Maybe. Applicants without a 501c3 designation letter (US) or registered charity status (Canada) may only apply if fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 nonprofit/registered charity. To do so, please make sure to include your fiscal sponsor’s name and EIN/registration number when completing the application, and upload documentation of your fiscal sponsorship to the final attachments section.

This grant opportunity is made possible by a new funding partnership. The funding partner for this program has made a commitment to serving organizations in specific US & Canadian regions where music engagement opportunities for students may be limited by socioeconomics, geography, or related factors. During this grants cycle, only organizations in these regions will be eligible to apply. Please see our Criteria and Eligibility page for a full list of these regions.

Yes. We understand that many schools may not yet have confirmed their partners and plans for the upcoming school years. We encourage you to apply and share your plans as they develop.

No, projects do not have to be new. Existing projects can be just as competitive as new initiatives. Projects do not have to be big either; we welcome projects that can make a meaningful impact in your community.

Please see our page of guiding definitions and core values. These definitions and values are central to our evaluation process, and we aim to be as transparent as possible. We encourage all applicants to review the guiding definitions before submitting an application.

While you can submit an application on your smart phone, we recommend using a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer for the easiest experience.

Yes! First and foremost, please make sure to review the scoring rubric, core values, and guiding definitions to gain a clear understanding of the criteria that will be used to evaluate your application. We also highly recommend that you make use of the Application toolkit on the Apply page. 

Second, we encourage you to have someone not familiar with your program read or listen to your application to check for clarity. If they have questions, it’s likely the panelists will too. 

Finally, we recommend submitting your application early. If any last-minute questions or issues arise, it’s easier for our staff to assist you when there's not a rush to meet the deadline.

Unfortunately, no. All funded projects will be part of a peer-learning network, which will convene during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. To provide this mutual support and learning, we are unable to accommodate projects that occur outside of this timeframe.

We do require a project budget. While, we recognize that budgets may change many times before an application is funded, it is helpful for the panel to get a sense of how you anticipate expending grant funds.

We do not require matching funds. We also recognize that matching fund requirements prevent smaller or less-resourced nonprofits from applying. 

The application portal will open October 2, 2023 and is a separate portal from the Chorus America membership login. Please check to make sure you are using your application portal credentials and not your Chorus America site username and password. If you are having trouble, we recommend restarting your computer and using the most updated version of your browser. Browsers supported by this software include: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. If problems persist, please contact Vale Southard at [email protected] or (202) 331-7577 ext. 253.

Please check to make sure all required fields are completed. If the submit box is still green, you have only marked your application as compete, but have not yet submitted. You must click the green submit box to ensure your application is received. If you are still running into issues, please contact Vale Southard at [email protected] or (202) 331-7577 ext. 253. 

You will be contacted in December if there are any components missing from your application. Upon submission, staff will review applications for eligibility and completion. We encourage all applicants to review the application requirements and scoring rubric thoroughly. 

Review panelists from across the US and Canada will review and score all applications and virtual learning sessions. These panelists will be selected by Chorus America based on their understanding of their community’s diverse musical traditions, experience with music education partnerships, and understanding of nonprofits arts management and funding. All panelists must agree to a confidentiality agreement and disclose any conflicts of interest. If one is present, panelists must recuse themselves from reviewing the assigned application. 

Chorus America will strongly prioritize diversity of perspectives and lived experience in its selection of review panelists, including but not limited to diversity of race, gender, identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and religion. Applications from each region will be reviewed by panelists both from their own region, and those from other regions.

A full list of panelists, as well as demographic information for these reviewers, will be published on the Chorus America website in April 2024 when grant partners are announced. 

We are currently seeking diverse members of the music education and broader community who are interested in serving as review panelists for this program. An honorarium will be provided for review panelist service. See more information on becoming a review panelist here and complete a nomination form by Tuesday, December 5 to be considered. 

All applicants will receive a status update in late March 2024, including projects that will not be funded. We anticipate receiving many more quality applications than we are able to fund.

We can share the scores from your application, along with anonymous reviewer feedback. We encourage you to reach out to us to better understand why your application was declined. To contact staff, please schedule a time to meet with the grants team here.