Funding Amount

US $1,000 - US $5,000 in in-kind support

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle
Rolling — applications accepted year-round
Tracked since
April 2026

From the program guidelines: “NOTE: There is no deadline to apply, but applications are reviewed by our grants committee on a quarterly basis during the year: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December.About Us”

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

  • In-school music classes in which the students make musicAfter-school music programs that are not run by the school.

Required status

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status

Other requirements

  • Organizations can only apply and are awarded one time per year.
  • Grants are for instruments and gear only.
  • To qualify as a music instruction program, participants must be learning how to actively make music.
  • Participants can be of any age.

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: Music appreciation or entertainment programs do not qualify, and the participants cannot be professional or career musicians.
  • Not eligible: We do not fund cash sponsorships, but if you are looking for a donation of a guitar for your raffle or silent auction, please email us.

Overview

NOTE: There is no deadline to apply, but applications are reviewed by our grants committee on a quarterly basis during the year: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December.About Us
The Guitar Center Music Foundation is an independent 501c3 organization. Through instrument grants and donations, we help ensure schools and music education programs get the resources they need to keep music alive and accessible.
The Guitar Center Music Foundation awards musical instruments and equipment in-kind to public schools and music programs in need.
Instrument grants range from up to $1,000 to $5,000 based upon need.

Eligibility

Organizations can only apply and are awarded one time per year. Grants are for instruments and gear only.
Only music instruction programs that are part of 501c3 nonprofit organizations or public schools in the United States can apply.
To qualify as a music instruction program, participants must be learning how to actively make music. Participants can be of any age.A qualified program must fit into one of these four categories:
In-school music classes in which the students make musicAfter-school music programs that are not run by the schoolCommunity music programs which offer music instruction to the communityMusic therapy programs in which the participants actively make music

Ineligibility

Music appreciation or entertainment programs do not qualify, and the participants cannot be professional or career musicians.We do not fund cash sponsorships, but if you are looking for a donation of a guitar for your raffle or silent auction, please email us.

What The Guitar Center Music Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990, 2022 — the most recent filing with itemized grants

The Guitar Center Music Foundation reported $535K in grants for 2023 as a total without an itemized list; the grant details below are from 2022, its most recent itemized filing.

Grants in 2022
3
Total given
$30K
Median grant
$10K
  • By dollars: Georgia 33%, Ohio 33%, Oregon 33%. Top recipient cities: Savannah, GA; Cincinatti, OH; Bend, OR.

Example grants

  • Ed Brown · Savannah, GA

    $10K

  • Fidelity Charitable · Cincinatti, OH

    $10K

  • Frederick Foundation · Bend, OR

    $10K

IRS Form 990, 2022. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Music education
  • Nonprofits

Categories

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