• As schools nationwide are forced to cut costs, programs outside of the core curriculum are the first to go. The result is often to deprive children of opportunities to experience culture and the arts. But in the minds of most educators, exposure to music remains a critical component of a child's development. Working musicians who visit the classroom give children a taste of how music is made and what its cultural importance is. Nationwide, grant money is available for musicians willing to share their passions with schoolchildren.
  
  

Mockingbird Foundation

• The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc., was founded by fans of the alternative rock group Phish who wanted to find a way to channel their love of live music into charitable causes. The Mockinbird Foundation is particularly interested in underserved groups who can benefit from more exposure to music and the arts. Grants are awarded in the amount of $50 to $5,000. For information, go to www.mockingbirdfoundation.org.
  
  

Fender Music Foundation

• The Fender Music Foundation is committed to providing music instruction to students who would not otherwise have access to it. Grants can be used for in-school or afterschool programs and are awarded in the amount of $500 to $5,000. For more information, go to www.fendermusicfoundation.org
  
  

Berkeley Public Education Foundation

• The Berkeley Public Education Foundation looks for ways to provide children in the Berkeley, California, school system with cultural opportunities that public resources cannot support. Having musicians visit the classroom is one way the BPEF supports this mission. Direct recipients of grant money are classroom teachers, who can then use the funding to bring in outside experts. Contact http://www.bpef-online.org/grants/classroom-grants/
  
  

Pacific Power Foundation

• The Pacific Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Pacific Power, which supplies electricity to communities throughout the West and Northwest regions of the U.S. Schools throughout these regions benefit from the opportunities provided by the Pacific Power Foundation. Contact www.pacificpower.net/about/itc/foundation.html
  
  

Other possibilities

• Many towns and cities allot funding for cultural enrichment, and many school systems have their own foundations for private funding of special events. Musicians interested in classroom outreach can contact communities directly to find out if they have an arts endowment program and how to apply for money through it.