NAZARETH PA – Five non-profit groups that promote music performances and education benefiting residents of Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties, or that offer local assistance to those in need, won a portion of $485,500 in grants distributed by The Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation, it said Friday (March 8, 2024).
The foundation, created in 1996 as the charitable arm of Nazareth-based handcrafted acoustic guitar maker C. F. Martin & Co., in 2023 presented grants ranging in amounts from $1,000 to $35,000 to 81 local and national programs. Among its beneficiaries, it reported in a media release, were the:
- Philadelphia Folksong Society, which produces the Philadelphia Folk Festival in Upper Salford Township, scheduled during 2024 on Aug. 16-18;
- Reading Music Foundation, which provides financial support for music presenters in Berks County, music scholarships by audition, and music outreach programs;
- ArtsQuest, offering access to regional art, culture and educational programs including the annual Musikfest concert series Aug. 1-11 in Bethlehem PA;
- Special Olympics Pennsylvania, part of the global movement that provides local programming in sports, health, education and community building for persons with intellectual disabilities; and
- Miller-Keystone Blood Center, which collects and distributes human blood products for medical needs to emergency care and other providers in parts of the three-county area.
Individual amounts to each of the recipients were not disclosed. The foundation reported it also also made grants “to national organizations with a strong arts presence and programs in acoustic guitar education and research.”
Applications for the foundation’s 2024 grants will be accepted this year from June 1 to Aug. 31, it stated. More information about grant availability and how to apply is online.
Photo by Hay Dmitriy on Deposit Photos, used by Travels With The Post under license
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