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Congratulations to our 1st Quarter Grant recipients!

Benton, KY: Benton Elementary School: This school, serving kids grades K-5 in a rural part of western Kentucky, wishes to start ukulele instruction to help their students learn the fundamentals of music in this fun way. We’re offering a matching grant for ukeleles to encourage their initiation of this program.

Boulder, CO: Boulder, CO SD: Boulder has a pretty substantial music program for students grades 5–12; they need more instruments for younger students in incremental sizes to encourage their participation and ability. CFKF is offering them $1,000 in matching funds to support their beginning students with financial limitations.

Chicago, IL: One City Strings: One City Strings provides instrumental training for kids grades K – 8 in Chicago’s South Side. The program’s goal is to help students learn critical life skills through the study of music. They need an infusion of new stringed instruments to continue supporting their students’ growth. CFKF is offering them $1,500 in matching funds to support this organization’s ability to offer instruments to kids in need.

Davenport, IA: Common Chord:  This organization serves students ages 8-10 from all around the Quad Cities area of Iowa. They offer a comprehensive combination of activities and mentoring that are designed to support the whole student; they need an infusion of instruments to be able to better serve this large population. We are offering them $1,500 in matching funds to help them provide the instruments their students need in an area of the Midwest we building presence in.

Gainesville, GA: Hispanic Alliance GA: This program offers a comprehensive variety of services to Hispanic families in this midsize community in Georgia (“the poultry capital of Georgia”). They are beginning a new string program to help their students develop life skills and need an infusion of instruments to get things running. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this new program in an area of the Southeast we have little presence.

Hamburg, NY: Frontier SD:  This middle school in a community near Lake Erie needs support for more instruments to increase inventory available in order to expand the program. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,000 to encourage this school’s growth in this largely rural area of New York State.

Kansas City, MO: Northeast Community Center: This organization is affiliated with the Kansas City Harmony Project; we have given grants to several Harmony Projects nationally. They serve an economically challenged area of KC; we are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to further encourage this program’s work.

Memphis, TN: Libertas School of Memphis: This recently developed middle school has an existing music program, and this would be their first foray into strings education. They need a starter batch of new instruments in order to accomplish this goal. CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,118 to support the at-risk kids they serve in this quickly growing new school.

New York City, NY: The Boys’ Club of New York: This venerable organization has been serving boys throughout the NYC Area for 150 years. They are starting a new program focusing on strings in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and need an inventory of new instruments to get things going. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to provide encouragement to this organization’s new initiative.

Orcas Island, WA: Orcas Island SD: This school offers the only music education for kids grades 5-12 on this isolated island; they have a great need for more new instruments (the last one they got was 10 years ago). CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,000 to encourage this isolated string program’s work in an area of the Northwest we have little presence.

Philadelphia, PA: Tune Up Philly: This organization supports underserved families and students grades 3–6 throughout the greater Philadelphia area with a focus on communities inside the city. Their goal is to provide high-quality instruments for their Orchestral Pathways Program. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to further encourage this large and well-run program’s work.

San Angelo, TX: Emmanuel Episcopal Church: This church provides the only music enrichment program in this area of West Texas; they serve hundreds of kids ages 8–18. Their goal is to expand from a violin-only offering to other instruments in the string group. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,000 to further encourage this faith-based organization’s important work in an area of Texas we have a little presence.

San Rafael, CA: Enriching Lives Through Music: we gave an additional grant to this program serving kids grades 5–11 some years ago; it has grown substantially and needs an infusion of new instruments to support a primarily underserved community with significant economic hardships, and they need more and larger instruments to support their growing students. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to further encourage this growing program’s work.

Seattle, WA: The Rhapsody Project: this organization focuses its efforts on supporting Black and indigenous children Grades 3–12 through cultural and musical activities. They need an infusion of Instruments to help build inventory and provide instruments to those unable to afford them. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this program’s work in the Seattle area.

St. Lucia, FL: Dalton Learning Academy: This school serving kids pre-K through 8th grade is starting a new string program to complement their existing music program and needs a starter inventory to serve this initiative. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,000 to further encourage this well-run program’s work.

Yonkers, NY: Montessori School 27:  This school serving kids grades 3–6 is beginning a ukulele instruction program to augment their basic music offerings. They need an infusion of Instruments to get this initiative going. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to help them get this new initiative off the ground.

Congratulations to our 4th Quarter Grant recipients!

