10 Music Organizations to Support this Holiday Season

As musicians, we’re all extremely grateful for the gift of music and recognize how valuable it can be. Here are 10 organizations that you can donate to in order to help support music, music education, and musicians across the nation and worldwide!

1. Give a Note Foundation

Founded in partnership with the National Association for Music Education (NaFME), Give A Note Foundation‘s mission is to strengthen music education opportunities for all students. The Give a Note Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that is strategically focused on developing partnerships with business leaders and decision-makers to provide the necessary resources to nurture new and existing music education programs.

Music education is a right of every student. Where you live shouldn't determine what you learn.

Give a Note Foundation’s newly-announced Music Teacher Notes program will provide year-round grant awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 for public school teachers in order to improve the music education experience of both teachers and students in their classrooms.

“ “[Give a Note Foundation’s] unique grant structure provides schools with direct financial assistance, so that each recipient program can use the funds for what they need most.

Whether supporting new classes, purchasing instruments, or providing risers for school concerts, every donation helps provide students the life-changing benefits of music study.” ”

Donate: giveanote.org/donate

2. Children’s Music Fund

Children’s Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is dedicated to bringing music therapy programs to children affected by serious, life-altering illnesses in order to help them on their journey towards a higher quality of life. Engaging children in music helps reduce their pain and anxiety and provides a much-needed distraction from the effects of their conditions.

Children's Music Fund music therapist with smiling child in hospital room

Children’s Music Fund connects eligible patients to board-certified music therapists who provide personalized treatment plans for each child, donates musical instruments to patients so that they may continue to engage in music for life, and supports and conducts research on music therapy to further advance the field.

Donate: thecmf.org/contribute

3. Dreams Fulfilled Through Music

There is an abundance of available music education and resources for able-bodied and neurotypical children and adults who do not have any learning challenges. For individuals who do not fall into those aforementioned categories, however, such opportunities are very limited. Not only do individuals with disabilities need the opportunities to express, develop, and share their innate talents, music educators also need the resources and opportunities to learn about specialized teaching techniques for students with disabilities.

Smiling young girl with bokeh background

Dreams Fulfilled Through Music is a non-profit dedicated to helping fulfill these under-served needs through developing artistic excellence and motivation via both private and group/ensemble instruction, music therapy, workshops, seminars, and web access to allow all students to experience the joys of creating music. Since 2005, DFTM has provided music lesson to over 900 students. Currently, DFTM is striving to raise $33,600, which will fund one full year of music lessons for twenty students with special needs.

Donate: dftm.org/music-for-all

4. Music For Autism

Music for Autism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to enhance the quality of life of individuals with autism and raise public awareness of autism spectrum disorder through free, autism-friendly, interactive concerts developed specifically for individuals with autism and their loved ones.

“ “The goal of Music for Autism is to expose those with autism and their families to high quality, professionally performed music in an environment where individual differences are celebrated and where no one will be embarrassed.

Families are greatly challenged to find programming that is appropriate for their family members with autism who may exhibit behaviors that are unpredictable. Families say that Music for Autism’s unique and interactive ‘autism specific’ musical programming greatly enhances their quality of life.

In addition, since all U.S. concerts are free for those with autism and their families, anyone affected by autism, irrespective of socioeconomic status, is able to experience Music for Autism’s unique, interactive programming.” ”

Donate: musicforautism.org/get-involved/donate

5. Music Beyond

“ “Music Beyond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to empower people in [the Democratic Republic of the Congo] through music and engagement.

By providing local musicians with the tools they need to grow as performers, mentors, and teachers, Music Beyond fosters an enduring positive impact that extends beyond music into the everyday lives of people.” ”

Music Beyond’s teacher training programs provide private and group instruction for members of the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra and offers master classes focusing on performing, teaching, and student-teaching the local youth.

Congolese all-female ensemble, Romance de l'O.S.K., performing

Music Beyond also has an all-female chamber ensemble, Romance de l’O.S.K., which gives Congolese women a safe space to explore and express themselves through the power of music. The hope is that Romance de l’O.S.K will provide hope and inspiration to women and girls in the Congo and around the world.

