The Mockingbird Foundation
The Mockingbird Foundation is a public charity based in Moorpark, California. Founded in 2000, it supports organizations that promote children’s education, involvement, and appreciation of musical activities throughout the United States.
The Mockingbird Foundation at a glance
In short: The Mockingbird Foundation gave $164K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), top state California. 88% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $164,078
- +48.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +41.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,652
- +4.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $482,517
- -4.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 88% first-time grantees (15 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (16% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Mockingbird Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
Submit an initial inquiry through the program’s Initial Inquiry Form. Full proposals are by invitation only; inquiries through other channels are not considered.
- Review Cycle
- January 15, 2027.
- Deadline
- January 15, 2027.
- Next open deadline
- January 15, 2027 (Competitive Grants)
- Contact
Mailing address: 12407 Willow Grove Court, Moorpark, CA 93021-2758
Phone: (805) 276-0817
Website: https://mockingbirdfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from The Mockingbird Foundation
Competitive Grants
The Mockingbird Foundation
Amount
$100 - $10,000
Deadline
Expected ~January
Based on past cycles
DeLucia Awards
The Mockingbird Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Emergency Grants
The Mockingbird Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Mockingbird Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Washington Peace Centergirls Rock DC ($20K). Together the top 10 received $110K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 64 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The competitive program is U.S.-only and states an interest in geographic diversity. The foundation reports having funded organizations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In the 2025 filing, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California (16%), Washington, D.C. (12%), Texas (12%), Illinois (10%), and Pennsylvania (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Mockingbird Foundation open to new grantees?
88%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 17 grantees (88%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $94K (2022) to $240K (2020). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $164K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Peace Centergirls Rock DC Washington, DC | Music Education Grant | $20,000 |
| William Penn School District Lansdowne, PA | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Aspire Public School Foundation Oakland, CA | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Children's Eye Foundation Brentwood, TN | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Indigenous Community Empowerment Network Fayetteville, NC | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Jackson State University Jackson, MS | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Moody's Jazz Camp Truckee, CA | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Vandercook College of Music Chicago, IL | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| Young Women's Preparatory Network Dallas, TX | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
| The 234 Project Foundation Cedar Park, TX | Music Education Grant | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Mockingbird Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts below are reported by filing year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $482,517 | $263,262 | $299,707 | $164,078 | 17 | $8,319 |
| 2024 | $506,541 | $259,024 | $220,574 | $110,400 | 12 | $10,929 |
| 2023 | $462,644 | $222,417 | $300,917 | $141,258 | 15 | $3,445 |
| 2022 | $530,640 | $355,816 | $150,870 | $94,350 | 9 | $2,741 |
| 2021 | $346,925 | $304,167 | $271,482 | $124,800 | 11 | — |
| 2020 | $312,240 | $303,734 | $281,044 | $239,710 | 29 | $2 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to support organizations promoting musical education, involvement, and appreciation for children throughout the United States. Its 2025 filing describes grants that enabled public organizations to purchase musical instruments, supplies, and instructors.
Examples illustrate the range of organizations it supports. The 234 Project Foundation describes its mission as providing financial, technological, and educational resources for youth empowerment. Young Women’s Preparatory Network says it supports single-sex, college-preparatory public education in Texas for young women in urban schools. VanderCook College of Music says it prepares teachers in instrumental, choral, and general music disciplines.
The foundation’s competitive grant program focuses on music education for children ages 18 and younger, creative expression through music, and programs serving disenfranchised groups. It also identifies unconventional instruction settings such as hospitals, shelters, foster homes, prisons, churches, camps, and community centers.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing lists 17 grants totaling $164,078. Individual grants ranged from $5,708 to $20,000, with a median of $10,000. The foundation’s program description separately reports that it awarded grants to 67 public organizations and disbursed $256,878 in 2025.