Bronx, NY: Equality Charter School: This school serving students grades 9-12 is launching a new string program, and needs a substantial new inventory in order to provide equitable access to instruments. They serve a low-income area of the Bronx, and CFKF is offering them $500 in matching funds to encourage their initiation of this program.

Denver, CO: El Sistema Colorado: This program serves kids grades K-12 from around metro Denver; their student population comes from some of the lower-income areas of Denver. Some of their cello students have outgrown their instruments, and the program needs support for an inventory of larger cellos. CFKF is offering them $1,500 in matching funds to support their growing students.

Denver, CO: El Waldorf School: This private school serving kids grades 3-12 provides instruments for any students unable to afford them; they need a larger inventory to keep up with this demand. We’re offering them $1,000 in matching funds to support their ability to offer instruments to kids in need.

Lawrence, MA: Community Day Care: This organization serves kids grades K-8 in this economically challenged community. They have a need to substantially increase their inventory of violins to provide equitable access to their students; much of their violin inventory is older and in bad condition. CFKF is offering them $1,500 in matching funds to help them provide the instruments their students need.

Los Angeles, CA: Harmony Project: We have given a few grants over the years to this great organization; they serve thousands of kids grades K-12 in the LA area with instruments and lessons. They have a need for more stringed instruments; CFKF is offering them $1,500 in matching funds to help them provide the instruments their students need.

New York City, NY: Multicultural Music Group: This organization, located in the Harlem/Washington Heights area of NYC, serves middle school students, and their student population has grown dramatically, with a concurrent need for more instruments. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support their growing music program and student population.

New York City, NY: Third String Music School Settlement: We have supported this well-run school (PS 2) with a few grants over the past several years. They serve students grades 3-5. They offer group lessons; their music program continues to grow and they need more inventory to meet that growth. We’re offering them a matching grant of $1,000 to further encourage this organization’s work with at-risk kids.

San Diego, CA: Youth Symphony: This well-regarded organization serves kids grades 3-12 from around the San Diego area. This grant would help support the acquisition of more high-quality cellos to their students in need. We’re offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to further encourage this well-run program’s work in San Diego.

St. Petersburg, FL: TFO Strings Project: This small program offers music instruction to students grades 2-12 in the Ridgecrest Community in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Juvenile Detention Center. They need an infusion of a few new instruments to meet the needs of their teachers and students. CFF is offering them a grant of $1,066 to support the at-risk kids they serve in a community we haven’t supported before.

Westerly, RI: United Music School: This school serving students from around southern RI and southeastern CT has started a new string program for students grades 2-12 with the goal of providing instruments free of cost to their students and string ensemble. They are also offering strings instruction to other schools in the area that lack this offering. We’re offering them a matching grant of $1,000 to provide encouragement to this new initiative.

Whitney Point, NY: CSD: This public school serving students grades 6-8 in rural Broome County has an aging inventory of ukeleles and guitars needing replacement. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,050 to support this rural school’s music program in an area of New York we haven’t had a presence in.

Congratulations to our grant recipients!

Baton Rouge, LA: Kids’ Orchestra: We have given a few grants some time ago to this Organization; they serve around 1,000 at-risk kids grades K – 12 from around Southern Louisiana. They have a need for a few more cellos for this large program. We have offered them $1,300 in matching funds to continue our support for this extensive program.

Bay Harbor, MI: Great Lakes Center for the Arts: This organization stands alone for offering music education to a five-county area in northern Michigan; they serve kids grades 4-12. They need to build their inventory of instruments to support families otherwise unable to participate. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this program in an area we have little presence.

Bayfield, CO: Music Everywhere: This organization serves kids grades K – 12 in a largely rural area in Southwest Colorado. They organize 14 ensembles in nine different schools. They have a need for more inventory to keep up with demand in these various programs. We have offered them a matching grant of $1,500to further encourage this organization’s development in an area of the Intermountain West we have a limited presence in.

Caldwell, ID: Heritage Community Charter School: This school offers strings education for kids grades 3–8; they have a need for more inventory so that students wishing to participate can have an instrument. We have offered them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this program in the Intermountain West where we are building presence.

Edwards, CO: Vail Valley Unbound: This is a new program; they have instructors in the area from the BRAVO festival, but they need instruments to initiate the program in their school which serves kids grades K-5. CFKF has offered them a grant of$950 to support this school’s exciting new string program.

