Project Grants - IBMA Foundation
IBMA Foundation’s Project Grants support nonprofits and public agencies with bluegrass music projects in education, culture, scholarship, and preservation to address bluegrass community needs.
Funder: IBMA Foundation
Due Dates: December 1, 2026 (Mailed application postmark) | December 2, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Usually $1,000–$2,500; multi-year grants are generally not awarded
Summary: Supports bluegrass music projects in education, arts and culture, literary or academic programs, and history preservation.
Key Information: Grants generally go to 501(c)(3) nonprofits or qualified governmental agencies, with only one grant per entity per calendar year.
Description
The IBMA Foundation awards annual Project Grants for work that directly involves bluegrass music and addresses a priority need or opportunity facing the bluegrass community. Supported areas are education, arts and culture, literary or academic programs, and history preservation. Funding comes from the Bill Breen Bluegrass Youth Education Fund and unrestricted Foundation funds.
The program considers a project’s scope, audience, potential impact, and whether it duplicates an existing initiative. It also looks for broader diversity of participation, clearly identified and measurable outcomes, sound financial planning, and prospects for continued funding. Volunteer involvement, public participation, and collaboration with other organizations can demonstrate the broad community support the Foundation values.
