National Meredith Willson Awards Grant

Funder: The Meredith And Rosemary Willson Charitable Foundation (aka The Music Man Foundation)

The National Meredith Willson Awards provide multi-year operating support to organizations using music for systemic change. The Music Man Foundation will award grants of $50,000 to $500,000 to 5-10 selected organizations in 2026, focusing on their impact through music. Eligible organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, a history of music programming, and a commitment to systemic change. Applications will be evaluated on leadership, organizational capacity, and alignment with grant criteria.

NOTE: The pre-proposal deadline above is the deadline to submit the Leadership Letter.
The Meredith Willson Awards will provide significant, multi-year, general operating support to vibrant organizations using music to achieve systemic change.
The Music Man Foundation anticipates awarding grants to 5 to 10 organizations in 2026. Grants between $50,000 – $500,000 will be paid over a two-year period to support general operating expenses.
Successful submissions will clearly identify the primary system the organization is impacting, articulate how and why music plays a key role in advancing this system change, and demonstrate why the organization is well-positioned to take on this system change.
Grant decisions and amounts will take into consideration:
The Leadership Letter, application, organization’s capacity for systems change as observed during the site visit/organizational interview, and application assessments provided by an advisory panel of external reviewers; and
Alignment with the Foundation’s Selection Criteria, published below.
Defining Systems Change
The Music Man Foundation interprets systems change as shifting the underlying conditions that make service delivery necessary.
The Meredith Willson Awards grant process seeks to understand an organization’s strategic approach to making a lasting impact at the systemic level. The Foundation recognizes that systems change is a long-term effort that requires collaboration.

Eligibility

In order to be considered for funding, an organization must:Be a non-profit organization with IRS-determined 501 (c)(3) status since January 2023 or before.Have been conducting programming utilizing music since January 2023 or before.Have its primary service location in at least one of the following counties in Southern California: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, or Ventura.Have had at least one paid employee dedicated to music programming (part-time or full-time) since January 1, 2025 or before.For organizations that have previously received a grant from The Music Man Foundation, the organization must be in good standing with the Foundation.Fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible to apply.Not have a structural deficit.If your organization currently has a grant from The Music Man Foundation, the grant timeline must end on or before December 31, 2026 in order to be eligible to apply.Organizations not based in Southern California with programming in Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, or Ventura counties, including touring productions, do not fulfill the geographic eligibility requirement. Musical experiences, such as field trips, masterclasses, concerts, and one-time participant experiences are not eligible.

Ineligibility

Grants will not be awarded to organizations whose applications focus on developing new programs.Contractors may not fulfill the employee eligibility requirement.Fiscally sponsored organizations are not eligible to apply.