Garland, TX: Cooper Elementary Music: This school is starting a string program with ukulele and guitar instruction; they have a popular choral program already. They serve students pre-K through 5^th grade in this large suburb of Dallas. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of$1,000to support this school’s new ukelele initiative.

Greenfield, MA: Musica Franklin: Musica Franklin is a free afterschool program serving kids grades 1-2. They already have traditional string family instruments, but wish to add ukulele and guitar to the mix to teach students chordal instruments. Franklin County is the most rural county in Massachusetts. We have offered them a matching grant of$1,000to support this organization’s program expansion and work with at-risk kids.

Jonesboro, AR: Nettleton Public Schools: This youth orchestra in the public schools serving kids pre-K through grade 12 wishes to expand its inventory to expand its string program to grades 7–12. The area surrounding Jonesboro in northeastern Arkansas is rural. We have offered them a matching grant of$1,500to support this community’s dedication to expanding its strings opportunities for young people.

Miami, FL: Achieve Music: this program serving marginalized, low-income families through music serves kids grades 2-8 in the Coral Gables area. They need a big infusion of new instruments to keep up with the student population and demand. CFKF has offered them $1,500 in matching funds to help them achieve their inventory goals.

NYC, NY: Musical Mentors Collaborative: this program serving PS 145 is developing an after-school initiative for kids grades 1-5, including group classes and individual lessons. They need an infusion of new violins to help support this endeavor. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $972 to support this program’s after-school expansion.

Pittsburgh, PA: Academy Charter School: This charter school is initiating a new string program for students grades 8–12. They need an infusion of ukuleles and guitars to get the program off the ground. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this charter school’s new musical efforts.

Richmond, VA: Greenspring Foundation: this is our second application from this organization; they serve students grades K-12 from around Richmond. CFKF has offered them a grant of$1,500to further encourage this initiative for Richmond’s kids.

Santa Fe, NM: Santa Fe, NM Symphony:  This regional orchestra has an substantial outreach component to its programming. They serve students ages 8–18 from all around the Santa Fe area, offering a wide variety of educational activities including strings instruction. They need more instruments to allow access to families otherwise unable to participate. We’ve offered them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this local orchestra’s community engagement efforts.

Tacoma, WA: Vision Youth Foundation:  This organization, which serves a small population (10) of kids grades 8–12, needs a new inventory of guitars to replace old or damaged instruments. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $600 to encourage this Youth program.

Watertown, MA: Friends of Watertown Music: this organization, which supports the Watertown Public schools, is requesting support for building inventory. Their string program serves kids grades 4–12. The program has grown substantially in the last four years since we gave them our first grant. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $859to further encourage this Boston area string program’s growth.

Congratulations to our grant recipients!

Bristol, RI: Community String Project: This organization serves students grades 3-12 throughout this area of Rhode Island; they wish to expand their inventory of instruments for families unable to afford purchase of a new instrument. we have offered them a matching grant of $1,479 to further encourage this organization’s development.

Chicago, IL: The People’s Music School: This organization serves students and families from all around Chicago. We have offered them a matching grant of $1,500 to continue supporting the great work they do for at-risk kids in the Chicago area.

Destin, FL: Sinfonia Gulf Coast: This organization provides the musical experience to a number of communities and schools in northwest Florida that do not have string programs presently. They need to expand their inventory for a new initiative that supports beginning strings instruction in a number of the Title l schools they serve. CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to support this organization’s development in a part of Florida we are building presence in.

Dorchester, MA: Conservatory Lab Charter School: This lottery-based charter school serving grades K-8 provides a well-rounded curriculum to some of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Boston, offering Music as a core course. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this innovative school’s orchestral initiative.

Fall River, MA: Bristol County Chamber Foundation: this Foundation supports SouthCoast Creative Arts Lab, an afterschool program serving kids grades 7-8 in this economically challenged community. They need an infusion of instruments to help build this initiative. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this organization’s work with at-risk kids.

Garnerville, NY: North Rockland County SD: This school district 25 miles from NYC has a very active orchestral program, and needs a large infusion of instruments to support demand. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this remarkable School district’s dedication to strings instruction.

Greenbrier, AR: Greenbrier Eastside Elementary: This Title I school is beginning a new music program through ukulele instruction for their students grades four and five; they need a starter inventory for this initiative. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,425 to support this program in an area of the South we are building presence in.

Mattapan, MA: Immigrant Family Services: This large program serves a predominantly immigrant community several economically challenged communities mainly south of Boston. They need a big infusion of instruments to support their music offerings in this expanding program. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this important Boston area initiative.

