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Congratulations to our 3rd quarter grant recipients:

Charleston, SC: Allegro Charter School: This is the second grant we’ve offered Allegro; this program serves students grades 6-12 with an immersive musical experience (students learn several different kinds of instruments as part of their study). We gave our first grant there in 2015 when this was a new program; they’ve grown substantially since then and need more instruments.  We’ve offered them $2,600 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Greenville, SC: Legacy Early College Middle School: This growing program serves kids grades 5-8 in an area with significant poverty. They are requesting a new infusion of instruments to meet their growth and reduce rental costs for instruments. (we gave our first grant there in 2017). 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered $3,046 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth for a program serving particularly disadvantaged kids.

Leesville, NC: Loure Orchestra Boosters Club: This active orchestra program for kids grades 6-12 in the Raleigh NC suburbs is in need of a growing inventory to keep up with student demand, and to be able to offer instruments free of rental charge.  CFKF’s offered them $2,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

New York City, NY: Harmony Program: This is the second grant CFKF’s offered the NYC Harmony Program (which is one of several Harmony Projects we’ve supported nationally). They’re expanding in Harlem, Chinatown and Queens, and need more instruments to support kids grades 3 and 6 they provide instruction for. The population is multiethnic (mainly Black, Hispanic and Asian), and 84% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF’s offered  $5,000 in matching funds to encourage this growing program’s needs.

Portland, ME: Palaver Strings: up until now, this group has been performance-based, but they’re starting a strings instruction program to expand their mission. They’re serving kids ages 4-6, and the student population is ethnically mixed with a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. This grant will constitute their initial inventory of instruments., and we’re offering $4,000 in matching funds to encourage this innovative new program’s beginning.

San Jose, CA: School of Arts and Culture at MHP: This school serves students ages Pre-K through grade 12 in a very low-income area with considerable crime and poverty around East San Jose, helping them achieve developmental and educational milestones through music study.  The focus is on the Mariachi culture and musical traditions. The population is predominantly Hispanic, and 80% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. They are requesting support for 6 violins, and CFKF’s offered $1,306 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Santa Fe, CA: Youth Symphony Assoc.: This organization offers training for kids grades K-5 from around Santa Fe.; they serve an age group that doesn’t have offerings for strings instruction there.  The student population is ethnically mixed, and 71% of the students in the general area qualify for the Federal free lunch program. CFKF’s offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this well-run program’s growth.

Stockton, CA: Colonial Heights School: This public-school string program serves kids grades 4-8; they have a need for more inventory so that families unable to afford rental costs can participate in strings. We’ve offered $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

We’ve just updated our map of grant locations across the US with our 2018 1st and 2nd quarter grant locations.  Check it out!

Congratulations to our 2nd quarter grant recipients:

Decatur, AL Youth Symphony: This youth program in a blue-collar community in northern Alabama is seeking to expand its cello program and allow students growing out of their starter cellos to have instruments to play. CFKF has offered $1,808 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Detroit, MI: Youth Volume: This program serves kids grades K-12 with group violin and viola classes; they serve as a feeder organization into the Detroit Symphony’ Orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensembles program. They requested support for 7 instruments, and CFKF’s offered $1,612 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a community of high need.

Duschene, UT: Eagle Community Foundation: This growing program serves kids grades 5-6 in Duschene County; they are working on developing a class for younger students to feed into an established junior high program. They asked for support for 10 instruments, and we’ve offered $2,502 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Eagle Mountain, UT: Rockwell Charter HS: This is an open enrollment Charter School in a rural area of Utah; the program currently has no inventory of instruments, so this grant would help establish one in order to help encourage students unable to afford or rent one to be able to participate. They need support for 12 instruments, and we’ve offered $2,258 in matching funds.

Greenfield, MA: Artspace Community Arts Center: This program serving kids grades 3-12 operates in partnership with the Greenfield Public Schools; they have an active violin program for the area but need more cellos to expand their offerings. They need support for 5 instruments, and we’ve offered $2,165 in matching funds to encourage this program’s continuing growth.

Lafayette, LA: Spartan Strings: This program serves students grades 9-12; kids audition to participate in Spartan Strings. They currently have very little inventory of violas and cellos and those are of poor quality; this grant would help to address that issue. CFKF’s offered a matching grant of $1,201 to support their need.

