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Brownsburg, IN: Brownsburg Education Foundation: Brownsburg is a suburb just west of Indianapolis; their large public school music program is seeking to increase the number of ukuleles to be able to offer 1:1 availability of instruments for their students in the K-5 age group. This experience also prepares them for entrance into more advanced stringed instruments. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,000 to encourage this public school system’s important and empowering string program.

Buffalo, NY: Jewish Community Center: This JCC offers music instruction to students around the Buffalo area regardless of their race or religious affiliation. They seek to expand the number of instruments available particularly to families unable to afford them; they have a present focus on refugee families from Ukraine, Afghanistan and other countries.  CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,000 to encourage this organization’s efforts to provide the musical experience particularly for refugee children.

Herman, PA: The Summit School: The Summit School supports the positive development of males grades 7-12 referred by probation officers from a variety of states around the upper Midwest, East and as far away as Texas. Their music program is focused on providing a positive and pro-social experience to students coming from difficult backgrounds and experiences.  The student population is ethnically mixed. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,480 to encourage this organization’s important work.

Las Vegas, NV: FAYM: Las Vegas’ Foundation to Assist Young Musicians afterschool program works in an area of Las Vegas with high poverty; their goal with this grant is to replace broken instruments and increase their available inventory for their needy students grades K-12. The student population is primarily Hispanic. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,233 to encourage this organization’s music program for needy kids.

NYC, NY: UpBeat NYC: This organization, formed in 2009, provides free music instruction to students grades K-12 in the South Bronx area of NYC. They need to build inventory to better support the underserved and underrepresented families that participate in the program’s musical work, which is not present in the schools there. The student population is of color (70% Latinx/Hispanic and 30% African American; CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this organization’s work in an economically and socially challenged area of NYC.

Oxnard, CA: Nyeland Promise:  Nyeland Promise’s work in the Nyeland Acres community in Ventura County serves the most economically challenged inhabitants there; the students’ age range from K-12. Their music program focuses on supporting the musical culture of the families there; 100% of the participants are Hispanic, and CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this organization’s cultural and musical work.

Pittsburgh, PA: Community Specialists Corp.: CSP’s work focuses on at-risk females grades 7-12, providing musical activities that promote healing and growth. Students are referred there by probation officers and Office of Children, Youth and Families. They have a need for more instruments to support their work. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,480 to encourage this organization’s work with at-risk females.

Pompano Beach, FL: Volta Music Foundation: Volta’s afterschool music program serving kids grades K-4 needs support to increase the number of double basses there. The students come from Title I schools, Boy and Girls Club, and community centers. 99% of the students involved are of color. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $723 to help them acquire another double bass.

San Diego, CA: Youth Symphony: SDYS, which engages students from around the San Diego area, has an Opus Project that seeks out underserved children grades 3–12 for participation in their free instruction and ensemble opportunities. They have a need for more instruments to support this initiative. The student population is ethnically and culturally diverse. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this well-known youth symphony’s important initiative supporting underserved youth.

Savannah, GA: DUET: This organization serves kids pre-K through ninth grade in the Savannah area. Their focus is on predominantly Black communities in the region; they have a need for many more instruments in order to expand their activities. CFKF is offering them a matching grant of $1,500 to encourage this organization’s efforts for underserved children.

Wichita Falls, TX: Youth Symphony Orchestra: This youth Orchestra’s K-5^th Grade program (GCAM) involving students from around the Wichita Falls area needs an influx of new instruments for their rental program, which also allows for periodic maintenance of these instruments. Students are encouraged afterward to audition for upper levels of this organization’s Orchestra program. CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this Youth orchestra’s ability to offer strings instruction in an area of Texas we are building presence in.

CFKF is excited to share this great update from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a CFKF matching grant recipient!

