The Mockingbird Foundation
Competitive grants for music education
One-time grants of $100 to $10,000 for children's music education: instruments, materials, space and teachers. Open to nonprofit schools and groups, or a school with a 501(c)(3) sponsor.
- Amount
- $100 to $10,000, one time
- Can a for-profit school apply?
- No: for-profit schools excluded
- Deadline
- Jan 15, 2027 (102 days left)
- Who this fits
- Private school · Microschool · Homeschool co‑opNonprofit schools and nonprofit groups teaching music to children. A for-profit school or an unincorporated co-op would need a 501(c)(3) sponsoring agency.
- New schools
- Not stated for new schools
- Where
- National: schools in any US state
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026on mbird.org
Unconfirmed: check with the funder
We couldn’t confirm these on an official page. Treat them as open questions, not facts.
- Whether a fiscally sponsored for-profit microschool is a good fit: the Foundation says it can't answer questions about the likelihood of funding, so check its past recipients list.
How to apply
- Step 1: Read the full funding guidelines on the How to Apply page
- Step 2: Fill out the online Initial Inquiry Form by January 15, 2027 (no mail or email inquiries)
- Step 3: If invited in March, send a full proposal with proof of 501(c)(3) or sponsored status
Funders change their requirements. Check the official page before you apply. Getting ready? See what funders usually ask for.
Who can apply
“Grants are made only to nonprofit organizations with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3)… or which have a sponsoring agency with this status”
A for-profit school can only come in through a 501(c)(3) sponsoring agency (a fiscal sponsor). The Foundation says it does “not normally consider” grants for “programs that promote or engage in religious or political doctrine,” so a Christian school's music program should be about music, not doctrine. It funds instruments, texts, equipment, practice space and instructors, mostly for children 18 and under, and it's highly competitive (several dozen grants from about 1,000 inquiries).
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or a 501(c)(3) sponsoring agency
- Music education with children taking part (not music appreciation or music therapy alone)
- U.S. only
- One-time grant; not renewable
Timing
Round 32 inquiries are open now (they opened June 15) and close January 15, 2027. Invited full proposals are due in April; decisions come in mid-June 2027.