Lancaster, PA: Music for Everyone: This is our 3rd grant request from Lancaster; they offer music instruction to the Lancaster School system for kids grades K-12. They provide grants to all of the schools, but are unable to keep up with the demand for support for strings offerings. The program serves a multiethnic population, including many refugee families; we’ve offered a grant of $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s continued growth through the Deon Hilge fund.

Lewisburg, WV Carnegie Hall: This innovative program works in partnership with the Weill Music Institute in NYC, offering recorder instruction to kids grades 3-5 to schools throughout the counties surrounding Lewisburg in a very rural area; all the schools served are Title I. We’ve offered a grant of $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program; this will be our first grant in West Virginia.

Manitou Springs, CO Elementary Schools Ensemble: This is our second grant request from Manitou Springs; this program serves kids grades K-5. On the heels of a successful introduction to violin for all 3rd graders through our first grant, they seek to expand their offerings to include cello and bass. CFKF’s offered a grant of $2,265 in matching funds to encourage this program’s continued growth.

Mesa, AZ: Heritage Academy Mesa: This program operates an orchestra for kids grades 7-12; they need more cellos and basses to continue to grow and expand lower strings participation. We’ve offered $1,660 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in an area we have little presence.

New York City, NY: St. Luke’s Orchestra: This is our second grant request from St. Luke’s; they began a successful program for disadvantaged kids several years ago for kids grades 2-8. They need to increase their inventory of violas and cellos and reduce students’ reliance on poor quality rentals. The program serves a multiethnic population in a variety of school and community center locations; 85% of the students they serve go to Title I schools, where 100% of the students qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered a grant of $2,460 in matching funds to encourage this excellent program.

Omaha, NE: Omaha Conservatory of Music: This program currently offers free instruction to string students grades 3-8 in underserved areas around Omaha; they’d like to start a double bass offering as well for their String Sprouts program, which operates in 14 different locations. The student population is multi-ethnic; CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this active and innovative program’s growth; this will be our first grant in Nebraska.

Sandpoint, ID: Music Conservatory of Sandpoint: This afterschool program serves kids grades 4-12, bringing music instruction to such areas as Priest River. They hope through this grant to provide more opportunity to rural kids in the area. CFKF has offered a grant of $1,975 in matching funds to encourage this program in an area we have little presence.

Springfield, MA: Veritas Prep Charter School: This middle school serving grades 5-8 in the Springfield area. Group strings classes meet weekly in Strings Club, and students perform regularly in community events such as the MLK celebration. The student population is predominantly Hispanic and African-American, and 100% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program. We’ve offered a grant of $1,172 in matching funds to encourage this program in an area with little strings instruction.

Worcester, MA: Neighborhood Strings: This is our third grant to Neighborhood Strings, which we supported with a grant. Under the auspices of the Worcester Chamber Music Society, they work with kids grades 3-12 from around Worcester in an after-school setting, and they need to expand their inventory of quality instruments as the program continues to grow. CFKF has given Neighborhood Strings grant of $2,323 in matching funds to encourage this program’s expansion.

Atlanta, GA: Drew Charter School: This school serves a large and innovative urban renewal initiative in Atlanta, where thousands of mixed-income families live together in a revitalized neighborhood. The student population is ethnically mixed (predominantly African-American). They have a strong and growing string program, and needed both new instruments and replacements for damaged inventory. CFKF offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Bayfield, CO: Be Heard Music Conservatory: This program serves elementary schools in the mostly rural area of Bayfield and Durango for kids grades 1-5. The student population is predominantly Caucasian with a small Native American presence. The program continues to grow, and there’s a strong need for more inventory to meet that growth. We offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a rural area of Colorado.

Bellefontaine, OH City Schools: This rural public school program (45 miles from Columbus, pop. 15,000) serving grades 3-12 is growing rapidly, and there is a dearth of cellos and basses available. CFKF offered a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a rural area.

Conyers, GA: Bread of Life Development Ministries: This is a new program hoping to bring the musical experience to children grades K-5 in a small Georgia community. They requested support for several new instruments, and CFKF has offered $2,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a rural area in the Georgia where we have little presence.

Indianapolis, IN: Pride Academy: This is our second grant from this program serving kids grades K-6; they are continuing to grow and need more violins. There is not an orchestral program, but the students learn the violin and reading music through group lessons. We’ve offered a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s further growth.

Inglewood, CA: Children of the Pro: This charter school serving kids grades 4-8 is building classroom instruction of strings as part of their curriculum. They need support for more instruments to support their growth; CFKF has offered them $2,000 in matching funds.

