IMPACT
Through instrument grants and donations, we help ensure schools and music education programs get the resources they need to keep music alive and accessible.
The Guitar Center Music Foundation believes that music participation helps people reach the heights of human potential and is foundational to a healthy society.
Through instrument grants and donations, we help ensure schools and music education programs get the resources they need to keep music alive and accessible.
Total revenue raised for music programs
Music programs supported in 2023
Percentage of Round Up donations given back to the community
Grants given
People impacted through our grants in 2023
States served with instrument grants
Total revenue raised for music programs
Music programs supported in 2023
Percent of Round Up donations given back to the community
Grants given
People impacted through our grants in 2023
States served with instrument grants
Q3 2024 Grantees Announced (con’t)
Band 4 Kids – Mount Airy, NC
Niswonger Children’s Hospital – Johnson City, TN
All In Music Inc. – Rochester, NY
Autism Up – Rochester, NY
Girls Make Beats – Miami, FL
Monroe High School – Northridge, CA
New Orleans Jazz Museum – New Orleans, LA
OmniPeace – Los Angeles, CA
Man Up Club – Minneapolis, MN
Marana High School – Tucson, AZ
Roosevelt High School – Los Angeles, CA
JULY 2024
Q3 2024 Grantees Announced
Youth Trumpet Scholars – Orange County, CA
Veritas Enrichment, Inc. – Kimberling City, MO
Today’s Future Sound – Oakland, CA
Dwavern Tavern – Hamilton, OH
Rosie’s House: A Music Academy – Phoenix, AZ
Rawkstar Youth Development – East Taunton, MA Operation Check Six – Lake Park, MN
Great Falls Middle School – Montague, MA
Circle Haven – Glassboro, NJ
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School – Glendale, CA
JULY 2024
GCMF Partners with USC to Provide Guitars to South Central Youth
Funded by USC’s Arts in Action initiative, Calle a Calle’s Cultural Music Education Program challenges eurocentrism and supports a cultural movement by providing guitar instruction as well as lessons in the political and social context of Corridos Tumbados, a subgenre of Mexican Regional Music that has recently gained global popularity. The program was held at A Place Called Home, a non-profit serving South Central youth and their families. GCMF donated 16 six-string guitars and 2 acoustic electric bass guitars.
MAY 2024
Q2 2024 Grantees Announced (con’t)
In Tune Music, Inc. in Greensboro, NC
Mariachi La Joya from Las Vegas High School
Mariachi Luz de Oro de Berkeley in Berkeley, CA
Mondays at the Union Rescue Mission in Downtown Los Angeles (pictured above)
Musicians in Action in Los Angeles, CA
Newport Elementary in Newport, CA
NolaKeys in New Orleans, LA
NSAI in Nashville, TN
Orange Vista High School in Perris, CA
Riverside High School in Belle, WV
Second Line Arts in New Orleans, LA
Ted Brown Music in Tacoma, WA
Transit Tech High School in Brooklyn, NY
APRIL 2024
Q2 2024 Grantees Announced
Accent Pontiac in Michigan
Bill Caballero Music in San Diego, CA
Brighton High School in Massachusetts
Centennial High School in Urbana, IL
Community Music School in Allentown
Concerts for Causes in Maryland
Corvallis Orchestras in Corvallis, Montana
Daraja Music Initiative in Tanzania
Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh, PA
Great Heights Academy (pictured above) in Miami, FL
Greenland Band in Greenland, Arkansas
Guitars and Uses in the Classroom in San Diego
Hellen Caro Elementary in Pensacola, FL
Higher Octave Healing in Tempe, AZ
Hilltop Middle School Mariachi in Ilwaco, WA
Horizon Elementary in Madison, Alabama
APRIL 2024
Black History Month at West Oakland Middle School
GCMF was one of the organizations contributing to a large-scale charitable effort in Oakland spearheaded by superstar actor and singer Zendaya. The project began as an effort to rejuvenate the basketball courts and grew in scope to include the neighboring middle school. The school received a $5,000 grant and a brand new curtain for their auditorium which was revealed for this special Black History performance.