The Nouveau Program is a brilliant opportunity to pass on orchestral music to the next generation. During the participants’ performances, crowds are elated by the young people’s talent and dedication. All the Nouveau students performed at this year’s sold-out Classical Roots concert on April 14, 2023, at Music Hall. The students accompanied famed performers Ella Vaughn, vocalist, and George Shirley, tenor. The crowd was thrilled! Some students also performed at the Hispanic Heritage Chamber. Both events showcased the students’ dedication, talent, and commitment to their communities. Members of the Nouveau Program provide hope for a diverse orchestra that touches the heartstrings of its audience.

This work is possible because of Classics for Kids and like-minded individuals who know the value of music and music education. Thank you!

Congratulations to our 1st Quarter Grant recipients!

Chandler, AZ: East Valley Jewish Community Center: This community center serving young children pre-K through kindergarten wishes to start a new string program with guitars for their kids, teaching them motor skills, communication, teamwork and language skills. We’ve offered them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this community center’s growing program in an area we are growing presence.

Chicago, IL; Chicago Public Schools Foundation: This grant request is specific to the school system’s Chopin Elementary School Orchestra serving kids grades K-8. They need an expanded inventory of instruments so that students have access to them, both for classes at and after school, as well as for home practice.  CFKF has offered them a grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage this public school’s important and empowering string program.

Corvallis, MT: MS and HS Orchestras: This rural community south of Missoula has a growing orchestra program (it grew 25 % the past 2 years) in need of more quality instruments to be made available to kids grades 5-12 there. This is the only community within 40 miles that has an orchestra initiative. We’ve offered them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this public school system’s string program in the predominantly rural state where CFKF was born.

Elgin, IL: Eljin Youth Symphony Orchestra: EYSO wishes to build an inventory for their tuition-free Starter Strings program serving kids in 4^th grade. They hope to provide these instruments in particular for families unable to afford instrument purchase or rental. Elgin is one of the fastest-growing cities in Illinois, and we’ve offered them a grant of $1,500 to encourage this public school’s string program.

Gainesville, FL: Cornerstone Academy Music: This private school serving kids grades  5-12 wishes to help their students achieve more advanced musical skills with quality instruments. The students come from several counties in north-central Florida. CFKF has offered them a grant of $1,000 to encourage this program’s growth in an area of Florida where we have a growing presence.

Marietta, GA: Marietta, GA City Schools: The Marietta High School orchestra, serving students grades 9-12, has a healthy double bass section, but needs another double bass for all of the students to be able to perform at concerts. The student population is diverse; we’ve offered them a grant of $862 from the Hilger reserve to encourage this public school’s string program.

Miami, FL: Salvation Army: This Miami branch of TSA has a band program serving kids grades 1-9, and they wish to develop a new string program to be able to offer a complete musical experience to their students. We’ve offered them a grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage this great organization’s  new strings initiative.

NYC, NY: Developing Artists: This organization is a nonprofit arts school dedicated to creating performance opportunities for their students, including spoken words, beats and songs. They are in need of several new instruments to fully offer that experience to their students. They serve kids grades 9-12 from all 5 boroughs of NYC. CFKF has offered them a grant of $1,575 to support this new initiative.

Takoma Park, MD: Don Bosco Cristo Rey HS: This high school serving students grades 9-12 wishes to build a new string program, responding to students’ appeals for more arts electives. In order to initiate this program, they need a starter inventory. The school draws kids from as far as DC metro; we’ve offered them $809 from the Hilger reserve to support the initiation of this new program in an economically challenged area.

Washington, DC: Serve Your City: This program serving kids grades 3-11 believes that the arts can empower the most underserved populations in the DC metro area. They presently have no owned inventory of stringed instruments, and need to have a quality and reliable inventory of their own to support their students. We’ve offered them $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to support the initiation of this new program in an economically challenged area.

Congratulations to these recipients!

Baltimore MD Strawbridge School Music Program: This school serving kids grades 3-12 wishes to further increase their immersion in music with more instruments and community outreach. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage this innovative community initiative.

Coral Gables FL G.W. Carver Elementary School: This ethnically diverse elementary school serving kids grades 3-5 wishes to provide equitable access to the musical experience. The instruments they have are of poor quality; they need a substantial infusion of new instruments to build their orchestra program. We’ve offered them a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the revitalization of their string program.

