The Meredith Willson Awards will provide significant, multi-year, general operating support to vibrant national programs and organizations using music to achieve systemic change.
Donor Name: Music Man Foundation
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 01/24/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Eligible organizations will have three years of experience conducting programming with a national focus, and an intentional presence in at least three U.S. states or territories. Organizations conducting programming with a national focus that also conduct programming with a local/community focus are eligible. If awarded, grant funds will be restricted for nationally-focused programming only.
The Meredith Willson Awards grant process seeks to understand an organization’s strategic approach to making a lasting impact at the systemic level. The Foundation recognizes that systems change is a long-term effort that requires collaboration.
Award Information
The Music Man Foundation anticipates awarding grants to 3 to 8 organizations in 2025. Grants between $100,000 – $1,000,000 will be paid over a two-year period to support general operating expenses for national organizations and programs. Grant funds must be allocated by December 31, 2027.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to be considered for funding, an organization must:
- Be a non-profit organization with IRS-determined 501 (c)(3) status since January 2022 or before.
- Be a national program or organization, defined by having programming that spans at least three states and/or U.S. territories. The efforts in selected states and/or territories must be intentional and in line with the organization’s strategic plan(s).
- Touring productions with performances in three or more states and/or territories do not meet this eligibility requirement.
- Camps held in a single location that attract participants from three or more states and/or territories do not meet this eligibility requirement.
- Have been conducting programming utilizing music since January 2022 or before.
- Have had at least one paid employee dedicated to national music programming (part-time or full-time) since January 1, 2024 or before. Contractors may not fulfill the employee eligibility requirement.
- For organizations that have previously received a grant from The Music Man Foundation, the organization must be in good standing with the Foundation.
- Not have a structural deficit.
Other Eligibility Information
- Fiscally sponsored organizations are not eligible to apply.
- Recipients of either a 2024 Southern California Meredith Willson Award or a 2024 Strengthening the Sector grant are not eligible to apply.
Selection Criteria
Leadership Letters are evaluated using the Systems Change and Organizational Vibrance criteria. Applications are evaluated using all the criteria listed below.
- Systems Change: The organization identifies the system it seeks to shift, demonstrates a thorough understanding of the system it aims to impact and why it is well-positioned to drive this change.
- Organizational Vibrance: The organization articulates how music programs are central to the mission and all programming; a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion across the organization is evident; and the financial requirements are submitted in line with Leadership Letter instructions.
- Collaborations and Partnerships: The organization’s partnerships reflect intentional efforts to be a leader in influencing system dynamics and demonstrate that the organization understands the complexities around the system through its partnership selection.
- Impact: The organization has achievements that have impacted the system, understands the next steps needed to continue making progress, and has the capacity to collect relevant data. Intentionality in program design and participant selection must be evident.
For more information, visit The Music Man Foundation.