Oklahoma City, OK: Jubilee Partners Assoc.: This organization serving an older and economically disadvantaged area in Oklahoma City wishes to build a guitar instruction program to augment their existing activity for youth grades K-12. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this new initiative for at-risk kids.

Sister Bay, WI: Midsummer’s Music:  This community-based string quartet residency serving kids grades 3-5 wishes to build their program with an additional infusion of new instruments; many students’ families can’t afford buy or rent, prohibiting participation in strings otherwise. There are no other spring programs in this area. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this innovative community model organization’s growth.

Sunrise, FL: STEAM by Pauls: This Title I school is starting a new string program serving a primarily Haitian and Hispanic student population grades K – 6. Their goal is to provide every student who wishes to enroll with an instrument. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage the development of this new program.

Sykesville, MD: Opus Community Music School: This Baltimore area school serving kids grades K-12 is creating a beginning string program for at-risk and underserved youth in the area. They want to be able to provide all students with free instruments and instrument care knowledge. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this new initiative.

Thornton, CO: A Child’s Song: This Denver area organization serving students grades K – 12 is involved with a broad array of schools, at risk programs, and youth with disabilities and in foster care. This is our second grant request from this organization. They need more instruments to support the many programs they are involved with. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to support their many Community partnerships.

Congratulations to our 1st quarter recipients!

Baltimore MD Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: BSO’s OrchKids program provides quality instruments and training to students in seven schools in the Baltimore area. They are planning on expansion to 2 more schools this year. They need an infusion of more instruments to support this expansive community outreach initiative. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this prominent orchestra’s outreach program in the Baltimore community.

Bristol VA Birthplace of Country Music: this organization’s Pick Along Summer program for kids ages 8- 16 encourages young people to learn the Appalachian music tradition. They learn basic playing skills and some of the history of this great tradition. An important focus is on providing this experience to students from disadvantaged backgrounds; they serve kids from numerous Title 1 schools in the area. We’ve offered them a matching grant of $540 to further encourage this private organization’s work.

Burlingame KS Burlingame Schools Orchestra: this rural public school orchestra program in eastern Kansas serves kids grades 3- 12; this request is specific to students grades 7-12. They need an influx of new violins to allow access to students and families unable to afford them. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this rural community’s growth in an area the lower Midwest where we have little presence.

Columbus OH Horizon Science Academy: This urban public charter school in Columbus has an orchestra program serving students grade 7-8. They need and influx of new instruments to support and encourage new enrollment. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this school’s educational initiative.

Davis UT USD: This public school in the Salt Lake City metro area is building its music program for grades 3-12 via ukulele instruction; many of the kids in the school have expressed interest in starting their music experience through this medium. Most students involved are on free or reduced lunch, and CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this Western school’s growing string program.

Denver CO Young Artist Orchestra: this organization’s TuneUp program serves several schools in the Denver and Aurora Area with instruction and instruments for kids grades 3-8. They need more instruments to support their work in the schools. They focus on supporting the most disadvantaged students in the district; CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $972 to encourage this youth orchestra’s expansion in the Intermountain West.

Elgin IL Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra: This youth orchestra’s Starter Strings program serves nearly 90 kids in the fourth grade from two schools in the Elgin area. They need more inventory to support this growing program. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this Midwestern youth orchestra’s admirable community outreach program.

Jacksonville FL Global Outreach Charter Academy: This school is creating a Global Arts Ensemble. The School, which serves nearly 2,000 kids grades 3-6 in the Jacksonville area, is starting a new string initiative, bringing strings education into their existing cultural and educational programs. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this academy’s musical growth.

Los Angeles CA Global Arts Orchestra: This organization’s school is starting a new string program to complement an existing wind ensemble; they need an infusion of string instruments to start developing this new program. They serve disadvantaged kids ages 8–13 in an industrial area of LA that lacks Green space and cultural opportunities. CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to encourage the development this new initiative in in economically challenged area of LA.

New York City, NY Opportunity Music Project: we have given a few grants to this organization over the past several years; they serve kids ages 5–18 from around the New York Metro area with instruments and teaching. They are building a bass ensemble and need a few more instruments to help establish and run this new initiative. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,100 to further encourage this urban youth initiative’s artistic activism.