Kansas City MO Providence School of the Arts: This private arts school serving kids pre-K through 8^th grade wishes to expand the quality and quantity of stringed instruments in order to provide more access to strings and the inspiration of a quality instrument. CFKF has offered them a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage this program’s continued growth.

La Jolla CA Community Music Center: This center, supported by the La Jolla Music Society, gives after-school bilingual support to underserved kids grades 3-12 in the Logan Heights community of south-central San Diego. They need a further infusion of quality new instruments to give access to strings to more of their students, who can use them at school and at home. We’ve offered them a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the growth of this needed program in an economically challenged area of San Diego.

Lodge Grass MT Public Schools: This is a new string program being initiated on the Crow Reservation in Montana. They’ve had an active band program there for years, but this is their inauguration of a string program. The student population is nearly 100% native Apsaalouke. We’ve offered them a grant of $2,500 from the Hilger fund to support this important new initiative in one of the most economically challenged areas in America.

Los Angeles CA A Place Called Home: This is our second grant request from APCH; we gave them a grant in 2021. For this grant request, they are serving kids grades 4-7 with beginner collective instruction, and there’s great interest in developing a solid ensemble program. CFKF has offered them a grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to further encourage the growth of this needed program in the most impoverished area of Los Angeles.

Oklahoma City OK El Sistema Oklahoma: This program serves kids grades 3-12 from around Oklahoma City; they need an infusion of better and larger instruments to support their students as they grow (they still only have the instruments they received as beginners). CFKF is offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the growth of this much-needed program.

Providence RI Community MusicWorks: This is our second application from CMW; we gave our first grant there several years ago. CMW is one of the most highly regarded programs serving at-risk youth in America; This grant is part of a larger goal of having quality instruments for all of their students; they need larger size instruments for their growing violinists and cellists. CFKF is offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage this well-known and groundbreaking program.

Stamford CT INTEMPO Music School: This is our second request from INTEMPO; we gave them a grant in 2021. This after-school music program offers instruction to kids pre-K through 12^th grade from around the general area of Stamford. They have a need for quality and appropriately sized instruments to best serve kids as they grow and that inspire them. We are offering a matching grant of $1,500 to help this excellent and much-needed programs for kids at risk in the Stamford area.

Congratulations to these recipients!

Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: This prominent orchestra has created the Nouveau Program, which strives to support increased opportunities in music to kids of African American and Latine heritage. The students receive chamber music coaching and experience in age-appropriate workshops. They have a need for more quality instruments that the students can practice on at home and participate in the program with. CFKF gave them a grant of $2,000 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the community initiative of this venerable orchestra.

New Haven, CT: Music Haven: This is our second grant offering to Music Haven; we gave them a grant several years ago. They serve kids grades 1-12 from around the New Haven area, providing private lessons, chamber music coaching and mentoring. As their program and instrumental offerings grow, they need support for more good and appropriately sized instruments. We gave them a grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the continued growth of their innovative and immersive program.

Porterville, CA: Porterville Strings: This after-school program in a rural farming area of California with a large migrant population is creating an orchestral experience that kids wouldn’t have after the 8^th grade, where the string program ends in the public schools. They have a strong need for more stringed instruments to fulfill this vision. CFKF has offered them a grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the growth of this needed program.

Washington, D.C.: Center City Public Charter School: With this grant request, this organization hopes to build a strong string program on their Brightwood campus; they serve kids grades 2-8 in Northwest Washington DC.  We offered them a grant of $2,000 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the growth of their string program.

Wenatchee, WA: Pinnacles Prep: Wenatchee Prep, located in a rural area east of Seattle, is a new public charter school serving kids grades 6-8. They are building a new string program and need a starter inventory of instruments to build interest and accessibility to strings. We offered them a grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to encourage the initiation of their program in an area of the Northwest where we are growing our presence.

West Bloomfield, MI: This school serving kids pre-K-4^th grade northwest of Detroit is starting a new program offering ukulele instruction, music theory and understanding of music notation. They serve kids from 4 communities, including school choice students from other school districts. CFKF offered them a grant of $1,500 to help this school begin a new music program through ukulele instruction.

