Best Grants for Musical Instruments in District of Columbia

Individual U.S.-based lyricists writing jazz or popular music can receive US $2,500 for an original song through the Peggy Lee Songwriter Award, including those in the District of Columbia. With a mission to support music creators, Ascap Foundation provides recognition for strong lyrics, intelligent language use, and clear career potential.

Individual lyric-writing songwriters in the District of Columbia can receive recognition and US $5,000 through the Sammy Cahn Award for original song lyrics and overall songwriting craft. The Ascap Foundation invites eligible ASCAP members in good standing or unaffiliated U.S.-based writers, including those creating music that may require instruments, to submit nominated works.

Middle and high school musical theatre teachers in the District of Columbia can be nominated for a US $5,000 award recognizing outstanding music and theatre education. The Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year Award from Ascap Foundation honors exemplary programs and impact, based on narratives, video testimonials, and recommendation letters.

501(c)(3) organizations in the District of Columbia using music to support addiction recovery can receive US $5,000 for their therapeutic programming. The ASCAP Foundation’s Mariana & Paul Williams “Sunlight of the Spirit” Award honors groups with a strong track record in the addiction community that integrate music into healing practices.

High school seniors in the District of Columbia planning to major in music and pursue songwriting or composition can receive college tuition assistance through this scholarship, awarding up to US $10,000. With a mission to support music creators, Ascap Foundation provides funding for original songwriters, musicians, composers, lyricists, and arrangers entering four-year programs.

Individual artists and humanities practitioners in the District of Columbia can seek support for creative work, practice, and community impact across music and other disciplines. Grants from DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities help District-based practitioners in areas like music, dance, theater, media, design, and visual arts sustain and elevate their contributions.

Music and arts organizations in the District of Columbia can seek general operating support to sustain programs, staffing, and overall operations. Grants from DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities serve arts, humanities, and arts education groups, including music-focused nonprofits, with awards scaled to organizational budgets and limited to a percentage of annual operating expenses.

Music students entering college or university programs in the District of Columbia and other eligible U.S. locations can receive funding for educational advancement and professional music development. Focused on nurturing outstanding talent in music performance or composition, the Ascap Foundation’s Michael Masser Scholarship awards up to US $3,000, paid directly to the recipient’s institution.

Scholars at any career stage conducting short-term research on musics of the Americas can receive up to US $1,000 to support a residency at the Library of Congress in the District of Columbia, covering travel, lodging, or duplication costs. Society for American Music’s Wayne Shirley Fellowship may benefit music-focused academics and professionals seeking archival research support.

Early- and mid-career scholars in music and related fields studying cross-cultural exchanges between Italy and the East Christian world, including work relevant to District of Columbia resources, can receive approximately US $61,700 for a joint residential fellowship. Villa I Tatti and Dumbarton Oaks provide stipends, housing or housing support, travel, and research resources in Florence and Washington, DC.

Songwriters and lyricists in the District of Columbia creating original, socially conscious songs can apply for the Ascap Foundation’s Jay Gorney Award; awards US $2,500 for a winning composition. Eligible entrants must be U.S.-based, at least 18, ASCAP writer members in good standing or unaffiliated writers, and nominated by ASCAP or the Foundation.

Young jazz composers ages 13–29 in the District of Columbia and across the U.S. can receive support for original jazz compositions through the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. With a mission to nurture music creators, ASCAP Foundation provides recognition and monetary prizes for unpublished or published, fully original jazz works submitted with score and recording.

Individual U.S.-based authors and critics creating English-language books, articles, media, or liner notes about music can receive up to US $4,000 in prizes, including applicants from the District of Columbia. Grants from Ascap Foundation help music writers and scholars whose recent work covers pop or concert music in various formats gain national recognition and support.

Music nonprofits and other 501(c)(3) organizations in the District of Columbia can seek funding for literacy, children’s programs, the arts (including music), social justice, or environmental initiatives. Grants from Nora Roberts Foundation help support program-focused projects, with typical awards up to US $5,000, and may include related operating costs needed to deliver programming.

Public schools in the District of Columbia seeking instruments for established K–12 music programs serving mostly economically disadvantaged students can receive in-kind instrument donations and equipment. Mr Hollands Opus Foundation supports music education nationwide, with a pre-qualification, full application, and interview process to assess needs and expand student access to quality school-based music instruction.

Nonprofit or government arts presenters in the mid-Atlantic region, including the District of Columbia, can access funding and touring support for jazz presentations through the Jazz Touring Network, offering up to US $3,000. Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation supports organizations that regularly present touring artists and want to start, expand, or enhance jazz programming.

Nonprofits, schools, and neighborhood groups in the District of Columbia can apply for Capitol Hill Community Foundation’s Innovation Grants, awarding US $5,000 - US $15,000 for new, one-time projects that expand their usual programming. Music organizations on Capitol Hill may be eligible if their growth initiative serves local residents and fits the foundation’s core funding areas.

The Dr. Alice M. Hudder- Richard T. Molder Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund, established by Richard Molder, supports Erie County high school seniors pursuing post-secondary education. In 2023, the Erie Community Foundation awarded over $800,000 in scholarships to deserving students. Two awards will be granted: one for students focusing on science, math, or business, and another for those studying art or music, emphasizing financial need and a strong work ethic.

