Overview
Strengthening the Sector grants will provide initiative-based support to organizations catalyzing policy change through advocacy efforts.
Organizations that are well-aligned with this advocacy grant 1) have well-structured advocacy initiative(s) that are designed to address a field need, 2) can explain why this initiative is a priority for the field, 3) promote equitable access to the arts, and 4) are able to cite advocacy achievements, including progress with policy work.
Organizations with either new or existing advocacy initiatives may be eligible.
While we observe many organizations act as advocates for their program participants, this grant opportunity is meant to fund advocacy initiatives with a policy focus.
Examples of past recipients include:
* Create CA – advocating for high quality arts education statewide
* California for the Arts – advocating for policies that cultivate and promote thriving cultural sectors statewide
* Arts for LA – advocating for the creative sector in Los Angeles
* National Association for Music Education – advocating for music education nationally
* National Guild for Community Arts Education – advocacy initiatives and trainings to engage membership in policy work
Defining Advocacy
Advocacy is educating or taking action to influence public opinion and public policies for a particular cause.
Grant Amount and Duration
Strengthening the Sector grants range in amount and will not exceed $250,000 granted to an organization in a 12-month period. Grants will provide one-time funding without any commitment by The Music Man Foundation to provide additional funding in the future. Recipient organizations may reapply.
If the organization’s proposed initiative is multi-year in scope, the Foundation may consider up to 24 months of support.
General Operating Support
Advocacy organizations whose efforts are entirely dedicated to advocacy may apply for general operating support. This will be determined after the Organizational Interview.
Submission Instructions
Before being provided access to the application, an interested organization must:
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- Successfully verify its eligibility by taking the Eligibility Quiz.
- Submit a brief overview of the initiative for which the organization seeks funding. If the Initiative Overview is in line with this grant opportunity, the organization will be invited to participate in an Organizational Interview.
- Complete an Organizational Interview with Foundation staff.
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All submissions must be completed in the Foundation’s online grant portal. To begin the submission process, you may access the grant portal via the link located at the bottom of this webpage.
Timeline
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- May 1, 2025: Strengthening the Sector grant opportunity open for submissions.
- July 31, 2025 at 5pm PT: Deadline for organizations to verify eligibility and submit an Initiative Overview.
- August 12, 2025 at 5pm PT: Deadline for Organizational Interviews to be conducted.
- September 12, 2025 at 5pm PT: Deadline for Applications to be submitted.
- November 2025: Grant recipients are announced.
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We cannot accommodate extensions to these deadlines.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to be considered for funding, the organization must:
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- Reflect music and the arts within the organization’s efforts,
- Operate as a non-profit organization,
- Have been conducting mission-aligned programming since January 2023 or before,
- Have had at least one paid employee since January 2024 or before (contractors do not fulfill this employment eligibility requirement),
- Have a service jurisdiction that includes either Los Angeles County, California (statewide), or the United States of America (nationwide). Initiatives focused on a state that is not California or a single California County that is not Los Angeles will not be eligible, and
- Be financially stable.
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Other Eligibility Information
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- For organizations that have previously received a grant from The Music Man Foundation, the organization must be in good standing with the Foundation in order to be eligible.
- If your organization currently has a grant from The Music Man Foundation, the grant timeline must end on or before December 31, 2025 in order to be eligible to reapply.
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Application
The application will include:
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- An executive summary.
- A narrative portion that provides details about the proposed initiative, including its importance to the organization and the field, how the initiative can demonstrate impact through its data collection, essential partnerships, and timeline.
- A financial section that includes an initiative budget, two years of organizational budgets, and audited financial statements for the most recent fiscal year.
- If lobbying is part of the initiative, an allocated budget must be presented with lobbying and non-lobbying activities.
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Selection Criteria
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- Advocacy is central to the submission.
- Policy-focused efforts support music and the arts.
- The initiative is well-aligned with the organization’s other programs.
- The initiative is well-structured and thoughtful planning is evident.
- The organization demonstrates field-wide understanding as to why this advocacy initiative is needed, and how it has the potential to impact policy.
- The timeline for activities and details regarding participants clearly demonstrate how programming supports the organization’s advocacy goals.
- The organization demonstrates capacity to collect relevant data around the initiative’s impact.
- The organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident.
- The organization’s selected partners demonstrate an understanding about the complexities of the initiative’s efforts.
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Questions
Organizations whose work aligns with The Music Man Foundation’s interests should be in touch via email at [email protected].
Instructions for Using the Foundation’s Grant Portal
For details about setting up your organization’s account and for additional tips on how to successfully submit the Strengthening the Sector application, please find instructions here.