NAMM Foundation Global Grantmaking Program: Music Research Grants

The NAMM Foundation Global Grantmaking Program provides music research grants aimed at enhancing music education and career mobility. With a focus on eliminating barriers for underrepresented communities, grants range from $5,000 to $25,000. Eligible applicants include those with a strong research track record and innovative project proposals that do not duplicate existing studies.

Inspired by the generosity of the music products industry, The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) established The NAMM Foundation in 2006 to make charitable investments that create more music makers across the lifespan. Since then, the foundation has awarded $20 million in nonprofit and music research grants.
Today, the foundation seeks to understand the systemic barriers that prevent youth and adults from participating in music-making and music careers.
Our Global Grantmaking invests in charitable organizations, worldwide, that demonstrate a significant impact on music career mobility and the creation of more music makers across the lifespan of learning.
What We Fund
We award grants to high-impact organizations across the globe that create more music makers by eliminating barriers for underrepresented communities and groups of people in two areas, Participatory Music Making and Career Mobility:
Participatory Music Making: High-quality, hands-on, relevant music-making, music-training, that is, or will be, a permanent part of an organization’s annual programming and serve, or will serve, an established cohort of participants that engage with the program regularly. Career Mobility: Career Mobility is career development for youth or adults in any area of the music industry. Commercial (e.g. production, recording, live event, instrument makers, retail, etc.) musicians, and teaching artists.
Grant Tracks
Within these given priorities, we offer three grant tracks:

• Music Program Grants for US and International OrganizationsGeneral Operating Grants for US Music Organizations Music Research Grants for US Organizations
• Music Research Grants

We award research grants that improve practices for music education, support music makers, and enhance workforce development. These grants also seek to increase public and private resources and focus on unique, non-duplicative research topics.
Funding
Grants from The NAMM Foundation can range between $5,000-$25,000, depending on the size and scope of the request.

Eligibility

EligibilityResearch that improves practices and increases public/private resources for music education and workforce development in the USPrincipal investigator must have a strong, and demonstratable, research track recordDoes not duplicate existing researchMust have a well-developed conceptual framework and research designAnalytical models must be well-specified and research questions and hypotheses (where applicable) must be clearly statedGrants are typically awarded to organizations and programs that:Have a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) designation or approved international equivalent.Meet one or more of the foundation’s funding priorities.Prioritize historically underserved communities and groups of people.Demonstrate measurable goals and outcomes.Demonstrate excellent programmatic standards.Demonstrate strong organizational and fiscal management.Align with one or more music product industry segments: Band/Orchestra (wind, brass, strings, large/small ensembles) Fretted Instruments Percussion Electronic & Recording Printed and Digital Music Keyboard Pro Audio & Lighting Other genres

Ineligibility

Non-US organizations are not eligible.What Global Grantmaking Does Not Fund?Grants for individuals.Endowments, fundraisers, capital campaigns, annual appeals.Conferences.Deficit financing.Purchase of tickets, ads, sponsorships, parties, conferences, fairs, fundraiser events.K-12 school districts, public, private, independent, charter schools, are ONLY eligible for research grants.Higher education institutions are ONLY eligible for research grants.Publications.Legal services.Cash regranting.Scholarships.Government agencies.Private foundations.Political candidates or lobbying organizations.Programs or organizations that discriminate based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, veteran status, disability or other characteristics protected by law