Students are very eager to learn the ukulele.

Kearney Public Schools

The funding received from [CFKF] has impacted students attending 10 elementary schools. Each school has received a set of ukuleles that are used in music instruction and performances. The ukuleles help us teach our curriculum and build necessary skills students will utilize as they develop their musician skills. We have implemented ukuleles into our fourth and fifth grade curriculum–which has introduced students to the string family. Our students are learning about half and whole steps, major and minor, intervals, chord progressions, harmonies, and strum patterns. Strum patterns will in turn help reinforce steady beat and rhythm patterns. Students are discovering how string instruments produce sound through vibrations and being able to improvise simple chord progressions. Eventually, students will even learn to accompany themselves while singing. 

We will also use the ukuleles during our music programs. We want parents to see students actively making music to encourage them to support their children’s musical journey. The ukuleles will be a key part of our students’ development of a life-long love of making music. 

Alburquerque, NM Youth Symphony Program: This program serves around 400 students grades 4-12 from around the Albuquerque area; they wish to build sufficient inventory to support students whose families are unable to buy or rent instruments. We’re offering support for several instruments to support this worthwhile program in the Southwest where we are building presence.

Birmingham, AL Spring Valley School: This is a new program for this school; they serve kids grades 1-4 in their music program, which introduces instruments to their youngest students. They need an influx of new instruments to begin the program. We’ve offered matching support for 16 instruments from the Hilger reserve to encourage the growth of their program and access to instruments for those in need.

Des Moines, IA DMPS: This large school district serves kids grades 5-12 from throughout the Des Moines metro area; their wish is to build sufficient inventory so that students don’t need to share instruments (they are typically shared with one or two other students). We’re offering a matching grant of $1,500 to support this large school district in an area of the Midwest that we are building presence in.

Durham, NC Kidznotes: This program is growing (as well as the kids in it; hence the need for more larger sized instruments); they have a variety of ensembles including orchestra, a string quartet and chamber ensemble. CFKF is offering a matching grant of $1,500 to support this worthwhile program in North Carolina.

Homewood, AL Magic City Acceptance Academy City School: This charter school serves kids grades 6-12 from around the Homewood-Birmingham area. They need an influx of instruments (mainly ukuleles) to introduce kids to the stringed instrument family, with the hope that they can continue into the violin family. We’re offering a grant of $1,780 to support this growing program in an area of the Southeast where we have little presence.

Kissimmee, FL Poinciana Academy of Fine Arts: This school serves kids grades 4-5; they have a strong commitment to music education, and need support for a larger inventory of instruments to support kids whose families wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate. We’re offering a matching grant of $1,500 in matching funds from the Hilger reserve to encourage this worthy and expanding program.

New Orleans, LA Living School: This school offers music instruction to students grades 9-12; they have an existing band program but wish to add strings to the mix to provide greater variety and interest.  The area they serve includes all zip codes in New Orleans; we’re offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to support this worthwhile program in New Orleans.

Oakland, CA Harmony Project Bay Area: This Harmony Project (we’ve supported several of them around America) serves kids grades 3-12 around Oakland; this grant request is specific to Daly City. They wish support for their expansion of their after-school program’s need for more high-quality instruments (there is presently no public school instrumental instruction at the school they’re supporting with after-school instruction. CFKF is offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to support another worthwhile Harmony Project.

Peoria, IL Artists ReEnvisioning Tomorrow Inc.: ReEnvisioning Tomorrow is the only program in the community offering instruction to all wishing to participate. They serve kids K-12; they offer a broad variety of instruction that includes strings. Their after-school program is designed to engage kids during a vulnerable time in their day.  We’re offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to support this worthwhile program in an area of the upper Midwest where we are building presence.

San Diego, CA BGC of San Diego: This Boys and Girls Club serving kids K-12 from around San Diego is starting a new string program with ukuleles to provide beginner strings instruction to augment their existing after-school jazz and rock program. We’re offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to support another Boys and Girls Club.