New York City, NY: Opportunity Music Project: This organization delivers a strings experience to students from all around NYC; they have a strong need to strengthen their inventory of basses to a growing class. We’ve offered matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Oklahoma City, OK: El Sistema Oklahoma: This large program serves kids grades 3-10 at 11 schools in the northern part of Oklahoma City. They have a strong need for more new inventory for their growing student population. CFKF’s offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth; this will be our second Oklahoma grant.

Palmer, AK: Birchtree Charter School: This is our second grant for this growing string program serving grades 4-8 in the general vicinity of Anchorage. Strings are a core curriculum class; they wish to expand their inventory particularly of lower instruments (viola, cello, bass) so that students unable to rent or buy have access. CFKF has offered a grant of $1,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Plattsburgh, NY: Plattsburgh City SD: This public school music program serves kids grades 5-12; they offer all mediums of instruction but have a strong string program. Budget constraints have contributed to a declining inventory of playable instruments; many are in such poor condition as to be unplayable. We are supporting this active program with $2,500 in matching funds to encourage their growth in a rural area of New York state.

Portland, ME: Portland Symphony: The Explorers program created by PSO uses music to help students grades K-3 reach appropriate reading and social skills, and to help prepare them for 4th grade strings instruction in 2 Portland public schools. We’ve offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a state we have little presence.

Seattle, WA: Keys to Change: This organization runs 2 studios in the area south of Seattle for kids ages 12-18. They provide lessons and additional support to public school string programs in the area, and wish to have a larger inventory of violins to offer to their students most in need. CFKF is offering $2,280 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Tacoma, WA: Tacoma Public Schools: This system is offering a new course in violin instruction for 4th graders as part of their standard curriculum at Franklin Elementary School. We’ve offered $2,500 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth with more beautiful new violins.

Waltham, MA: Whittemore Elementary: This school is offering string instruction for kids grades 3-5; the grant is meant to serve students whose families can’t afford to rent or buy instruments. CFKF has offered matching funds to further encourage this program’s growth.

Worcester, MA: Support Our Fine Arts (SOFA): This is a Magnet program designed to serve the Worcester Public Schools; they have a strong need for more and better instruments to serve their students grades 7-12 unable to rent or buy instruments. We’re offering $1,473 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Congratulations to the recipients of our 2017 4th quarter grants!

Boston, MA: Boston String Academy: This program serves a broad community of minority and immigrant families around Boston; their goal with this grant is to establish a solid string program in Allston, MA at their partner Gardner Pilot Academy. CFKF has offered matching support for 12 violins to encourage this program’s growth from our Boston String Project fund.

Buffalo, NY: Olmsted School Foundation: This program supports a thriving and quickly growing string program serving kids K—12. The city of Buffalo has a poverty rate of nearly 50% for children, and 64% of the students in this program qualify for the Federal free lunch program, CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Chicago, IL: Chicago West Community Music Center: This is our second grant request from this organization; they serve children grades K-12 and beyond. They are building a program for younger students to grow into their teen program. CFKF has offered $1,248 in matching funds to further encourage this program’s growth.

Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Academy: This program serves kids grades 4-12; they have an active and growing orchestral program and requested support for 1 double bass. We have offered matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program in a state we have a growing presence in.

Kansas City, MO: Heartland Chamber Music: This program serves kids pre-K through 6th grade with violin instruction. Many of the students go to schools without a string program; They requested support for 14 violins and have received $1,044 in matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program.

Madera, CA: Millview Elementary School: This is the 3rd grant request from Madera; interest in their string program continues to grow, and this grant will support the creation of another string program in another elementary school there. 100% of the students qualify for the Federal free lunch program; the kids are 90% English language learners. They requested support for 20 instruments and CFKF has offered $3000 in matching funds to further encourage this program’s growth.

Mobile, AL: St. Paul’s Episcopal School: This private school serves an ethnically mixed population of students grades 5-12. They have an active string program called Chamber Strings that travels and performs around the area, and they wish to allow access to instruments for those families unable to purchase or rent them. They requested support for 5 instruments, and CFKF has offered $1,937 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth in a new state for CFKF.

NYC, NY: Washington Heights Inwood Project: An organization called Orchestrating Dreams is developing a project in Washington Heights to provide cultural access to Washington Heights residents ages 2-24 with orchestra, chamber ensemble and other activities. This grant will provide instruments for students grades 7-10 for this ethnically diverse group. They requested support for 16 instruments, and CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s expansion.

