Commissioning Grants

This list is focused on opportunities that would work for small ensembles, with a section focusing on Colorado opportunities.

Major gateways for composers and new music ensembles:

Meet the Composer
American Music Center
American Composers Forum
Society of Composers, Inc
Music Vista
Association of Performing Arts Presenters
Colorado Council on the Arts
Music Teachers National Association

Commissioning Funding Sources:

Meet the Composer related programs:

Commissioning Music / USA - for single commissioner or consortium, offers between $10,000 and $25,000 in support of the composer’s commissioning fee and copying expenses.
Deadline - March 2009.

MetLife Creative Connections - provides support for American composers to participate in public activities related to specific performances of their original music. Guidelines PDF.
Deadline - April 1 for events July-August / June 1 for events September - December / October 1 for events January - March / January 7- for events April - June

Support for Performing Ensembles:

Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. / American Music Center related programs:

Performing Ensembles Program - supports performing organizations whose artistic excellence encourages and improves public knowledge and appreciation of serious contemporary American music. In general, grants range from $1,000 to $20,000.
Deadline - June, 2009.

Supplemental Program - supports non-profit organizations that have a history of substantial commitment to contemporary American music.
Deadline - September 15, 2008.

Recording Program - helps to document and provide wider exposure for the music of contemporary American composers; to develop audiences for contemporary American music through record distribution and other retail markets; and to support the release and dissemination of recordings of previously unreleased contemporary American music and the reissuance of recordings that are no longer available.
Deadline - January 15, 2009.

American Composers Forum related programs:

Encore - grants from $500 to $2,000 are made to performers to play a work at least three times during an 18-month period. Ensemble/Performer must not have previously performed any of the composer’s music. The work being proposed must not have been commissioned by the performers. It may have received a premiere or a few performances at most (1-4) by other ensembles, or may be as yet unperformed. Performers and composer must not be based in the same state. Application with guidelines.
Deadline - October 1, 2008

Innova recordings - innova Recordings and the Recording Assistance Program support the careers of composers and performers by removing many of the usual barriers to releasing and distributing their recorded works -- without giving up the copyright to their sound recordings. Together, the program and label provide manufacturing, international distribution, and marketing support for all releases.
Running application process.

Continental Harmony - Since 2001, 35 communities across the country have been selected to host composer residencies and mount musical celebrations expressing important aspects of local life. A panel organized by the Forum selects host communities from proposals submitted by coalitions of community groups. The Forum staff then assists selected communities in developing plans for the commission and residency, identifying local performers, and developing residency activities. Composers are invited to apply to the communities with ideas for turning their plans into realities. Local selection committees choose the composer with whom they wish to work, assuring matches that meet each community's needs. ACF listing.
No current calls for communities or composers.

Other organizations or sources:

Association of Performing Arts Presenters - Arts Presenters is the nexus for the performing arts community and the innovators in the field. Our over 1,900 members bring performances to over 2 million audience-goers each week. No other association membership rivals the breadth of creative expression, representing disciplines ranging from all forms of dance, music, theater and family programming to puppetry, circus, magic, attractions and performance art. Resource library open to members contains information on funding sources.

Music Vista - access to eight of the nation's leading music service organizations all in one place. Click on one of the six main areas to begin or use the search box at the top of the page.

Music Teachers National Association - this commissioning program allows MTNA and state affiliates to pool resources to commission new works. All states have the opportunity to commission a composer and apply for a matching grant from MTNA. States can combine and commission a composer together or commission a composer on their own. States initiate the process by choosing, approaching and commissioning a composer. For information on becoming a commissioned composer, please contact the president for the state in which you live. Within MTNA, individual state associations retain a great deal of autonomy and, therefore, each state approaches the challenge of selecting a composer differently.

Colorado opportunities:

Colorado Council on the Arts - The Colorado Council on the Arts, a state agency, combines state funds with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and invests in communities across the state to ensure that the cultural, educational and economic benefits of the arts are enjoyed by thousands of Colorado youth and millions of Colorado citizens and visitors every day.

Colorado Association of Funders - a nonprofit regional membership organization for grantmakers throughout the state. CAF's mission is to bring people, information and resources together to promote effective and responsible philanthropy in Colorado. Basically a directory of foundations.

CCA - Grants for Artists & Organizations - Includes Colorado Masterpieces (2009 is for a major dance tour), Small Steps Awards (First come first serve after - July 1, 2008), and general Grants to Artists & Organizations (Next deadline will probably be in March, 2009).

Adoph Coors Foundation - ensembles would fall under the following category: Civic and cultural programs attracting the Foundation's attention are typically those that enhance our culture and heritage, demonstrate our creativity as a people and are likely to be of economic benefit to and broadly used by the communities they serve.
Deadline: March 1, July 1 & November 1.

Colorado Common Grant Application - apply in one place for a number of Colorado-based funding sources.

The Anschutz Family Foundation - supports Colorado nonprofit organizations that assist people to help themselves while nurturing and preserving their self-respect. The Foundation encourages endeavors that strengthen families and communities and advance individuals to become productive and responsible citizens. There is a special interest in self-sufficiency, community development and programs aimed at the economically disadvantaged, the young, the elderly and the disabled. The Foundation is also dedicated to funding efforts in rural Colorado.
Deadlines: January 15 and August 1.

The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation - a private, non-profit corporation created to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado. The mission of the Foundation is to advance excellence in the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Service, and Science and Medicine through strategic investments resulting in significant and unique contributions in these fields.
Deadlines - July 31, 2008 / October 31, 2008 / January 31, 2009 / April 30, 2009.

The Denver Foundation - awards hundreds of grants annually to nonprofit organizations in the seven county Metro Denver area -- Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. In 2007, the Foundation awarded $5 million to hundreds of nonprofit organizations. Grants are typically awarded to organizations in four major focus areas: Arts & Culture, Civic & Education, Health, and Human Services. Nonprofit organizations must be a 501c3 organization to apply. Read more about our Community Grants Program.
Deadlines - June 2, 2008 / October 1, 2008.

El Pomar Foundation - is one of the largest and oldest private foundations in the Rocky Mountain West, with assets totaling more than $550 million. El Pomar contributes over $25 million annually through grants and community stewardship programs to support Colorado nonprofit organizations involved in health, human services, education, arts and humanities, and civic and community initiatives.
Trustee's meetings - February 20, 2008, April 25, 2008, July 10, 2008, September 22, 2008, November 19, 2008 (applications should probably be sent in at least a month in advance of any of these dates).

The Gates Family Foundation - invests in Colorado-based projects and organizations primarily through capital grants which have meaningful impact and enhance the quality of life for those visiting, working and living in the state. The Foundation seeks to promote self-sufficiency, excellence and innovation in education, healthy lifestyles, community enrichment, connection to nature and stewardship of the state's natural inheritance.
Deadlines - January 15, April 1, July 1, October 1.

NEA - American Masterpieces - Chamber Music - Grants are available for chamber music performances in conjunction with educational activities that will highlight specific repertoire by American composers and enable ensembles to engage with communities in a variety of settings. The Arts Endowment is particularly interested in projects that have at least one performance and two educational activities.
Deadline - October 10, 2008.