Savannah, GA Savannah Music Festival: SMF provides after-school music program for kids grades 5-12 including free instruments, ensembles, and private instruction. They need support for double basses for their jazz band. We’re offering a matching grant of $1,659 to support this worthwhile program in a state we’re building presence in.

Thornton, CO A Child’s Song: A Child’s Song provides the music experience to at-risk, recent immigrant, and foster children grades K-12 to numerous communities in Adams County, CO (the greater Denver metro area). The goal is to provide the healing and family involvement that music experience and instruction can provide to kids who’ve experienced trauma and displacement. They need an infusion of new instruments to help with that goal. CFKF is offering a matching grant of $1,500 from the Hilger reserve to support this worthwhile and growing program in the Intermountain West.

Tyler, MN Public Schools: This rural public school system in southwest Minnesota wishes to start a new program with ukulele and guitar instruction for students grades 3-12 to provide the music experience to their system with the myriad benefits that it provides. We’ve offered a matching grant of $1,500 to support this worthwhile and growing program in a very rural area of the upper Midwest.

Barren County, KY SD: This is a well-established district with a strong orchestral program; they have a strong need for more instruments in their inventory for schools teaching kids grades 4-6. Many of the students served live in low-income households, necessitating the need for more access to instruments. CFKF has offered grant of $1,500 to encourage the growth of their program and access to instruments for those in need.

Bowie, MD FAME: This is FAME’s second request; we gave a grant here in 2016. They serve kids grades 4-8 in Prince George County. They need more instruments that kids can take home to practice and develop greater proficiency. 77% of the students in this program classify as economically disadvantaged. They asked for support for 2 double basses and 10 ukeleles; we’ve offered them a grant of $1,500 to continue supporting the great work they do there.

Chicago, IL The People’s Music School: This is our second  grant to this organization; they do great work providing music instruction and training (5 orchestras and 15 chamber ensembles!) for at-risk youth from around Chicago. We’ve offered agrant of $1,500 in matching funds to continue encouraging this worthy and expansive program.

Eckert, CO Valley Youth Orchestra: This program serves a rural area of Colorado; students come from a variety of age groups, socioeconomics and ethnicities. They need more instruments of quality to support their growing program. This is the only orchestral program within 60 miles. CFKF is offering them a grant of $1,500 to support this worthwhile program in an area of the Intermountain West we are building presence in.

Houghton, MI Copper Country Suzuki Assoc.: Located in a very rural area of upper Michigan, this association serves a group of children from elementary through high school. They need support for a few cellos for younger students in their developmental years. CFKF is offering a matching grant of $500 to support this worthwhile and growing program in a very rural area.

Louisville, KY Marion Moore School: We gave our first grant to this school in 2020; they serve kids grades 6-12, and they need more inventory so that students can practice at home (particularly young cellists who can’t take them on the bus), and to replace aging instruments beyond repair. CFKF has offered a matchinggrant of $1,500 to continue our support for this worthwhile school program.

San Fernando, CA Kadima Conservatory: This Conservatory has a partnership with the Vaughn Charter School that they are starting again as the pandemic settles down. They’ll be offering free after-school string classes starting fall 2022, and they need more inventory of violins, violas and cellos in order to build the program. We are offering a matching grant of $1,500 to support this growing program and partnership.

Sidney, ME Snow Pond Center for the Arts: This is our second grant offer to Sidney; they have expanded their reach to include new programs that will be served at the Kennebec Valley YMCA. The new school being served teaches kids grades 2-6, and they need an infusion of new violins for their incoming 5^th and 6^th graders. This scenic area is economically challenged; SPCA offers the only string program in the area. CFKF is offering amatchinggrant of $1,479 in matching funds to continue our support for this growing program in rural Maine.

Congratulations to our 4th Quarter recipients!