Rushville, IN: Franklin County 4H: This 4H group serving kids grades 3-12 fills a void where there is no string program in the schools in this rural area. They requested support for 1 cello and 1 bass, and CFKF has offered matching support for this program’s request

San Marcos, CA: Kids’ College: This is our third grant request from this quickly growing and innovative program (they are projecting growth from 75-125 kids this year) serving kids grades 4-6. This organization is the only source of string education there, and 85% of the children qualify for the Federal free lunch program. They requested support for 14 instruments, and we continue our support for this great program’s growth with a $2,500 match.

Savannah, GA: Savannah Classical Academy: This school serving students K-12 has a goal of providing a classical education including the arts; the students for this school are chosen by city-wide lottery. They have an active string program and need more stringed instruments to serve the kids there. The student population is predominantly African-American. They requested support for 20 instruments, and we’ve offered support for this program’s growth with a $3,000 match in a state we haven’t had a presence in yet.

St. Cloud, MN: Talahi Community School: This elementary school is requesting support for growth of their string program. The school (recognized for its STEM program), serves many different ethnicities, including a large East African immigrant community. Most students can’t afford to own or rent instruments; 96% of the children qualify for the Federal free lunch program. They requested support for 4 instruments, and CFKF has offered $994 in matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program in a state we have a growing presence in.

Congratulations to the recipients of our 2017 3rd quarter grants!

Boston, MA: Boston Bridge Academy: This charter school serving kids pre-K through 6th grade has a program where every child starts on a string instrument in 1st grade; the program’s growing and they needed an infusion of larger instruments. CFKF offered a matching grant from our Boston String Project fund to encourage this program’s growth.

Conway, SC: Academy of Hope Charter School: This is a public charter school serving kids grades 3-8 in an area of high poverty. Their goal is to provide a free instrument to each child involved in music, and this grant will go toward that goal. We’ve offered $2,500 in matching funds to further encourage the growth of this program for underserved kids.

Flint, MI: Carman-Ainsworth Middle School: This is our third request from Flint; they have a quickly growing program in a very hard-hit area economically. They are adding a 5th grade program to an existing program for grades 6-8. CFKF has given $4,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s growth.

Jacksonville, FL: Cathedral Arts Project: This is an after-school program for underserved kids in the Jacksonville area grades 3-5. There’s a strong need to replace its aging inventory of violins and to enhance their quality. The student population is mainly Hispanic and African-American; CFKF has offered a matching grant to further encourage the growth of this after-school program.

Little Rock, AR: Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts: This summer program serves students grades K-12 serving 6 counties near Little Rock, but has attendees from as far away as Iowa and Texas. The student population is diverse; they had no instruments and had been borrowing them from other school districts. We’ve offered $3,000 in matching funds to further encourage the growth of this interesting and quickly growing program, our first in Arkansas.

Manassas, VA: Parkside Middle School: This suburban middle school west of DC wants to ensure access to instruments for students otherwise unable to participate. The student population is diverse, and CFKF offered matching support for 20 violins to support their need.

Newark, NJ: Gray Charter School: This multi-ethnic charter school’s plan is to have all students grades 1-8 playing the violin, with one goal being their performing alongside members of the New Jersey Symphony. The school operates in a high poverty area of Newark; CFKF has offered $3,000 in matching funds to encourage this program’s considerable expansion.

Phoenix, AZ: Sounds Academy: This program offers chamber music instruction for kids K-12 from throughout the metro Phoenix area. They serve Title 1 schools and economically challenged neighborhoods; we’ve offered a matching grant to encourage this innovative program offering the chamber music experience in Arizona.

Seattle, WA: Friends of Garfield Orchestra: This is the 3rd grant request we’ve had from this program; it’s grown steadily in the meantime, and they have a strong need for cellos and violins. Most of the students involved that they are working to support can’t afford instruments; CFKF has offered a matching grant to allow this important access to quality instruments.

St. Louis, MO: Classical Guitar Society: This is our second grant request from this organization serving kids grades 4-6 with guitar instruction; the number of schools participating since our last grant has grown from 7 to 12 schools. They work in the economically and socially challenged community of Fergusen. We’ve given this innovative organization matching funds from our Deon Hilger reserve fund to encourage the growth of this well-run program.

Tucson, AZ:  Hollinger K-8 Music Program: This program has an active string program for kids grades 6-8, and they wish to extend this program to grades 3-5. CFKF has supported this expansion with a matching grant for new instruments.