American Bach Society
The American Bach Society is a private foundation based in Hillsdale, Michigan. It supports the study, performance, and appreciation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his circle through grants, prizes, fellowships, publications, conferences, and competitions.
American Bach Society at a glance
In short: American Bach Society gave $31K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $30,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $2,773
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,159,390
- +10.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to American Bach Society
- How to Apply
-
The website provides application procedures for individual programs.
- Review Cycle
- The William H. Scheide Research Grants page lists November 15, 2025, as the application deadline for research to be completed by December 31, 2025. This is a past cycle.
- Deadline
- The William H.
- Contact
Application contact: Matthew Dirst
Mailing address: PO Box 93, Hillsdale, MI 49242
Phone: (517) 607-2366
Email: vicepresident@americanbacksociety.org
Website: https://americanbachsociety.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who American Bach Society funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Middlebury College ($6K). Together the top 10 received $30K.
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 11 grants of 11 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Society is based in Hillsdale, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grant dollars going to recipients in California (44%), Vermont (20%), North Carolina (11%), and New Jersey (5%), as well as an unspecified state category (13%). The website’s German-Language Study Grant is for students at universities in the United States or Canada.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $31K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Middlebury College Middlebury, VT | Tuition Grant for Language Study | $6,000 |
| Helene Papadopoulos Berkeley, CA | Funding for Research | $4,000 |
| Sashi Ayyanger San Francisco, CA | Funding for Research | $4,000 |
| UNC Greensboro Greensboro, NC | Expanding Music Study & Performance | $3,500 |
| Nicholas Phan San Francisco, CA | Funding for Multimedia Project | $3,500 |
| Annika Fabbi | Funding for Research | $3,000 |
| Adan Fernandez Glendale, CA | Expanding Music Study & Performance | $2,000 |
| Ethan Draper Metuchen, NJ | Funding for Research | $1,500 |
| Thomas Cressy | Funding to Support Publication | $1,000 |
| Christian Torres Jacksonville, FL | Funding for Research | $1,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,159,390 | $188,732 | $131,260 | $30,500 | 11 | $131,260 | $167,347 |
| 2024 | $2,869,498 | $86,616 | $37,956 | — | — | — | $59,738 |
| 2023 | $2,491,402 | $87,826 | $122,114 | — | — | — | $61,806 |
| 2022 | $2,280,386 | $69,515 | $31,461 | — | — | — | $53,599 |
| 2021 | $2,651,602 | $118,036 | $37,434 | — | — | — | $76,643 |
| 2020 | $2,043,987 | $75,461 | $28,865 | — | — | — | $50,574 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated on the filing is to promote the study and performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music. The Society’s website describes support for scholars and performers at all career stages, including research on Bach and figures in his circle, German-language study, creative projects that expand diversity, and performance.
Its listed awards include the William H. Scheide Research Grants, ABS Wolff Research Fellowship, German-Language Study Grant, Frances Alford Brokaw Grant, and ABS Diversity Grant. The website also lists publication prizes, competitions, and travel grants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Society reported 11 grants totaling $30,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $6,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest listed grants were $6,000 to Middlebury College for language-study tuition; $4,000 each to Helene Papadopoulos and Sashi Ayyanger for research; $3,500 to UNC Greensboro for expanding music study and performance; and $3,500 to Nicholas Phan for a multimedia project. Other listed awards supported research, publication, and music study and performance.
The Society’s website describes the William H. Scheide Research Grants as annual stipends ordinarily ranging from $500 to $4,000 for research projects on Bach or figures in his circle. Applicants must be current Society members; preference is given to Ph.D. candidates, junior faculty, and independent scholars, though senior faculty are also encouraged to apply. Awards normally go to citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada. Applications call for a research proposal of no more than three double-spaced pages, a CV, and a budget, all in English. The committee favors concrete descriptions of research materials, any required travel itinerary, and the intended outcome of the research.
The German-Language Study Grant offers up to $6,000 to master’s and Ph.D. students at universities in the United States or Canada who need German-language training for Bach-related scholarship. Applications are to include a letter explaining the need, a proposed budget, a CV, a faculty-advisor letter of support, and information about the training institution and course. Applicants are expected to show that they have applied for available financial aid from their home university or training institution. Awards are described as being made on a rolling basis until that year’s funds are depleted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lynn Edwards Butler as president, Matthew Dirst as vice president, and Derek Stauff as secretary-treasurer. It lists Dana Marsh, Christina Fuhrmann, Reginald Sanders, Stephen Crist, Andrea Moore, Tanya Kevorkian, Ellen Exner, Lynn Edwards Butler, and Matthew Dirst as board members.
American Bach Society is led by Lynn Edwards Butler, President on the 2025 filing; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lynn Edwards Butler
President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christina Fuhrmann
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dana Marsh
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel R. Melamed
Board Member
Board Member → President, 2022
President → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Derek Stauff
Secretary-Tr
Board Member → Board Member & Treasurer, 2024
Board Member & Treasurer → Secretary-Tr, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Exner
Board Member
Board Member → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reginald Sanders
Board Member
Secretary-Tr → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Crist
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tanya Kevorkian
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Moore
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Dirst
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Mary Greer (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Paul Walker (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: George Stauffer (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Paul Corneilson (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Andrew Talle (2021) — Vice President
- Former: Kerala Snyder (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Markus Rathey (2021) — President
- Former: Steven Zohn (2020) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about American Bach Society
How much does American Bach Society give each year?
American Bach Society gave $31K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is American Bach Society's typical grant size?
American Bach Society's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $2,773, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does American Bach Society give grants?
American Bach Society's top state is California, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Vermont (20%) and North Carolina (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does American Bach Society give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on American Bach Society's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Funding for Research" (5 grants).
Who are American Bach Society's largest grantees?
American Bach Society's largest 2025 grantees include Middlebury College ($6,000), Helene Papadopoulos ($4,000) and Sashi Ayyanger ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is American Bach Society?
American Bach Society reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $189K.
What does American Bach Society fund?
The mission stated on the filing is to promote the study and performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from American Bach Society?
The website provides application procedures for individual programs. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is American Bach Society's EIN?
American Bach Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2392978. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Live grants for the work American Bach Society funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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