Newport News VA Peninsula Youth Orchestra: this youth orchestra, involving students ages 7-25 from the Virginia Peninsula, needs a small infusion of better instruments for their more advanced players. They support Title one schools in the area with after school musical training and performance experience in the area. We are offering PYO a matching grant of $886 to encourage this youth orchestra’s continued growth.

Norman OK NPS: this suburban community near Oklahoma City hopes to build its beginner string program, particularly for young cellists, with an infusion of new instruments. Most of the Elementary and middle schools are Title I, and CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this public school’s growing ensemble program.

Oahu HI Grace Place HI: this organization has an after-school program that they are building a music component for through ukulele instruction. They serve kids K-12 from around windward Oahu; their goal is to provide a safe and inspiring after school environment with music as a core experience. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this afterschool program’s music experience.

Paterson, NJ Second Generation Music: this organization in the NYC metro area, which offers musical training and instruments to young musicians from around the Paterson area, is starting its first Youth ensemble. They need and infusion of new instruments to accomplish this goal. We are offering them them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this New Jersey youth initiative’s new program.

Raleigh NC SMART BUS: this organization serving Wake County has started a new community-based orchestra program for kids grades 3-7. Their hope is to explore classical music in ways that are relevant to the population they serve. Their student population is historically underserved; CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,500 to support this after-school program’s new initiative.

Salinas CA Alisal Center for the Fine Arts: This program serving students in the Alisal School district is building a Mariachi ensemble program and needs an infusion of guitars for that purpose. They serve a predominantly Hispanic Community with many migrant workers, often with single parent families. The Center has created a music program to fill a void in the public schools. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this program’s important work.

San Luis Obispo CA San Luis Obispo Symphony: This orchestra has created the Strings in Schools program, working with beginning string players grades 3-6. This program replaces the spring programs that were eliminated in the California schools in the 1980s. They wish to expand to a fourth school and need more inventory to support that growth. 59% of the students qualify for the Federal free lunch program.  CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this local orchestra’s admirable education outreach program.

Savannah GA SK Taylor Community School: This community school serving kids grades K-8 is starting a new string program to introduce students to music learning and performance opportunities. They need a collection of new instruments to accomplish this goal. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this Southeastern school’s inaugural string program.

Stamford CT INTEMPO: we gave a Grant submission to this organization several years ago; they serve disadvantaged kids grades K – 12 in the Stamford area. They need some new instruments to serve there more advanced students, allowing them to explore more advanced repertoire. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,273 to continue to encourage this strong program’s activities.

Surprise AZ RNL Youth: This organization serving kids grades K-8 is starting a new afterschool strings program through ukulele instruction; they operate in the western suburbs of Phoenix. They need an infusion of new instruments to begin this program. We are offering them a matching grant of $350 to encourage this organization’s new strings initiative.

Tacoma WA Tacoma Youth Symphony: TYS offers free ukulele instruction to students of all ages in the Tacoma area. They need many more instruments to serve their growing program. The focus of this request is for 4^th Grade students in two area schools; we are offering them a matching grant of $950 to encourage this youth orchestra’s growing ensemble program in an area we have little presence.

Talkeetna AK Denali Arts Council: This organization serves a very rural area in Alaska, working with kids grades 6-12. They are creating musical opportunities otherwise unavailable in this remote area. Many families there live without running water and off the grid. The student population is predominantly Caucasian and Native Alaskan, with many low-income families and kids at high risk. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this remote Alaskan music program for young people.

Tampa FL Roland Park K-8 Magnet School:  this magnet school has a vibrant violin program; their teacher wishes to start a new cello ensemble to complement their offerings. This program serves kids grades K-5; CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this organization’s new cello initiative.

Whittier CA Jordan Elementary Mariachi Juvenil: this school in Southern California serving grades 3-6 has a mariachi program that was started by a teacher donating his own instruments for use. There is a strong demand for more instruments to help the program expand. We are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this individual teacher’s dedication and community support.

Wilmington DE Edge for Tomorrow: This organization’s new “Pluck and Play” program’s goal is to offer basic music learning and performance opportunities through guitar instruction. They serve kids grades K-5 in the Wilmington area; we are offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this youth program’s growth.

Worcester MA Chamber Music Society: This organization sponsors Neighborhood Strings, a fairly new and innovative after-school program supporting the music experience for kids at risk in the Worcester area grades 2-12. We have given two other grants there in the past few years. The student population includes many immigrant families and refugees. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to continue to further encourage this pathbreaking organization’s work.