The D’Addario Foundation is steadfast in its commitment to supporting independent not-for-profits that are bringing back access to music in schools and communities where it does not exist.
“We know firsthand that long-lasting, immersive, communal music education is a radical way to combat social-emotional issues and help children in difficult circumstances, who are already at a deficit, to really rise up and overcome,” Suzanne D’Addario Brouder says, director of the D’Addario Foundation.
The D’Addario Foundation just completed their rigorous grant application review process for the second time this year, having received a record number of proposals. Of the total applications, 116 organizations received very exciting news – D’Addario committed over $237,000 in monetary and product support to programs in 35 out of the 50 United States, bringing the total for the year to over $480,000 for 2017.
Focused on providing assistance to organizations in the early stages of development, a grant from the D’Addario Foundation brings a level of credibility to these community-based programs and gives them critical leverage to acquire other forms of support. The D’Addario Foundation chooses organizations they feel best exemplify the virtues of producing quality, immersive, sustainable music education programs. Many programs attribute their success to obtaining a grant from the D’Addario Foundation in their early years.
Some of the programs the D’Addario Foundation has awarded a grant to for the first time include; A Child’s Song (Colorado), Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula (California), Eastman School of Music RocMusic (New York), Lone Star Youth Orchestra (Texas), Love, Light and Melody (International), and Price Hill Will – MYCincinnati (Ohio). Continued support was awarded to many programs, including those which the D’Addario Foundation consider their premier partners; Education through Music (New York), the People’s Music School (Chicago), OrchKids (Baltimore), Austin Classical Guitar (Texas), Bloomingdale School of Music (New York), and Soundscapes (Virginia).
“Nurturing many of these organizations for a number of years now, we are seeing incredible outcomes for the children participating such as improved academic performance and achievements, higher graduation rates, and students applying to and attending college, many of whom live in neighborhoods where graduation rates hover at 50%,” Suzanne D’Addario Brouder explains.
Being selected to receive a grant award from the D’Addario Foundation does not come easy – applicants must clearly illustrate important elements for success, namely strong leadership, establishment of need, affordability and intensity of programming, plans for sustainability and growth, and economically sound budgets. Organizations applying for continued support must set goals as well as report measurable outcomes or progress towards those outcomes, as they are critically reviewed on an annual basis. Benchmarks include retention, expansion, sustainability, organizational improvements, academic impact assessments and graduation statistics to name a few.
For more information, visit www.daddariofoundation.org