Notable grants listed in the 2025 filing include $20,000 to Washington Peace CenterGirls Rock DC and $10,000 each to William Penn School District, Aspire Public School Foundation, Children’s Eye Foundation, Indigenous Community Empowerment Network, Jackson State University, Moody’s Jazz Camp, VanderCook College of Music, Young Women’s Preparatory Network, The 234 Project Foundation, Winnebago Public Schools Music Department, and The Heartbeat Music Project.
The competitive grant program lists awards of $100–$10,000. Its application process has two stages: organizations submit an initial inquiry form with organizational details and brief narrative elements; full proposals are by invitation only. The program is limited to U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, including public schools, and states that applications must demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion. The foundation does not accept unsolicited full proposals.
The foundation also describes emergency grants as discretionary and nomination-based, outside its regular competitive process. Nominations are not solicited or accepted on a regular basis, and awards are made at the board’s discretion.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Charles A. Dirksen, Executive Advisor; Ellis Godard, Executive Director and Treasurer; David Steinberg, Director; Andrew N. Hitz, Director and Vice President; Scott Marks, Director; Steve Paolini, Director and General Counsel; David Beckwith, Director; Bill Bowman, Director; Stephanie Jenkins, Director; and Reed Meschefske, Director.
The Mockingbird Foundation is led by William Ryan, President & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 21 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William Ryan
President & Director
Treasurer → President, 2023
President → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mike Bove
President & Director
Secretary → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Ellis Godard
Executive Director & Treasurer
Executive Director → Executive Director & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Andrew N. Hitz
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David Beckwith
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David Steinberg
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Matt Sexauer
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Reed Meschefske
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Scott Marks
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stephanie Jenkins
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Steve Paolini
Director & General Counsel
Director → Director & General Counsel, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Adam J. Detsky
Director & Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Adam Scheinberg
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Cameron Garrison
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Colleen Heller Stein
Director
Vice President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Mike Pryzbylski
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Pete Mason
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Alison Kleiman
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Bill Bowman
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Charles A. Dirksen
Executive Advisor
Vice President → Director, 2022
Director → Executive Advisor, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kurt Vile
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: J. Ellington Godard Jr. (2020–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Phillip Harrison (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: William Bowman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Charles Parker (2022–2023) — Former President
- Former: Liora Sponko (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Ali Stone (2023) — Director
- Former: Britt Ryan (2023) — Director
- Former: David Schlesinger (2023) — Director
- Former: Kim Sia (2023) — Director
- Former: Peter Skewes-Cox (2023) — Director
- Former: Andrea Nusinov (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Brian Baker (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Brian Feller (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Chip Parker (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Chris Cagle (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jack R. Lebowitz (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: John Demeter (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Katie Irwin (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Peter Cox-Skewes (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Seth Adam Scheinberg (2020–2021) — President
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 The Mockingbird Foundation
How much does The Mockingbird Foundation give each year?
The Mockingbird Foundation gave $164K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $110K across 12 grants.
What is The Mockingbird Foundation's typical grant size?
The Mockingbird Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,652, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mockingbird Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Mockingbird Foundation give grants?
The Mockingbird Foundation's top state is California, with 16% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Texas (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does The Mockingbird Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on The Mockingbird Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Music Education Grant" (17 grants).
Who are The Mockingbird Foundation's largest grantees?
The Mockingbird Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Washington Peace Centergirls Rock DC ($20,000), William Penn School District ($10,000) and Aspire Public School Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Mockingbird Foundation?
The Mockingbird Foundation reported $483K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $263K.
What does The Mockingbird Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support organizations promoting musical education, involvement, and appreciation for children throughout the United States. Its 2025 filing describes grants that enabled public organizations to purchase musical instruments, supplies, and instructors. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mockingbird Foundation?
Submit an initial inquiry through the program’s Initial Inquiry Form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Mockingbird Foundation's EIN?
The Mockingbird Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1529562. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Mockingbird Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Mockingbird Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Mockingbird Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mockingbird-foundation-morg_a8a9957ae5e7402fa9092db989c2173c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_161529562_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Mockingbird Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mockingbird-foundation-morg_a8a9957ae5e7402fa9092db989c2173c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Mockingbird Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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