Best Big Horn County Grants for Nonprofits in Montana

The AWG Mid-Career Excellence Award honors outstanding mid-career women scientists contributing significantly to geosciences. It recognizes achievements across academia, industry, and government, with nominees evaluated on their scientific impact and community service. This prestigious award encourages nominations from the AWG membership and the broader geoscience community, fostering recognition of women's vital contributions in the field. With a commitment to diversity, the award aims to inspire future generations of women in geoscience careers.

The Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant, established by the IBMA Foundation, honors the legacy of renowned bluegrass musician Terry Baucom. This grant supports musicians of all ages by providing funds for lessons, educational materials, and workshops. With awards beginning in January 2025, each grant can reach up to $500. Financial need is considered but not mandatory. This initiative aims to foster talent and ensure accessibility to bluegrass music education for a diverse range of applicants.

Our Story

The IBMA Foundation was created by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2007 with a bequest from the Richard Barnhart estate. Mr. Barnhart was a musician from northern Virginia who loved bluegrass and wanted to support educational programs for children. Since the beginning, our goal has been to support bluegrass-music-related educational, literary, artistic and historic preservation activities.

In our early years we produced Discover Bluegrass, an educational video that has been used in thousands of classrooms and libraries around the world. We have hosted dozens of teacher workshops and artist trainings. We created a bluegrass lesson plan competition and provided a network for leaders of after-school bluegrass programs.

Our project grants, which now total $25,000 a year, support bluegrass-related initiatives throughout the world. We also fund Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-grants ($7,000/year) which help schools to hire bluegrass bands for school programs. The Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award recognizes excellence in academic research. Six college scholarships are granted for students working in various areas of the bluegrass music industry. The Arnold Shultz Fund supports increased participation of people of color in bluegrass music with grants that total $30,000/ year. Fletcher Bright Memorial Grants for Young Musicians (age 18 and younger) help young people go to bluegrass music camps and workshops, take lessons, and purchase educational materials.

The Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship

The Sally Ann Forrester College Scholarship is a $1,000 – $2,000 scholarship awarded to a female bluegrass musician. Students may be majoring in any subject, including bluegrass music. The IBMA Foundation administers the scholarship, which is funded by an endowment at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Sally Ann Forrester played accordion and sang as a member of Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys from 1943-1946, thus becoming the first female professional bluegrass musician in history.

The IBMA Foundation is pleased to announce the permanent endowment of the Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship, funded by a $50,000 gift from Rick and Wendy Lang of New Hampshire. Rick Lang is a GRAMMY-nominated writer who serves as the chair of the IBMA Songwriter Committee and volunteers with the IBMA Songwriter Mentor Program.

The Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship is awarded annually to a student planning to study songwriting at the college level. Applicants are not required to have a declared major in songwriting, but they must already have demonstrated skills as a songwriter and plan to further their study of the art on a higher education level. Applicants must be current IBMA members. 

The first two recipients of this scholarship were Heather Alley (2020), a student at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY, and Jessica Lang (2021, no relation to the donors), a student at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

“Our goal with the scholarship is to help our youth be able to afford to further their educations in the music field and realize their dreams,” the Langs said. “Young people are the future of bluegrass music, and we are glad to be able to help them along their journey! We are beyond excited about finally endowing the scholarship. This means it will perpetuate and be available to students each and every year.”

The new endowed fund is held at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, TN, which invests and administers more than $500 million in charitable funds. The Rick Lang Music Songwriter Endowment Fund will distribute annual income to the IBMA Foundation to use in funding one or more Rick Lang Music Songwriter college scholarships each year and for expenses of administering that scholarship program.

Gifts to support this endowed scholarship are welcome from additional individuals, organizations and corporations interested in supporting the future of bluegrass songwriting.  

The Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award, presented by the IBMA Foundation, recognizes emerging academic scholars who deliver exceptional research on bluegrass music at juried conferences. Recipients earn a $500 honorarium and entry to the IBMA Business Conference and Awards Show. This award honors Neil Rosenberg, a prominent bluegrass historian, and aims to support graduate students and recent PhDs in their scholarly endeavors, promoting the preservation and study of bluegrass culture.

The Mike Auldridge Memorial Scholarship, established by the IBMA Foundation, honors the legacy of Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Mike Auldridge. It awards a $1,000 to $2,000 scholarship to students studying Dobro, steel guitar, or acoustic guitar at the college level. Applications are due by June 1 for the fall semester. This initiative supports the foundation's goal of fostering bluegrass music education and preserving its rich heritage.

The Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineering Scholarship, funded by the IBMA Foundation, supports individuals pursuing studies in broadcasting or sound engineering with a bluegrass music focus. Annually, $2,000 scholarships are available to current IBMA members, including adults seeking continuing education. Eligible fields include radio, television, digital media, and sound engineering. The application deadline is June 1 for fall semester scholarships, promoting professional involvement in the bluegrass music industry.

The J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship, established by the IBMA Foundation, honors the legacy of renowned bluegrass musician J. D. Crowe. Funded by a generous $20,000 donation from Arthur Hancock III, this scholarship aims to support aspiring banjo players pursuing their education at the collegiate level. Eligible candidates must showcase high performance skills on the banjo and demonstrate a commitment to the bluegrass music industry, ensuring Crowe's influence continues for future generations.

Our Story

The IBMA Foundation was created by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2007 with a bequest from the Richard Barnhart estate. Mr. Barnhart was a musician from northern Virginia who loved bluegrass and wanted to support educational programs for children. Since the beginning, our goal has been to support bluegrass-music-related educational, literary, artistic and historic preservation activities.

In our early years we produced Discover Bluegrass, an educational video that has been used in thousands of classrooms and libraries around the world. We have hosted dozens of teacher workshops and artist trainings. We created a bluegrass lesson plan competition and provided a network for leaders of after-school bluegrass programs.

Our project grants, which now total $25,000 a year, support bluegrass-related initiatives throughout the world. We also fund Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-grants ($7,000/year) which help schools to hire bluegrass bands for school programs. The Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award recognizes excellence in academic research. Six college scholarships are granted for students working in various areas of the bluegrass music industry. The Arnold Shultz Fund supports increased participation of people of color in bluegrass music with grants that total $30,000/ year. Fletcher Bright Memorial Grants for Young Musicians (age 18 and younger) help young people go to bluegrass music camps and workshops, take lessons, and purchase educational materials.

IBMA  Foundation Project Grants

The IBMA Foundation awards project grants each year, usually in amounts between $1,000 and $2,500. The deadline to apply is December 2. Projects must align with the Foundation’s mission in one of the following areas

• Arts & culture
• Education
• Literary or academic programs
• History preservation

The IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship offers a financial award ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 for students pursuing bluegrass music or related studies at the college level. Established by the IBMA Foundation, this scholarship aims to support future leaders in the bluegrass music industry. Applicants must submit their application by June 1 for a fall semester scholarship. This initiative highlights the foundation's commitment to fostering educational opportunities within bluegrass music.

The Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship, established by the IBMA Foundation, honors pioneering bluegrass musician Gloria Bernadette Flickinger. This $1,000 annual scholarship supports students engaged in the bluegrass music community, either as performers or in supportive roles. With over $25,000 raised since June 2024, the scholarship aims to expand funding to $2,000 annually by 2025, promoting education and participation in bluegrass music.