Applications for project grants awarded by the IBMA Foundation are due December 1, 2025. The Foundation awards project grants annually to nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) status or qualified governmental agencies such as public schools and colleges. Link to application form HERE.
To see the list of project grants awarded in 2025, dating back to 2011, go to this link.
Applications for Arnold Shultz Fund grants are due January 31, 2026. The Shultz Fund was established in 2020 by the IBMA Foundation and funded by donors to encourage participation in bluegrass music by people of color. People with racial/ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in bluegrass: Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous First People, Indigenous Pacific Islander, etc. Applicants may be individuals, schools, groups, organizations, or government entities. Priority will be given to programs, activities, or individuals that demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and serving diverse, underrepresented populations in bluegrass music.
Go to this link to read about the Shultz Fund grants awarded in 2025, plus those dating back to 2021.
Arnold Shultz (1886-1931) was a Black musician from western Kentucky. Best known as an extraordinary guitarist and fiddle player, Shultz often played with Bill Monroe’s fiddle-playing uncle, Pendleton (“Pen”) Vandiver. It was at these gigs that Monroe met Arnold Shultz and began to emulate his backup guitar style. Shultz was impressed enough with Monroe’s progress that he hired Monroe to play guitar with him at dances, thereby giving Monroe his first jobs as a professional musician. Monroe often credited Shultz with influencing his approach to playing music. Arnold Shultz was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame by the IBMA in 2025, in the “early contributions” category.
The deadline to apply for the next round of Arnold Shultz Fund grants is January 31, 2026. Qualified individual applicants may also inquire throughout the year about support on a case-by-case basis.
For information on applying for an Arnold Shultz Fund grant, becoming a sponsor of an IBMA Foundation Arnold Shultz Fund project or individual grant, or making a donation to the Arnold Shultz Fund, please visit bluegrassfoundation.org or email info@bluegrassfoundation.org.
Click here to download the application for Arnold Shultz Fund grants on your computer, fill it out, and then email it to info@bluegrassfoundation.org.
View the Arnold Shultz application video HERE.
RETURN to the October 2025 issue of The Cornerstone.
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