Grant Purpose
The purpose of this grant is to lay out a vision for Lead Guitar through 2026 with The David and Lura Lovell Foundation as the key strategic partner supporting all aspects of Lead Guitar operations. Foundation funding will leverage other sources and position Lead Guitar for success by providing seed money for new areas of service and initial capital for critical growth projects, such as the completion and dissemination of Lead Guitar Digital.
Interventions like Lead Guitar can create change on a school and community-wide level by curbing the exodus of engaged families, seeding opportunities for networking and community building through neighborhood and family participation in school events, and creating common positive purpose among student participants that carries over into other activities.
The initiative provides broad exposure to arts learning to some of the Nation’s most disenfranchised students. Lead Guitar’s vision is to empower every learner with an instrument that appeals across genes and generations, using music from a broad range of traditions, and differentiated materials like adaptive and Spanish language curricula. Through mentorship, classroom connections with global artists, and university performances, our students develop skills that help them succeed throughout their lives.
How You Can Help
Volunteer – Lead Guitar is always looking to pinpoint board members who can represent local interests in our regions of operation. While we don’t have other year-round volunteer positions, Lead Guitar has multiple events in every city we serve that require volunteers, with golf tournament fundraisers and student showcase concerts being chief among them.
Airline miles and hotel points – Since Fall 2021, Lead Guitar has programs in all four U.S. time zones. As we grow, travel expenses, particularly airline tickets, will grow in parallel. For example, In fiscal year 2022, Lead Guitar staff will make 18 round-trip flights an an approximate cost of $76,00 and 40 hotel nights at around $4,000.
Auction and raffle items for Lead Guitar’s golf fundraiser help us raise money to be sure, but also make for a more enjoyable experience for the donors and sponsors who are on the course. This is also a great way to promote a business.
Donate — Check our wish list and ways to donate to choose the right option for you.
Future Need
Here are three needs that will be increasingly relevant for Lead Guitar over the next five years:
- Salaries and wages for Teaching Artist personnel who serve as classroom instructors and mentors, as well as trainers for teachers account for 64% of Lead Guitar’s total expenses. Donations that support Lead Guitar Teaching Artists in the city of your choice will always be the most effective way to underwrite our core mission.
- Lead Guitar Digital is our new online platform that will deliver anytime access to Lead Guitar Teaching Artist videos, sheet music, games, lesson plans and more to 30,000 vulnerable students and their teachers over the next five years in areas where we do not have live operations. Investments earmarked for filming, editing, writing and equipment to create the multi-media learning modules will ensure access to quality music learning in schools that are otherwise arts deserts.
- Lead Guitar’s adaptive method – Lead Guitar with Chord Buddy featured in the above video – allows students of all abilities to participate in guitar class and is ready to grow. Investments earmarked for the Chord Buddy adaptive devices, program support and training will help us help schools meet the wide-spread need for music and growth opportunities for Exceptional Education students in under-supported public schools. One program for one school year that serves 15-40 students costs Lead Guitar approximately $8,400 including assistive devices.
Contact
Brad Richter, Co-founder, Executive Director
520-621-0342
brad@leadguitar.org
leadguitar.org/