The H. Lyman Mooney Music Scholarship, offered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, provides a $450 scholarship to a graduating senior from Marshfield High School pursuing music studies. Applicants must submit their transcripts, demonstrate financial need through FAFSA-SAI, and provide a letter of recommendation from their music teacher. The scholarship application period will reopen on January 1, 2026, for the 2026–27 academic year, aiming to support students in achieving their educational goals.

The ACFM Project Support Program offers funding between $2,000 and $20,000 for special projects that enhance public appreciation of contemporary American concert music and jazz. Eligible applicants include performing ensembles and music organizations with a minimum of two years of programming history. Projects must focus on contemporary works by American composers and can involve live performances, recordings, or educational initiatives. This support is pivotal for fostering innovation and creativity in the American music scene.

The Suzanne G. Cusick Professional Development Fund, offered by the American Musicological Society, provides $500 grants to support low-income scholars in music and sound studies. These grants aim to enhance professional development for independent scholars and contingent faculty who lack access to such opportunities. The fund emphasizes equitable participation, particularly for historically under-represented groups, ensuring a diverse range of recipients can benefit from this vital support.

The Joanie Bostic Memorial Senior Pirate Spirit Award, established by the Decatur County Community Foundation, honors Joanie Bostic's passion for youth and Greensburg athletics. This scholarship recognizes a senior who exemplifies outstanding school spirit through participation in or support of athletics or music. Eligible candidates must be graduating seniors from Greensburg Community High School and submit a statement detailing their school experience and encouragement of Pirate spirit.

About Us

Mission Statement

The Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies offers a unique environment for the study, appreciation, use, and promotion of a wide range of keyboard instruments. To serve an increasingly diverse audience, the Center presents keyboard-related conferences, workshops, concerts, masterclasses, educational programs, and publishes scholarly work at regular intervals; longstanding priorities have included the intersections of historical practices and technologies with larger social and artistic developments. In its activities and governance, the Center seeks to foster inclusion and equity among artists, builders, scholars, educators, students, enthusiasts, and partner organizations.

Since its founding in 1979, the Center has sponsored over one hundred events, including workshops, research conferences and symposia, tours to historic instruments, solo recitals and early music concerts, and educational programs designed to interest the general public in keyboard instruments and their repertoire.

Members include highly acclaimed artists, noted scholars, some of the world’s greatest instrument builders, and music lovers.

The Barbara Owen Research Grant

A lifelong member of the Westfield Center, Barbara Owen made immense contributions to our understanding of the organ and its music. She was especially known for her scholarship on the American organ and organists, and she co-wrote the Grove Dictionary article on the organ, a standard reference work. To honor her memory, the Westfield Center will award a $2000 grant for research into historical keyboard instruments (organ, harpsichord, clavichord, fortepiano). The research may culminate in a scholarly article or other format for presenting the information.

Community Foundation for Northern Virginia

Founded in 1978, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is a tax-exempt trusted public charity that advances equity through philanthropy and community leadership. Its work is guided by a strategic plan that advances four key priorities for the region:

• Social and Economic Mobility
• Opportunities for All
• Inclusive Systems of Economic Growth
• Community Resilience

Leslie Richardson Memorial Swan & Sparrow Scholarship Fund

The Leslie Richardson Memorial Swan & Sparrow Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to benefit students studying musical performance, jazz studies or choral conducting at a historically or predominantly black college or university (HBCU).

Stark Community Foundation is one of the area’s major sources of college scholarship support— thanks to the generosity of caring individuals, families and businesses that have created scholarship funds.

The Foundation currently manages more than 100 scholarship funds that support hundreds of deserving students each year from Stark and Carroll counties. In 2025, more than $1,000,000 was awarded to local students to help them achieve their educational dreams.

The Velma Shotwell Griffin Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Velma Shotwell Griffin Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to assist graduates of Conotton Valley or Carrollton High Schools planning to enroll, or currently enrolled, at an accredited college or university to pursue further education in the following fields: History, Writing (not limited to, English, Journalism, Language Arts, Communications and programs in Mass Media), Graphic Arts, Music (which shall include but not limited to, vocal music, instrumental music, music history, music education, and music performance) and any other program or field of study approved by the Selection Committee. 

Amount:

• Varies. Minimum $500.

Renewable:

• Yes

What is Emergency Assistance Fund

Emergency Financial Assistance is available to eligible performing arts and entertainment professionals:

• In times of unexpected critical need.
• To assist towards basic living expenses, such as health care, housing and utilities to prevent eviction or shut-offs.

Hunter Brown Emergency Assistance Fund

The Hunter Brown Emergency Assistance Fund offers emergency financial assistance to current or former employees of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

The Ethel Zwiebel Scholarship, managed by the Community Foundation of the North State, supports Shasta County students majoring in music who demonstrate financial need. This award is open to graduating high school seniors and Shasta College students completing their two-year music program. By fostering educational goals, this scholarship aims to empower young musicians to pursue their passion for music in higher education.