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.
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
Zendaya and GCMF contribute to 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.
AUGUST 2023
Art Rock LA
Art Rock LA brought together music lovers and art lovers to raise money for GCMF. At the world renown NRG Studios, JD Shultz, Jessica Downs, and Mr. Dripping displayed artwork and special performances by Joao Coronel, Trinity Bliss, and Tim Johnson Jr.
JULY 2023
Celebrating Charlie Gabriel’s 91st Birthday at Preservation Hall
What did Charlie want for his birthday? To give instruments to upcoming talented students and pass on the traditions of New Orleans music. GCMF worked with former grantee Jeremy Williams from Marrero Middle School and granted two trombones to young students.
JUNE 2023
GCMF Partners with Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom
Guitars & Ukes in the Classroom (GITC) expands the role of music in education by preparing teachers to play, sing, lead and integrate hands-on music along with academic and social emotional learning. GCMF recently supported their mariachi initiative in San Francisco and donated 48 guitars and 5 ukuleles to schools in San Francisco and San Diego.
APRIL 2023
GCMF Provides 60 Ukuleles to Musical Mentors
Founded in 2007, Musical Mentors decided that if they provided youth with access to quality music lessons which they may not otherwise be able to afford, along with mentors who serve as positive role models, almost every family and child would jump at the chance. They’ve already served over 1,000 students! Not only that, but all those students are able to actually earn their instruments and keep them forever!
APRIL 2023
GCMF Provides Support For New Mariachi Program in Santa Ana
Joyous, cathartic yells—or “gritos”—will fill the halls of NOVA Academy Early College High School when mariachi comes to the school as its first official music program. Mariachi Joya, an electrifying 20-member student mariachi band from Las Vegas High School, performed during the assembly to generate excitement and inspire the student body. GCMF provided 18 Guitars, 6 Vihuelas and 6 Guitarrónes.
APRIL 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
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April 9, 2024 Ernie Isley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Center Music FoundationEURWEB.COMLEARN MORE |
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April 6, 2024 Ernie Isley Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From Guitar Center Music FoundationBILLBOARDLEARN MORE |
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April 6, 2024 Ernie Isley is Honored with the Lifetime Achievent Award by the Guitar Center Music FoundationNEWHD MEDIALEARN MORE |
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March 25, 2024 Guitar Center Music Foundation: 2024 Benefit Concert Honoring Ernie Isley Set for April 4 at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in LAROCK CELLARLEARN MORE |
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March 5, 2024 The Guitar Center Music Foundation to Honor Music Legend Ernie Isley at its Third Annual Benefit ConcertMUSIC CONNECTIONLEARN MORE |
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February 8, 2024 Graham 4th Graders Repay Gift Of Music With JoyPATCHLEARN 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
Ernie Isley is Honored with the Lifetime Achievent Award by the Guitar Center Music Foundation
NEWHD MEDIALEARN MORE
Guitar Center Music Foundation: 2024 Benefit Concert Honoring Ernie Isley Set for April 4 at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in LA
ROCK CELLARLEARN MORE
The Guitar Center Music Foundation to Honor Music Legend Ernie Isley at its Third Annual Benefit Concert
MUSIC CONNECTION LEARN MORE
Graham 4th Graders Repay Gift Of Music With Joy
PATCHLEARN 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.
