Supplemental Program

The Program's Objective

To support non-profit organizations that have a history of substantial commitment to contemporary American music but whose needs are not addressed by the Fund’s programs of support for performing organizations and recording projects.

Application snapshot

• Eligibility
• Definitions
• Funding provisions
• Review procedures
• How to apply
• Application cycle and deadline

Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by non-profit or fiscally sponsored organizations that have a history of substantial commitment to contemporary American music but whose needs are not addressed by the Fund's programs of support for performing and presenting organizations and recording projects, such as music service organizations, education/residency organizations, library/archive organizations, and radio/TV organizations. Projects that are part of the curriculum of an educational institution are not eligible for support. Professional performance organizations or presenters may apply for special training activities outside of their normal performance activities.

All applicant organizations must have been in existence for at least two years at the time of application. Organizations that are otherwise involved with performances must have presented two full seasons prior to the season for which support is requested. For further questions about organization eligibility, please see the FAQs.

Special note for festival applicants and other applications with educational activities: If the primary focus of the organization or project is educational activities, workshops, professional training, or career development, the applicant should apply to the Supplemental Program. If the primary focus of the organization or project is public professional performance of music, the applicant should apply to the Performance Program.

Definitions

• Contemporary Music: The Fund is primarily interested in supporting works written within the last 40 years. However, extraordinary projects outside of this scope may still be considered; please contact the Grants Manager.
• American: Composers with U.S. citizenship, as well as composers that have lived and worked in the United States, its territories, and/or possessions for a significant period of time. The Fund does not set rigid parameters but considers any questionable situations on a case-by-case basis.
• Support Year: The year in which support is being requested. For the 2022 Supplemental Program, this will be the 2022-23 season, which in many cases will coincide with an organization’s fiscal year 2023.

Funding Provisions

Applicants may request either general operating support or support for special projects. Please note that project support will be given only for a project that begins in the current season. Thus, for the 2022 grant round, support will be given only to projects that begin between September 2022 and August 2023. Multi-year projects will be considered if they begin in the current season, but projects that have already begun generally will not be eligible for support. Projects relating to a broad spectrum of American music will be viewed more favorably than those relating to a single work or to a single composer.

Applicants should be aware that support in one year does not imply continuation of that support.

Review Procedures

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant proposals:

• Will granting the request tend to encourage and improve the public knowledge and appreciation of serious American contemporary music?
• What contributions has the organization made in the past and what contributions is it likely to make in the future?
• Is the organization responsibly and effectively managed?
• For organizations that are otherwise involved with performances: are the ensembles and repertoire being presented of outstanding artistic quality?

How to Apply

If your organization does not already have an account:
Create a new account here. New accounts will be reviewed as quickly as possible, but please allow up to 3 business days for approval.

If your organization already has an account:
Log in here. Then click on the "apply now" button at the top of this page to begin the online application process. The proposal may be completed in stages; it is not necessary to complete the application in one session.

Save your work often.

A complete application will include the following information:

Organization Information

• Contact information
• A copy of the IRS determination letter confirming tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that the applicant is not a private foundation. If the applicant organization is not based in the United States, submit a letter from a lawyer confirming its equivalence to a publicly funded 501(c)(3) organization.
• Legal organization name and federal tax ID number
• For organizations applying with a fiscal sponsor, proof of fiscal sponsorship should be supplied in lieu of the IRS determination letter and the legal name and federal tax ID of the fiscal sponsor should be provided in the appropriate fields.
• 3-year financial snapshot

Applicant Information

• Type of organization
• Mission of the organization
• If the applicant is a presenter or has otherwise been involved with performances, the number of concerts projected in the support year and performed each of the last two years
• Eligible applicant types: Music service organizations, education/residency organizations, library/archive organizations, and radio/TV organizations.
• Music service organizations applying for a project involving performance must apply as a presenter and must upload relevant music samples.  

Proposal

• The amount and type of support (general operating or project support) requested, and purpose of the request.
• The time period for which support is being requested. This should include a starting date and an ending date.
• If project support is requested: a description of the project, a breakdown of the project costs, and an itemized list of sources of income with the amount of support from each source.
• History of the organization listing all of the activities in which it has been engaged during the past two years and all activities in which it proposes to engage in the Support Year.
• Description of the constituencies or audiences that are served, including size, age groups, and geographic regions.
• For radio/television station applicants: sample playlists should be submitted as a part of the application in the "miscellaneous remarks" section of the proposal. The playlists should include the most recent three-month programming period. Contemporary American concert music should be highlighted in some way such as bold type. Music samples should not be provided unless requested by the Fund's staff after the application is submitted.

Musical Materials

• Musical materials are only required for presenting organizations or those that are otherwise involved with performances.
• Recordings of three of the ensembles engaged to perform during the Support Year performing contemporary American repertoire. All recordings must have been recorded within the three performance seasons immediately prior to the application date (i.e., for the 2022 round, within the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons). Each recording should be between 3 and 5 minutes in length (excerpts are acceptable).
• Recordings should be of live performances and not edited studio sessions unless no live recordings are available. Work samples should demonstrate the performance quality of the ensemble playing together in representative repertoire, rather than featuring extended soloistic passages.
• Each recording submitted must include the title of the work, names of the composer and performer(s) and date of the performance in the applicable fields.

Supporting Materials

• If the applicant is a presenter or has otherwise been involved with performances, a list of all performances and repertoire in the Support Year and the previous two years, including identification of the performing artists or organizations and timings of works. This should amount to three consecutive years of information. Works by contemporary American composers should be indicated. Please do not submit this list in the form of season brochures.
• A list with award amounts of foundation, corporate, and government support for the Support Year and the previous two years. This should amount to three consecutive years of support information. Award amounts should be noted as actual or projected support.
• A list of members of the Board of Directors (or equivalent governing body) and their principal professional affiliations.
• Organizational budgets for the Support Year and the previous two years. This should amount to three consecutive years of financial information. Projections are acceptable for Fiscal Year 2023 and, to the extent necessary, Fiscal Year 2022. Submit an actual budget for 2021. Download our required Excel budget template.
• For organizations whose season and fiscal year do not coincide, please indicate this in the application.
• The organization’s most recent audited financial statement, if available. (Not every organization is required to have an audited financial statement; however, if one is available for any of the past three fiscal years, the latest one must be submitted.)

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by the end of February 2023. Please do not contact the Fund for updates on funding decisions.

The deadline for applications for each calendar year will be on or around November 1.

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for complying with all legal and contractual requirements that may apply to the creation of your materials. The Aaron Copland Fund for Music hereby disclaims all legal responsibility in connection with your submissions. In case of questions, consult your legal advisor.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") Policy 

Inquiries

Prospective applicants are first encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions. If a question is not answered there, please contact the Grants Manager prior to the time of application.

Telephone: 212-461-6956 (Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET)
E-mail: grantsmanager@coplandfund.org 

Updated: August 30, 2022