the real meaning of the holiday season was the joy found in “the spirit of giving” – the simple fact that it is often more blessed to give than to receive.
At the end of each monthly issue of The Cornerstone there’s a link to a list of donor names from the past year. In honor of the season, those who have supported the future of bluegrass music with a donation to the IBMA Foundation and the spirit of giving, we’ll list the list in entirety this month. Thanks to the following friends who have lent their support from December 1, 2023 – December 1, 2024. If you would like to add your name to the list, click here to donate online or contact us at IBMA Foundation, 1183 University Drive 105-215, Burlington, NC 27215.
Benefactor (lifetime gifts of $100,000+)
Anonymous estate gift
The Pisgah Banjo Company (Arnold Shultz Fund)
The Richard Barnhart Estate
Angel ($10,000+)
Cindy Baucom (Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant)
Katy Daley and Bill Brown (Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship, Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship, IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship)
The Faraway Foundation
Benjamin Gilmore estate (Fletcher Bright grants, Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship, Arnold Shultz Fund)
Jim and Kathy Kortge (Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship)
Howard Parker (The Mike Auldridge Memorial Scholarship)
The Relgalf Foundation, George Matthews
Mark Schuster (includes donations to Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant, IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship, and Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant for Young Musicians)
Multi-Platinum ($5,000-$9,999)
Eppes-Jefferson Foundation (Emcee Masterclass seminar, Demystifying Grant Writing webinar)
Laurie Greenberg (in honor of Fred Bartenstein, includes Gloria Belle Scholarship, Fletcher Bright Grant for Young Musicians, IBMA)
John and Trisha Tubbs (in honor of Fred Bartenstein, including IBMA Foundation, Arnold Shultz Fund, and Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar sponsor 2023)
Platinum ($1,000-$4,999)
Fred & Joy Bartenstein (includes Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship, Arnold Shultz Fund)
Jerry Barush
Town of Big Stone Gap and Blue Highway, Virginia (guitar raffle at Blue Highway Fest)
Sam Blumenthal
Dr. Richard Brown (Arnold Shultz Fund)
David and Laura Cole, The Marguerite Cole Foundation
Timothy P. Connell (Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-grant sponsor)
Paolo Dettwiler (Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award, 2025 sponsor)
Dan Dorschel
Malcolm Edwards
Robert Forrester (Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship)
Elizabeth (Lizzer) and Scott Graham (Fletcher Bright grants)
Tom and Barb Laing
John Marchi (in-kind instrument donation for 2025 Strings for Dreams Bluegrass Raffle)
Doug and Pat Miller (Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship)
The PayPal Giving Fund
Peter Salovey and Marta Elisa Moret (includes a donation in honor of Fred Bartenstein)
Richard Spratt
Alan Tompkins, Bluegrass Heritage Foundation
Wendy and Tom Tyner (in honor of Fred Bartenstein)
John Young (includes Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship and Arnold Shultz Fund, in honor of Fred Bartenstein)
Gold ($750-$999)
Silver ($500-$749)
Darin and Brooke Aldridge (Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant, in memory of Joe Ackerman)
Kissy Black (includes Arnold Shultz Fund)
Bluegrass for the Next Generation (Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship)
Richard Bowden (J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship)
Nancy Cardwell (In honor of Fred Bartenstein, Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship, Gloria Belle Scholarship, Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant for Young Musicians)
Leila Finn (banjo donation)
Bill Foster (Arnold Shultz Fund)
Charles Gershman (in honor of Peter Salovey)
Gail Ginter
Lucy B. Griffin (Fletcher Bright grants)
Bob Jeannin
Ruth McLain
Neil Rosenberg (Arnold Shultz Fund)
Maureen & Dave Staples (Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineering Scholarship)
Janelle Whitefield
Dwight Worden (Arnold Shultz Fund)
Patron ($100-$499)
M. Alson (in member of Gerry Higbie)
Ann G. Beach (IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship, in memory of George H. Wilson)
Anni Beach (Arnold Shultz Fund)
Robert Beggs
Laura Boosinger
Dan Boner
Gloria Boyd
James Brittain
Phyllis Bryant
Karin Calvert
Kyle Cantrell, BanjoRadio.com
Cynthia Clark (youth bluegrass education, in memory of Gerry Higbie)
Garnet Davis (Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship)
Lee Michael Demsey, in memory of Laurie Demsey
Barbara Eldridge, in memory of Ben Eldridge (Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineer Scholarship)
Carolyn Farwell, in memory of Carl Grooms
Claudia Ferguson (in memory of Gerry Higbie)
Kathleen Fjermedal (in memory of Gerry Higbie)
Elizabeth Grzanka (bluegrass youth education, in memory of Gerry Higbie)
Priscilla Guild
William Harrington (J.D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship)
Jane B. Harris (IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship, in memory of George H. Wilson)
William Helm (in memory of Gerry Higbie)
William Herrington (in memory of Gerry Higbie)
James Hurster
Bill Knowlton (Arnold Shultz Fund, in memory of Bill Vernon)
Gwen Koelemeyer (in memory of Dave Shattuck)
Marianne Kovatch (in honor of Fred Bartenstein)
Margaret LeDuff (in memory of Gerry Higbie)
Mary Jo Leet (Gloria Belle Scholarship)
Maurice Lesses
Jeff Long (in memory of Ben Eldridge)
David Macemon
Tom and Gail McGowen (in honor of Nancy Cardwell)
Thomas Metkus
Celia Millington-Wyckoff
Mark Nash
Jennifer Preston (Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship)
Elizabeth Rendon (Youth bluegrass education, in memory of Gerry Higbie)
Leah Ross (in honor of Nancy Cardwell)
Mike and Yvonne Tatar
Hulit Taylor (Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineering Scholarship)
Peter Thompson (Arnold Shultz Fund, Katy Daley Broadcast Media/ Sound Engineering Scholarship)
William Veilette
Werter Willis
Bob Wright
Lee Zapis (Arnold Shultz Fund)
Plus, many more donors in the $1-99 “Supporters” range. We appreciate you all!
Legacy Society – Our gratitude is also extended to the following members of our Legacy Society, who have included the Foundation in their estate planning and wills:
Anonymous (2)
The late Richard Barnhart
Fred Bartenstein
The late Harry Edwards
Leuk Friglink
The late Benjamin T. Gilmore
Laurie Greenberg
The late John Kaparakis
Tom Kopp
Penny Parsons
Joyce Shelleman
The late Barbara Bremmer Taylor
Tom Thorpe
Alan Tompkins
Trisha and John Tubbs
Bob Webster and Nancy Cardwell Webster
If we have accidentally left your name off the list or listed you in the wrong level, please email info@bluegrassfoundation.org and let us know.
RETURN to the December 2024 issue of The Cornerstone.
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