About Save the Music Foundation
We help students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. Deliver equitable access to music education by donating instruments and music technology, supporting teachers, and advocating for music education in public schools.
Focus Areas
Music education (K-12)Instrument donation and repairMusic technology and production educationTeacher training and professional developmentAdvocacy for arts education
Who They Fund
school-aged youth/studentsschools and music teachersyouth music ensembles/programs
Funding Style
direct servicein-kind support (musical instrument provision)
About Save the Music Foundation
Save the Music Foundation’s recent work is centered on school music programs, with large grants repeatedly going to public school districts to restore or build instruction in band, strings, mariachi, and music technology. The largest grant in the recent list is $610,118 to Los Angeles USD for music education, and other major awards show the same pattern of district-level support across multiple years. New York City Department of Education received $546,585 in 2025 and $486,694 in 2024, while Los Angeles USD also received $447,185 in 2023 and $394,474 in 2025. The foundation’s giving is not limited to one format. It supports general music, music tech labs, instrument access, and teacher support through school-based grants and in-kind program packages. Recent awards also show continuity across years, with districts such as Atlanta Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Columbus City Schools appearing more than once. That pattern points to sustained work with large public systems rather than one-off awards to individuals or small community groups. The organization’s stated focus includes K-12 music education, instrument donation and repair, music technology and production education, teacher training, and advocacy for arts education.
What Save the Music Foundation Funds
In core school music programming, Save The Music Foundation gave $384,565 to Orleans Parish Public Schools for music education and $204,058 to Anaheim Union High School District for music education. Those awards fit a broader district-based model that supports band, strings, mariachi, and Sonidos Latinos programs. Music technology is another clear lane. The foundation awarded $198,486 to Jackson Public Schools for music education, alongside other technology-oriented grant programs for grades 9–12 that support labs, equipment, and curriculum. Elementary general music also appears in its work. Save The Music Foundation provided $158,789 to School District of Philadelphia for music education, and its Intro To Music and instrument grant programs are built around sequential, standards-based instruction for PreK–5 students. Teacher and program support are part of the structure as well. Recent grants include funding for implementation support and teacher professional development within school music programs.
How Save the Music Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.2M
Total Assets
$8.3M
Total Revenue
$7.8M
Total Expenses
$8.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $44K and $112K, with a median of $57K.
25th Percentile
$44K
Median
$57K
75th Percentile
$112K
Geographic Reach
National19 states funded
About 3% of grants go to recipients in WV.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
HENRY DONAHUE
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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