8 Popular Grants for Music Education Teachers

March 13, 2023

Music is an integral part of life, even for those who don’t play an instrument. Most music lovers even argue that music is essential to physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Despite the ample evidence supporting the benefits of music education, more schools require resources or even grants to continue music education for students.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for teachers to take back their music programs and provide students with the resources they need by utilizing grants for music education. While there are many music education grants to choose from, we’ve got a selection of the most popular for you to kickstart the application process!

You can use these grants to bring edtech tools like Soundtrap for Education to your classroom and get your students to access to the music education they deserve. Ready to get started? Let’s go!

What is a Grant Proposal?

A grant proposal is simply a document that outlines a project or program and your plan to achieve these goals. A well-written grant proposal will help you access the financial resources needed to enhance the educational experience for your students.

Learning to write a grant proposal will help you bring new technologies to the classroom and enrich the educational experience for all of your students. And to sweeten the deal, each grant you earn will make it easier for you to obtain other funding opportunities! Let’s discuss how grants for music education can support your efforts.

How Grants for Music Education Can Support Your Classroom

Most music teachers are aware that arts programs are the least likely to receive funding and the most likely to suffer from budget cuts. Recent surveys show that 1.3 million elementary school students currently don’t have access to music education. Meanwhile, middle and high schools often funnel their resources toward athletic and STEM programs. As a result, students need to take advantage of the many benefits of music education.

Studies show that students who took music classes perform significantly better in other subjects. Also, they often perform better on the verbal and math sections of the SAT and other standardized tests. Furthermore, students that can experiment with music at a young age improve language development more quickly than others.

You’re probably wondering, “If music education has so many benefits, then why are educational institutions cutting funding for their music programs to begin with?” We’re right there with you.

Most arguments against arts education come from the desire to focus on core subjects and increase test scores. Often, school administrators have to justify each of the extracurriculars offered to remain within budget. When budget cuts are made, and music education is pitted against athletics, parents and the administration choose the latter every time.

Fortunately, not all hope is lost. Many organizations help supplement music programs by offering grants. Grants for music education allow arts educators to connect with organizations that recognize the value of music education and help music programs stay in schools.

Although you may have to get creative with budgeting or how you’ll use your grants, getting funding for music education is a much more realistic goal than it was years ago. Today, DAWs can replace many instruments to help students learn about each instrument type, make lessons more exciting, and stay within the amount of funding secured through grants.

With Soundtrap for Education, students and teachers can look forward to immersive music education classes. All they’ll need is a smart device with an internet connection, and they can start making music anywhere.

The 8 Most Popular Grants for Music Education Teachers

Plenty of online search tools will help you find grants for music education, such as the Foundation Directory Online (FDO). Moreover, you can use this simple list to get started on the grant application process and increase music access in your school.

1. The National Endowment for the Arts

The NEA is an organization that supports a wide range of music education programs, which include music ensembles and early music programs. Their grant is available for all sizes of organizations that support music production, professional development, and more.

Before applying to the NEA grants for music education, you should know that this organization is keenly interested in innovative ways to improve music education accessibility. The NEA highly values diversity and inclusion, so you may receive funding for any music education program as long as they don’t exclude a particular group. Music educators may request funding ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

2. The CMA Foundation

Since 2006, the CMA Foundation has provided grants for music education to ensure that all students have access to a well-rounded music education. The CMA Foundation awards grants to organizations through data-informed decision-making to ensure that all children can create, connect, and collaborate through the power of music.

As music educators struggle to bear the weight of budget cuts and underfunded music programs, the CMA Foundation strives to ease this financial burden by supporting music educators. The CMA Foundation provides grants of up to $25,000.

3. Student Success and Academic Enrichment

Unlike the grants above, the Student Success and Academic Enrichment Grant Program (SSAE) is a government-funded opportunity to increase your resources as a music educator. This grant provides access to a well-rounded education for all students while fostering a healthy learning environment. Additionally, the SSAE is committed to providing personalized learning experiences using data and technology.

Once the SSAE funds are distributed to the states individually, each state is responsible for distributing the funds, and the Title I funding formula determines the allocation amount. Before you apply for this grant, take a moment to check the district allocations from your state department of education.

4. The Mockingbird Foundation

The Mockingbird Foundation provides several different funding opportunities for music education, including emergency-related grants, competitive grants, and tour-related grants. They’ve awarded over 2 million dollars to date, and your music education program could be next.

At the Mockingbird Foundation, grantors believe that music education is integral to each student’s well-being, so you’ll need to acknowledge benefits beyond that of music therapy. Furthermore, they’re most interested in funding unconventional niches and programs that provide a direct musical experience to children rather than performances. With this grant for music education, you can receive funding that ranges from $2,000 to $10,000.

5. The D’Addario Foundation

The D’Addario Foundation has been increasing access to music for children through community programs, scholarships, and grants for music education for 40+ years. They strive to reduce the impact of marginalization through the power of music. In doing so, they recognize that children who receive music education experience distinct cognitive and social benefits.

When applying for a grant through the D’Addario Foundation, consider that grantors at this organization view music education as essential to student development rather than one portion of their education experience. Additionally, they prefer to fund long-term music programs.

6. VH1 Save the Music Foundation

Created by MTV executive John Sykes, the VH1 Save the Music Foundation has been trying to provide students with music education since 1997. Sykes and his team have since created many programs to provide students with adequate music education, and Save the Music has helped over 2,000 schools establish their music programs.

Grants for music education from Save the Music are made to serve certain academic levels. For instance, if you teach students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade, applying for the Intro to Music Grant may be beneficial, which may award up to $22,000. For high school-aged students, there is the J. Dilla Tech Grant, which educates students on how technology is changing music.

7. The National Association for Music Education

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has existed since 1907. This organization operates at community, state, and national levels to provide students with high-quality music education. In the last three years, NAfME has awarded over $31 million towards student learning.

As part of its mission, AfMe’s grants for music education fund programs that provide students with instruments and other equipment. When you’re creating your grant proposal for this opportunity, it’s beneficial to emphasize the need for additional music equipment and other classroom supplies.

8. Holland’s Opus Foundation

You may have seen the Hollywood film Mr. Holland’s Opus from 1995, and that’s precisely how this grant got its name. For those unfamiliar with the film, it is about a music education instructor and his profound impact on his students. The composer of the film’s score started this foundation in 1996.

Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation strives to provide resources for schools that do not have access to equipment. Additionally, it supports improving the quality of and access to music education. This grant for music education prioritizes schools in low-income communities.

Earn Grants for Music Education with Soundtrap for Education

Soundtrap for Education is the ultimate audio production platform for students and teachers to create and edit audio recordings. Pupils and educators can easily tap into their artistic side with this intuitive audio platform. Soundtrap for Education facilitates a creative learning environment for every subject, regardless of the student’s age or experience level.

With Soundtrap for Education, students and teachers can collaborate with advanced cloud technology at any time or place. In addition, the platform comes equipped with a robust resource portal. The portal contains tutorials, an external curriculum, and lesson plans to complete the educational experience. To ensure privacy, teachers can keep collaboration safe and secure with invite-only groups in Soundtrap’s versatile digital environment.

If you’re ready to enhance your educational experience with an intuitive cloud-based audio production platform, start with Soundtrap for Education! And be sure to share this article with other teachers in your network to help spread the joy of learning through sound.