The Bonnaroo Works Fund Supports Organizations Comitted To Advancing Arts
Bonnaroo Works Fund (BWF), the charitable arm of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, has announced its annual grant distributions. This year, BWF awarded $236,000 to 40 nonprofit organizations that spearhead Tennessee-based initiatives that support the Fund’s mission of advancing arts, education and environmental causes.
The Bonnaroo Works Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports organizations that advance the arts, education and environmental sustainability, with a focus on local reinvestment and asset building in the communities where “we work, live and play.” Since the inception of the festival, Bonnaroo and the BWF have awarded more than $7 million in funding to deserving organizations. (The full list of 2018 recipients is included below.)
“I’m looking forward to engaging with the vibrant group selected as this year’s grant grant recipients,” said Kelsey Dewald, the newly named executive director of BWF. “Their invaluable work allows the festival’s commitment to positive community impact to be felt year-round, and the contributions they make are vital to people who need and depend on our support most.”
The powerful effect of the BWF can be seen through a number of ongoing programs and projects in collaboration with organizations, such as Notes for Notes, which is dedicated to providing youth with completely free access to music instruments, instruction and the recording studio experience so that music may become a profoundly positive experience in their lives; Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, which offers arts education opportunities and world-class performances to children from low-income families; and The Nashville Ballet, whose Adaptive Dance Program invites differently abled youth to embark on an inclusive dance journey that supports their belief that arts and dance can be beneficial to everyone.
Les Paul Foundation raffle winner at the
BWF Community Center onsite at Bonnaroo 2018
The BWF is a joint effort between Bonnaroo organizers and attendees, with a portion of ticket sales allocated to the BWF. In addition, proceeds from festival activities, such as the Silent Auction, Root for Roo, the Bonnaroo 5K Run, and the Les Paul Spirit Awards, all benefit the Bonnaroo Works Fund and, in turn, its grant recipients.
Bonnaroo Works Fund is administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Grants are selected based on a variety of criteria and approved by the board of directors. Previous recipients are welcome to reapply each year, but the BWF is always seeking new applicants with innovative approaches to supporting the core missions of the BWF. The next grant cycle will run from June to August of 2019.
ABOUT THE BONNAROO WORKS FUND: Bonnaroo Works Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 2009 as the charitable division of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Its mission is to support national and regional organizations that advance the arts, education and environmental causes. With a primary focus on local reinvestment and asset-building, Bonnaroo Works Fund and Bonnaroo have provided more than $7 million in support to over a hundred causes since the festival’s inception. For more information: www.bonnarooworksfund.org
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE : The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 1,050 charitable funds, providing customized philanthropic solutions with flexibility for donors, nonprofit organizations and the community. In the past 23 years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $715 million to community programs and institutions. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400, Nashville, TN 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.