The Foundation for Bluegrass Music has established a one-time general grant request deadline of Dec. 15, 2010, for projects planned for the calendar years of 2011 or 2012. Grant awards will be announced by March 15, 2011. The Foundation’s general grant budget for 2011 is $10,000, with the goal of funding four projects at an average of $2,500 each.

In addition to the general grant category, a one-time exceptional grant request application with the same deadline has been announced for projects that will celebrate the Bill Monroe Centennial and focus on educational efforts that involve young people during the 2011 calendar year. This award of up to $10,000, with the goal of funding one new project, will be announced by March 15, 2011.

Beginning next year, 2011, there will be an annual general grant application deadline of Aug.15 for projects planned for the following calendar year. This means that applicants seeking grants for projects in 2012 actually have two opportunities to apply for them. For application guidelines and more information, visit www.bluegrassfoundation.org.

According to its mission statement, the Foundation for Bluegrass Music “connects passion with purpose and is a means for people and organizations to support the art form through charitable donations and planned giving.” The Nashville-based non-profit organization was created in 2007 to support public benefit educational, literary and artistic activities related to bluegrass music. Examples of programs that can grow under its umbrella include Bluegrass in the Schools (grants, teacher workshops, educational DVDs, lesson plan competition, etc.); academic conferences; literary work and related efforts; public artistic presentation of an educational nature; historic preservation; and other works of a charitable nature.