FEBRUARY 2024
Q1 2024 Grantees Announced (con’t)
New Urban Arts in Providence, RI
Orting Middle School in Orting, Washington
PS 11 Parent Teacher Association in Brooklyn, NY
Shenandoah High School in Shenandoah, Iowa
Sherwood Elementary in Sandy Spring, MD
Silver Creek High School in San Jose, CA
Summit Academy & New Outlook Academy (pictured above) in Pennsylvania
The Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) in Portland, OR
Trinity Middle School in Washington, Pennsylvania
Unatego Elementary School in Unadilla, NY
FEBRUARY 2024
Q1 2024 Grantees Announced
Baltimore Classical Guitar Society, Inc. (pictured above) in Maryland
Braxton County High School in West Virginia
Chesterfield-Ruby Middle School in South Carolina
Enedina B. Guerra in Edinburg, TX
Ford Blvd Elementary in East Los Angeles, CA
Graham School in Mount Vernon, NY
Guitars Antiqua Music Program in Lennox, CA
Hodges Elementary School in Balch Springs, TX
HY Livesay Middle School/ Powell Valley Elementary
My Chapel in Pasadena, TX
FEBRUARY 2024
Guitar Center Supports Musicians Affected by the Fires in Maui
Guitar Center offered a matching grant up to $25K to support local musicians and organizations who had instruments destroyed in the fires in Maui. We raised over $100K in efforts to help out the local community in Maui and help get musicians back on their feet and playing music.
Ukulele Project Hawaii pictured above.
DECEMBER 2023
Q3 2023 Grantees Announced (con’t)
Community Resource Center of Stanwood-Camano (pictured above)
John F. Kennedy High School in Utah
South Vermillion Middle School in Indiana
DuetKids in Savanah, Georgia
Middle Township High School in New Jersey
South Vermillion Middle School in Indiana
Sprague Elementary School in Waterbury, Connecticut
Stanislau County Dept. of Ed in California
The Bridge Ministry in Virginia
ASCAP Foundation
OCTOBER 2023
Q3 2023 Grantees Announced
Vineland Public Charter School in New Jersey
John F. Kennedy, Jr. School in New York
The Bridge Ministries in Virginia
P.R.I.D.E. Inc in Massachusetts
Guitars over Guns in Chicago, IL
Michael Allen Harrison’s Play it Forward in Oregon
CreatiVets in Nashville, TN
Modesto Gospel Mission in California
Urban Voices Project in Skid Row Los Angeles, CA
Second Line Arts Collective in New Orleans
OCTOBER 2023
Hispanic Heritage Month
GCMF was featured on Good Morning America for making grants to three different mariachi programs across the country. Mariachi programs are becoming more and more popular in music education.
Davis Bilingual Magnet School in Tucson
Springfield High School in Oregon
Kipp Sol Academy in East Los Angeles (pictured above)
SEPTEMBER 2023
“Music has helped this population not only help themselves but it has given them a community where their shared experience of having a cancer diagnosis isn’t what binds them, it’s the love of music.”
– GCMF Grantee
 |
September 12, 2024 CAA and Casey Wasserman’s Foundation Team on School Day Drive to Support Teachers, StudentsHOLLYWOOD REPORTERLEARN MORE |
 |
August 24, 2024 Industry Profile: Herb Trawick of Pensado's PlaceMUSIC CONNECTIONLEARN MORE |
 |
August 19, 2024 Purple Rain / Purple Haze Custom-Painted GuitarMUSIC CONNECTIONLEARN MORE |
 |
May 29, 2024 Accent Pontiac Receives Band Instruments DonationsTHE OAKLAND PRESSLEARN MORE |
 |
April 9, 2024 Ernie Isley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Center Music FoundationEURWEB.COMLEARN MORE |
 |
April 6, 2024 Ernie Isley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From Guitar Center Music FoundationBILLBOARDLEARN MORE |
CAA and Casey Wasserman’s Foundation Team on School Day Drive to Support Teachers, Students
HOLLYWOOD REPORTERLEARN MORE
Industry Profile: Herb Trawick of Pensado’s Place
MUSIC CONNECTIONLEARN MORE
Purple Rain / Purple Haze Custom-Painted Guitar
MUSIC CONNECTIONLEARN MORE
Accent Pontiac Receives Band Instruments Donations
THE OAKLAND PRESSLEARN MORE
Ernie Isley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Center Music Foundation
EURWEB.COMLEARN MORE
Ernie Isley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From Guitar Center Music Foundation
BILLBOARDLEARN MORE
MAKE A
DONATION
Our impact is made possible thanks to the generous support of people like you. Donations remain one of the most effective ways for us to expand our efforts.
BECOME A
VOLUNTEER
We welcome volunteers who are passionate about contributing their time and talent to helping secure and expand access to the music community.
SPREAD
THE WORD
Connecting and cultivating a diverse community of difference makers amplifies our ability to reach schools and in-need music education programs.