Donate: musicbeyond.org/donate

6. Face the Music

Face the Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to raise awareness and understanding about addiction, provide the means for those struggling with addiction to begin their journey to recovery, and to help newly-recovering folks develop the tools needed to maintain long-term sobriety. The Face the Music Foundation relies heavily on live music and concerts to help further mobilize its base and promote its mission, as it firmly believes that music has the power to unite and heal and can be used to help addicts reclaim control of their lives.

Face the Music's Get in Tune members smiling for the camera

Grace Notes, a Face the Music educational program, gives musicians and artists in recovery the opportunities to give back to their communities using their musical and artistic talents. Face the Music’s educational program for teenagers, Get in Tune, is a 3-week prevention and awareness program that utilizes music to help adolescents aged 10-18 cope with life situations and provides them with healthy outlets to deal with difficult issues that are commonly associated with addiction.

This year, Face the Music is selling a 10-song compilation album for $5, completely written and recorded by the clients of Recovery Unplugged, a music-based addiction treatment program. All proceeds will go towards gifting scholarships to individuals in need.

Donate: facethemusic.org

7. Center for American Military Music Opportunities

The Center for American Military Music Opportunities (CAMMO) was founded in 2009 when its founders recognized the specific challenges that some of America’s veterans and active duty service members face. Musicians with a history of serving their country in the military were not receiving the artist development that they needed to excel in the industry, and veterans interested in pursuing careers in production, recording, management and other music-related paths were typically not able to access the opportunities to train and learn in these professions.

Ensemble of veterans and active duty service members hugging each other after a musical performance

CAMMO firmly believes in the power of music to restore, inspire, and open doors to veterans and service members with PTSD or TBI(s). CAMMO aims to create music-based therapeutic programming and outlets for service members, veterans, and family members, and to train and educate service members, veterans, and their families in music career opportunities.

Donate: cammomusic.org

8. Center For New Music

Based in San Francisco, CA, The Center for New Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fosters contemporary music’s growth by giving practicing artists access to professional resources and expertise and providing them with opportunities for sharing their knowledge and exploring new ideas.

“ “The Center acts as a steward for [its] community, including but not limited to composers, performers, producers, presenters, teachers, students, listeners, scholars, advocates, engineers, curators, collaborators, critics, and organizers.

By valuing diversity and inclusion, fair treatment of members, fair payment of participating artists, and advocacy for the growth and integration of our community, the Center will provide a platform for communication, collaboration, outreach, program development, incubation of new artists, engagement of new listeners, and increased activity for the business of new music.” ”

The Center acts as a flexible space for new music: “[During the day,] the Center functions as an administrative and research hub, a space to work, meet, learn, and rehearse; in the evenings it hosts workshops and affordably-priced concerts of innovative music.”

Donate: centerfornewmusic.com/support

9. Education Through Music

Education Through Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes that every child deserves access to high-quality music education that supports learning in other key subjects (such as math, science and language arts) under the guidance of highly-trained music educators.

Education Through Music partners with under-resourced schools to provide music as a core subject for all children and emphasizes the role of music education in improving academic achievement, motivation, and self-confidence. Founded in 1991 to provide quality music education to schools that did not have the resources needed to fund a well-rounded arts program, ETM now serves 65 schools and nearly 34,000 students, giving them the access to music education that they deserve.

Donate: etmonline.org/donate

10. Harmony Project

The Harmony Project provides comprehensive, tuition-free music education and social support to low-income youth across Los Angeles, Southern California, and beyond by giving each student an instrument to take home and five hours of instruction per week from a professional teaching artist. Each student plays in a group, regardless of instrument, age, or skill level, and performs in concerts and community events throughout the year. The Harmony Project also connects parents and families with support services and awards college scholarships to eligible students.

Harmony Project students playing colorful instruments and smiling in front of a large audience

The Harmony Project is dedicated to helping keep children safe, inspired, and in school from kindergarten to college. Recognizing that music takes commitment, the organization supports its students every step of the way in order to help them achieve their goals and has expanded from supporting 250 students in 2007 to over 3,000 students in 2018.

Donate: harmony-project.org/donate