Boston MA Community Music Center of Boston: This venerable Boston organization (formed in 1910) offers instruments and training to kids K-12 from around Boston. Located in Boston’s South End, they offer instruction there, but 85% of their activity takes place in schools and community centers around the city. They need support for a larger inventory of instruments so that students in need can participate. The student population is diverse, and 71% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We gave a grant there early in CFKF’s development, and CFKF’s offering them a grant of $2,500 to continue supporting the great work they do there.

Chicago IL Chicago West Community Music Center: This is our 3^rd grant to this organization, which serves people K-adult in an economically challenged area in west Chicago. Current students have grown out of the smaller instruments we’ve supported, and Covid restrictions accentuate the need for more instruments that students can have at home. 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF has given them a grant of $1,000 to continue supporting the great work they do there.

Chicago IL ChiArts Music Conservatory: This community-based conservatory serving kids grades 9-12 has a strong need for more and better inventory for their string program. They strive to serve all 50 wards in Chicago, and make a great effort to create a broad-based, ethnically diverse and equitable student community. CFKF is offering a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this worthy and innovative program.

Denver CO Denver Young Artists Orchestra: This youth orchestra serves kids grades 2-12 in the Denver metro area;  the focus of this grant is support for kids grades 3-5, with the goal of getting that segment of the program back to full strength during Covid. Their focus is on supporting kids with mixed ethnicity and lower socioeconomic status. 93% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF is offeringgrant of $1,500 to support this worthwhile program in an area of the Intermountain West.

Fancy Farm KY Elementary Fine Arts Dept.: This school serving kids grades 4-6 in their music program needs an infusion of ukuleles in order to better build participation in music. 100% of the students qualify for the Federal Free Lunch program. CFKF is offering agrant of $1,425 to support this worthwhile and growing program in a rural area.

Ft. Defiance AZ Rez Refuge: This program, located on the Navaho Reservation in the northeastern corner of Arizona, is offering free instruction and instruments to kids grades K-10, along with take-home videos and indigenous musician showcasing. They specifically needed guitars for this program, as most of their existing inventory is beyond repair. The student population is mostly Native American (many of the Navaho tribe, and 85% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF has offered matching support for their purchase of 6 guitars.

Homestead FL Arts in Action: This summer music program is building an opportunity to experience and play culturally relevant music for disadvantaged kids grades 1-8. Students receive 1-1 guitar instruction, with songs celebrating Hispanic culture for the students in the program. 98% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF has offered matching support for this program’s purchase of 12 guitars.

Lakeland FL Ukelele Kids Club Inc.: This remarkable and substantial organization supports critically ill and medically fragile children in and out of hospitals with the gift of music through ukuleles and instruction by music therapists. Recipients age from pre-K through high school. They operate in partnership with over 250 hospitals around the US and in several foreign countries; We’ve offered a matching grant of $2,000 in matching funds to initiate a relationship with this innovative organization.

Los Angeles CA Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood: This BGC serving kids K-12 has a strong need for more guitars that students can have at home, especially during Covid, as well as more inventory to be able to serve more kids. They serve an area of LA with high unemployment and crime; the student population is multiethnic (mainly Latinx), and 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF has offered a matchinggrant of $1010 to support this valuable program’s acquisition of new guitars.

Manteca CA Manteca USD: This district’s high school has a very active music program; they have a strong need for more instruments to allow greater participation in the program, and many instruments in their inventory have outlived their useful life. The student population is ethnically mixed (predominantly Hispanic); nearly 90% of the students involved rely on school instruments. CFKF has offered a grant of $1600 in matching funds to support this program serving kids across a broad area in central California.

Miami FL Greater Miami Youth Symphony: This youth orchestra serving kids K-12 in southern Dade County seeks support for an infusion of new instruments for students in their scholarship and free public school programs. CFKF has offered a matching grant of $1,500 in matching funds to support kids most in need in this youth orchestra.

NYC NY Third Street Settlement School: This is our second grant to Third Street; they provide instruments and instructional support for public schools around NYC; the school being considered ((PS 130) serving kids grades 3-5 has a strong need for instruments that students can take home to practice in addition to instruments at school). PS 130 is located in Chinatown; the students are ethnically mainly Asian (86%); CFKF has offered a matching grant of $1,500 to support this worthy NYC program’s efforts.

