Grant Application Frequently Asked Questions
Common Grant Application Questons
- How many grant cycles does Music Drives Us have per year?
Drives Us has two grant cycles per year, one deadline is in May with funding decisions
being made in June and the other is in November with funding decisions being made
in December.
- How will I know if my application is complete?
Log into your on line grant application and choose your existing application for
the current term. You will see line items letting you know if your application and
required recommendations are “Complete” or “Unfinished”. Once your grant application
and at least two recommendations are complete, your grant will automatically be
submitted to the board for funding consideration.
- When will I hear if my application was approved for funding?
The Music Drives Us Board of directors has 3 weeks to review all of the applications
and then they meet as a team to discuss their funding recommendations. All funding
decisions will be made within 5 weeks of the grant deadline. Applicants will hear
the results within 6 weeks of the grant deadline.
- What is the average size of your grants?
The average grant size is $5,000.
- Is there a maximum I should ask for?
The maximum we suggest you request is $10,000. With such high demand for funding
and so many grant applicants, Music Drives Us looks to support as many organizations
as possible as we look to make the greatest impact possible.
- Is it possible that a portion of our request will be funded?
Yes, it is possible the foundation will fund a portion of what you are requesting
provided the board still feels the funds will make an impact.
- When can we reapply if we were denied funding?
If you were denied funding you can reapply again in the next round.
- When can we reapply if we were awarded funding?
If you are awarded funding we ask that you wait three full years before requesting
additional funds.
- What if my references never received their automated Recommendation request email?
The application allows for four (4) references to be entered yet only two (2) references
are required for a completed application. This is intentionally set up to insure
you have room for error in case one of your recommendations does not receive the
automated reference request. Please be sure you are typing in the correct email
address in the application and let your reference know to expect an email from Music
Drives Us Foundation.
- I’m not sure if our mission is a fit for your grants, where can I get more info?
The front page of all three grants has our grant guidelines clearly stated. Please
check each one to make sure you fill out the correct application and that you fulfill
our music funding guidelines. We fund a variety of different music missions for
people of all ages in the private and public sector, so chances are your mission
is a fit for our organization and we look forward to learning more about how you
use music as a tool for positive change.
- Do my references have to be in by the deadline too?
Yes. At least two references are required prior to the deadline in order for your
application to be marked complete and to be submitted for board approval.
- Am I allowed to send in supplemental information to accompany my application?
Yes. Please be considerate when sending in additional information to support your
grant request. We receive a lot of grant applications and ask that you keep the
additional submissions to one or two documents max. We will not be able to return
the items to you due to the sheer volume of items received.
- Send additional pieces to:
Carla Tardif
Music Drives Us Foundation
14 Leslie Rd
Winchester, MA 01890
- Will someone from Music Drives Us do a site visit?
Ernie Boch Jr. and Carla Tardif, Executive Director, conduct site visits to all
of the organizations who are funded and supported by the Music Drives Us Foundation.
We do not conduct site visits prior to funding an organization.
