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 page of donor names from the past year. In honor of the season, we’ll list those names here. Thanks to the following friends who have lent their support from December 1, 2024 – December 1, 2025.
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 Richard Barnhart Estate
- Pisgah Banjo Company (Arnold Shultz Fund)
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, Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Benjamin Gilmore estate (Fletcher Bright grants, Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship, Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Laurie Greenberg (In honor of Joy Bartenstein, Gloria Belle Scholarship, Fletcher Bright Grant for Young Musicians, Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025, Bluegrass College Reception & Jam)
- Jim and Kathy Kortge (Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship)
- Howard Parker (The Mike Auldridge Memorial Scholarship)
- Mark Schuster (Fletcher Bright and Terry Baucom Education Grants, IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship, Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Susan Stephenson (Bill Breen Bluegrass Youth Education Fund)
- John & Trisha Tubbs (In memory of Joy Bartenstein, Arnold Shultz Fund, Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship, Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
Multi-Platinum ($5,000-$9,999)
- Anonymous donor (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Timothy P Connell (Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-grant sponsor)
- Donald Joseph DeSalvo (in honor of Peter Salovey’s board service)
- Eppes-Jefferson Foundation (Bluegrass Info Video 2026)
- The Relgalf Foundation, George Matthews
Platinum ($1,000-$4,999)
- Anonymous, Santa Cruz, California Community Foundation DAF Fund (Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Claire Armbruster & Jeff Koontz
- Keith Barnacastle, Turnberry Records (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Jerry Barush
- City of Big Stone Gap, Virginia and Blue HIghway (guitar raffle at Blue Highway Fest)
- Sam Blumenthal
- Dr. Richard Brown (Arnold Shultz Fund, Martin guitar for Strings for Dreams Bluegrass Raffle 2026)
- Nancy Cardwell
- David and Laura Cole, The Marguerite Cole Foundation
- Paolo Dettwiler (Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award – 2025 & 2026 sponsor)
- Mary Tyler Doub
- Malcolm Edwards
- Robert Forrester (Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship)
- Elizabeth (Lizzer) and Scott Graham (Fletcher Bright grants)
- Tom and Barb Laing
- John Marchi
- Doug and Pat Miller (Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship)
- Peter Salovey and Marta Elisa Moret
- Richard Spratt
- Alan Tompkins, Bluegrass Heritage Foundation
- Wendy and Tom Tyner (includes Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- John & Celia Young (includes Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship, Arnold Shultz Fund, Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Lee Zapis (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
Gold ($750-$999)
Silver ($500-$749)
- Darin and Brooke Aldridge (Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant, in memory of Joe Ackerman)
- Fred Bartenstein (Includes Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship, Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Kissy Black (includes Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Bluegrass for the Next Generation (Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship)
- Sam Blumenthal (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Richard Bowden (J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship)
- Bill Foster (Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Lucy B. Griffin (Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant for Young Musicians)
- Milton Harkey/ First Class Bluegrass, ATS Records (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Sierra Hull
- Bob Jeanin
- Otto Lipfert
- Ruth McLain
- Jana Mougin (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Neil Rosenberg (Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Matt Royles
- Ramona Sayler (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025, Arnold Shultz Fund, Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Fund)
- Maureen & Dave Staples (Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineering Scholarship)
- Wendy Tyner (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Dwight Worden (Arnold Shultz Fund)
Patron ($100-$499)
- Jean Barnes
- Jerry Barush
- Anni Beach (Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Robert Beggs
- Melissa Bettigole (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Lee Bidgood
- Dan Boner
- James Brittain
- Tom Brown (Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant)
- Elaine Claiborne (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Dudley Connell
- Darwin Davidson (Includes photography)
- Lee Michael Demsey (in memory of Laurie Demsey)
- Bill Foster
- Charmaine Gudgeon (Biscuits for Bluegrass 2025)
- Kimberly Handley
- Sandy Hatley, in memory of Joy Bartenstein
- David Hershey Webb
- James Hurster
- Lorraine Jordan
- Bill Knowlton
- Marianne Kovatch (in honor of Fred Bartenstein, Biscuits for Bluegrass)
- Maurice Lesses (Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Billie Lewis
- David Macemon
- Thomas Metkus, Metkus Family Giving
- Celia Millington-Wyckoff
- Mark Nash
- Randy Secrist
- Ronald Simms
- Delores Snyder
- Chris Stuart (Arnold Shultz Fund)
- Mike & Yvonne Tatar
- Hulit Taylor (Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineering Scholarship)
- Naomi Taylor
- William Veilette
- Peter Wernick
- Werter Willis
- The Wood Street Bloodhounds
- Bob Wright
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
- Milton Harkey
- 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
- John Young
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 2025 issue of The Cornerstone.
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