Roseburg OR Umpqua Symphony Association: This organization offers instruments and teaching to kids K-12 from a large, mainly rural area of southern Oregon; they are the only organization in the area that offers strings to kids before junior high. They need an infusion of instruments to be able to offer training regardless of need. CFKF has offered a matching grant of $1300 to support the work they do there in a rural area of the Northwest.

San Rafael CA Enriching Lives Through Music: ELM  serves the Canal area of San Rafael, providing instruction and instruments to kids ages 7-18 in an economically and socially challenged area. They have a well-organized and incremental learning program, starting with strings and developing into full wind and chamber ensembles. They need more instruments to be able to best serve the variety of needs of kids’ age levels and sizes. CFKF has offered them a grant of $2,000 to support the great work they do there for a student population in need.

Shaker Heights OH Shaker School Foundation: This public school string program serving kids grades 5-6 needs an infusion of new instruments to help provide access to students most in need. CFKF has offered a matching grant of $1,000 in matching funds to support kids most in need at this school system.

St. Charles MN St. Charles Public Schools: This new program serving kids K-12 is offering after-school music instruction in a rural farming area of Minnesota. They need an infusion of new instruments in order to build the program. They have a band program (marching band), and this would be their first foray into the string area. Primary employment is through farming and the nearby Mayo Clinic. We’ve offered a matching grant of $810 in matching funds to support this worthy school system in an area of the upper Midwest.

Stockton CA Able Charter Schools: This charter school is beginning guitar instruction for 4^th and 5^th grades. They presently have no orchestral program, but hope to build one with the expansion of their performing arts center. They do have an existing violin program that the guitar offering would build upon. CFKF is offering a matchinggrant of $2,010 in matching funds from the Hilger fund to support this worthy and building program for disadvantaged kids.

Vista CA Boys and Girls Club: This BGC serves kids ages 5-18 in the Vista area; music is a core part of their activities there, and they wish to provide greater access to that through a larger and better inventory of instruments. The families involved are ethnically mixed (40% English Language learners), and 84% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF has offered a matching grant of $475 in matching funds to support this program serving kids in this BGC.

Walla Walla WA  Assumption Catholic School: This private school serving kids K-6 wishes to build a new music program, starting with ukulele instruction, music theory classes and vocal accompaniment. We’ve offered a matching grant of $885 in matching funds to support this program serving kids in a rural area of eastern Washington.

Williamsburg VA Providence Charter School: This is our second grant offer to Williambsburg. Last year’s grant helped to initiate a new violin program which they hope to build on with this grant to support the students in the 4^th grade. CFKF has offered a matching grant of $1,000 in matching funds to continue supporting the growth of this new program.

Wilmington DE Tennis Rocks: This afterschool youth support program wishes to build on their existing activities through offering instruction in guitar and ukulele. The hope is to create more opportunities for positive social and cultural interaction through the experience of music. This program serves an impoverished and diverse area of the community and 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered a matching grant of $1,375 to support this worthy and innovative program in a state we’re still building presence in.

It’s been a difficult year for music at Macedonia Elementary
dealing with temporary shut-downs, COVID-19 restrictions, and having
no chances to make music outside of school. These instruments saved
us and gave us the chance to finally perform together. The hole left
behind by the lack of recorders was filled and over 200 4th and 5th
graders got to play a ukulele.

Our two ensembles, nearly SO strong, were very successful and
gave our students a much-needed outlet for ensemble performance.
Additionally, greater interest in music has been created at home for
many students. About ten parents bought their students their own
ukuleles after seeing their increased interest in music. At least two of
them are pursuing private lessons for their students now, as well.

Many younger students have seen and heard the instruments
now, too, and can’t wait until they get older and get to play them with
their own hands. Our 5th grade graduation wouldn’t have been the
same without music, and I’m glad our ensembles’ recorded
performances got to liven up the atmosphere. I’ve received several
grateful messages from parents who were thrilled to hear that we
finally made an ensemble this year. Thank you so much.