Andrew is proud to serve on the board of directors of The Mockingbird Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to music education for America’s youth.
June 2023:
The Mockingbird Foundation has announced nineteen (19) new grants totaling $144,158, the largest competitive disbursement in the Foundation’s history. Mockingbird, a nonprofit founded and run by volunteer Phish fans, has now disbursed 625 grants totaling more than $2.3M to support music education.
Mockingbird’s 28th set of competitive grants support the following programs at schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations in 15 states (AZ, CA, CO, GA, HI, IL, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NV, TX, VA, WA):
Austin Classical Guitar of Austin , TX – $5,000 for guitars for student classes in youth detention centers
Chief Leschi Schools of Puyallup, WA – $10,000 for drums for classes at 100% Native American school
Molasky Junior High School (though Clark County School District) of Las Vegas, NV – $9,858 for various instruments for the band, orchestra, & guitar programs at a public middle school
D.U.E.T. of Savannah, GA – $10,000 for training high school student musicians to teach K-8 students in underserved communities
Education Through Music-Los Angeles of Burbank, CA – $10,000 for training music teachers to teach weekly classes at two schools in South Central LA
Forkids, Inc. of Chesapeake, VA – $5,000 for instructor and instrument fees for two music programs to serve marginalized communities
Foundation For Hearing And Speech Resources of Chicago, IL – $6,400 for instruments and ASL lessons for teachers serving hearing impaired students in Chicago schools
Governor Morehead School For The Blind of Raleigh, NC – $8,800 for band instruments for a music program in a public school for visually impaired
Hana Arts of Hana, HI – $10,000 for staffing to deliver music classes to students in rural Hawaii
Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy of Independence, MO – $7,500 for instruments for a K-12 music program
Mid Atlantic Burn Camp of Clarksville, MD – $10,000 for instruments and equipment for music classes for youth burn survivors
National Blues Museum of St. Louis, MO – $6,000 for equipment for students to build and play their own guitars and amps
Opportunities Unlimited For The Blind of Ionia, MI – $5,000 for teacher of Braille and equipment at a school for visually impaired students
Rock To Recovery of Laguna, CA – $8,000 for staffing for music classes in substance recovery programs
Rosie’s House: A Music Academy For Children of Phoenix, AZ – $10,000 for instruments in a percussion program for underserved students
Rsu #56 Dirigo High School Music Program of Dixfield, ME – $5,200 for sheet music and MIDI keyboards for a rural public high school music program
San Marcos Middle School of San Marcos, CA – $4,400 for instruments and stools for a band at a public middle school
Silver Creek High School Education Foundation of Longmont, CO – $10,000 for drums for students with special needs and physical challenges in a high school band program
Texas School For The Blind And Visually Impaired of Austin, TX – $3,000 for mariachi instruments for a mariachi band program at a public school for the visually impaired
These nineteen grantees were selected from among 1217 initial applicants who requested a total of nearly $10 million, far beyond the Foundation’s resources. Due to such high demand, Mockingbird’s two-tiered online application process remains one of the most competitive in the nation. Each year, we are able to fund a slightly higher percentage of inquiries, making grants slightly less competitive, thanks to the tremendous generosity of fans. We hope that you will consider making a tax-deductible donation through the Foundation’s website at www.mbird.org so that we can continue to increase the percentage of applicants whom we are ultimately able to fund.
The Mockingbird Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has been operated entirely by volunteer fans, with no office, salaries, or paid staff, since its inception in 1996. Mockingbird is now a leading provider of historical information about the band Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net since 1994. Also a leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 625 grants, in all 50 states, totaling $2,325,395.40. Proceeds are generated by celebrating the music of Phish through books, recordings, art, donations, and special events, including the upcoming Eighth Annual Runaway Open golf tournament in Denver.