Music Will
Music Will
Upper Montclair NJ | IRS ruling year: 2002 | EIN: 94-3396568
Organization Mission
To transform lives by transforming music education.
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Upper Montclair NJ | IRS ruling year: 2002 | EIN: 94-3396568
Organization Mission
To transform lives by transforming music education.
Great
This charity's score is 95%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
9/1/2021 | 2020 | 93.98 | |
12/1/2020 | 2019 | 88.90 | |
9/3/2019 | 2018 | 89.46 | |
5/1/2018 | 2016 | 89.88 | |
4/1/2017 | 2015 | 90.22 | |
6/1/2016 | 2014 | 92.36 | |
Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
9/1/2015 | 2013 | 93.48 | |
5/1/2015 | 2013 | 92.89 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
12/20/2013 | 2012 | 95.48 | |
9/1/2012 | 2011 | 95.21 | |
4/1/2012 | 2010 | 94.51 | |
12/1/2011 | 2009 | 97.23 | |
11/1/2011 | 2009 | 96.04 | |
9/20/2011 | 2009 | 75.80 | |
Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
12/1/2010 | 2009 | 96.09 | |
3/1/2010 | 2008 | 93.90 | |
2/1/2009 | 2007 | 93.66 | |
5/1/2008 | 2006 | 93.05 |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Music Will is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Music Will has earned a 94% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a policy protects the organization, and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) |
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Dave Wish, CEO
$178,360 (2.00% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Music Will) or EIN (943396568) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Music Will reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Revenue
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Music Will (at the time, Little Kids Rock) was challenged by our Board of Directors to ensure cash levels to cover 12 months of operating expenses, extending the 3 to 4-month model which we had used pre-pandemic. We continue to maintain a minimum of 12-months operating expenses in cash; this will give us flexibility as we continue to adapt to long-term effects of the pandemic. While we raised significantly less cash revenue than in years past—due to a pause on in-person fundraising events as well as decreased or paused grants from previous funders—we saw an increase in in-kind contributions, particularly digital curricular resources. While our digital initiatives remain a cornerstone of our work, we began to transition back to in-person workshops and events during the 2021-2022 school year.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
In response to COVID-19, Music Will pivoted our service model entirely online as follows: 1) Professional Development: Trainings were rescheduled and offered online using a variety of new digital tools and platforms. 2) Community for educators: In collaboration with our teachers, we organized virtual community-building events. 3) Curricular materials for our students and teachers: We crowd-sourced curricular resources from our network of thousands of teachers and developed new content to support digital and distance learning. 4) Classroom equipment and resources: We partnered with online learning platforms, such as Masterclass and Hal Leonard’s GuitarInstructor.com, and online music production software, such as Soundtrap, to provide our students with resources to support at-home learning.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Music Will responded to the COVID-19 crisis in three phases: Phase 1 (3/2020 – 6/2020) addressed the immediate needs of our teachers and their students until the end of the school year via weekly live-streamed lessons, increased production of video content, and crowd-sourcing curricular resources from our teachers. Music Will also implemented a work-from-home policy for all staff members. Phase 2 (6/2020 – 9/2020) prepared teachers for the instructional shift anticipated for fall. We held our annual teacher conference virtually, for the first time ever, with presentations centered on the theme “Music Education in the Age of Digital & Distance Disruption.” Phase 3 (9/2020 – 6/2021) adapted to the challenges of virtual and hybrid learning models. We developed an entirely online teacher-training workshop series to empower teachers to provide virtual music instruction that supports students socially/emotionally and is accessible to students without musical instruments at home.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
During the 2020-2021 school year, Music Will constantly evaluated our programming to adapt to the ever-evolving circumstances of digital and distance learning. By increasing communication with our teachers, we developed courses to meet their needs. The new workshops and curricular resources we developed during the pandemic have continued to serve our teacher network as we return to normal operations. In addition, we found that virtual courses could accommodate a larger number and wider geographic range of teachers, as well as teachers who had previously struggled to attend full-day in-person workshops, such as teachers who are single parents. We plan to use a hybrid of virtual and in-person workshops moving forward to make our programming more accessible to more teachers.
Not Currently Scored
Music Will cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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Music Will reported its two largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Music Education
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Musical Instruments
Music Will has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Music Will serves students and parents, public school teachers, district administrators, and higher education professionals to transform the music education system at-scale. Our approach welcomes students of any age or grade-level. It’s not limited to those who choose (and can afford) to pursue an instrument in grade school. Our program strengthens connections among peers and with the school community as only music can.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Music Will recognizes that our teachers are experts in the challenges facing their local communities. By collecting feedback from our teachers, we identify bright spots that we can share across our wider teacher network. We empower teachers to share their innovations through teacher-led Special Topics workshops, panels at our annual conference, and in our online community. Music Will is also working closely with our internal Black Educators Focus Group, a volunteer body of Black educators, administrators, and industry professionals, who are advising Music Will to better serve our teachers and students of color. The creation of this focus group has shifted our relationship with our teachers so that they are guiding internal curriculum development decisions.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
While we implemented virtual training courses during the pandemic, our teachers shared that that virtual courses were much more accessible for them, particularly for teachers who are single parents, juggling multiple jobs, etc. As we pivoted back to normal operations, we continue to incorporate virtual training opportunities in our program plan to ensure that our work is accessible to as many teachers as possible.
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 14 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (7/7) | |
---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Equity Policies and Procedures (7/7) | |
---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Music Will has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
To transform lives by transforming music education.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Music Will, a nonprofit organization founded in 2002, is leading the charge to bring the inherent benefits of music-making to all students—regardless of background, family income, or grade level. We believe every kid is a music-maker, and that music education is a right, not a privilege. By removing traditional barriers, we bring access to music-making to schools and students that may not have it, thereby democratizing music education. We aim to expand music education accessible to every student in the U.S.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Expand and sustain our teacher community by providing ongoing professional education for public school teachers through live and remote classes, online resources, and an annual summit.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Work with universities to incorporate our approach into music education curricula, so that new teachers are ready to offer culturally sustaining music education on their first day in their classrooms.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: Work to engage more teachers of color and diverse backgrounds who are traditionally underrepresented in music education.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Music Will is committed to the professional and leadership development of our staff and executive team. We conduct regular staff reviews for team members to gain feedback on their work and for the opportunity to advance in the organization. Our team has a strong history of internal professional advancement, where junior staff members have grown into the leaders of their teams and departments. We recently hired our first-ever Chief People & Culture Officer, who will serve as a key HR resource for our team and help us build a people-focused culture through inclusive processes. We have also invested in executive coaching for our senior team, providing these staff members with the opportunity to strengthen their abilities and learn new skills to make them better organizational leaders. Senior staff and the Board have also begun succession planning to better prepare for future leadership transitions within the organization.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
Music Will seeks to transform the entire music education ecosystem including school districts, state departments of education, professional associations, and institutions of higher education to innovate music education at scale. We accomplish this through the following ways: - Partnering with public school districts and state departments of education to incorporate our programming in their curricula. - Training local teachers for an organic, grassroots spread of our programming. - Fostering partnerships with colleges and universities through publication in academic journals, collaborative research, and an annual fellowship program. - Convening music teachers, higher education professionals, and arts administrators from around the country at the annual Modern Band Summit conference. - Leveraging vendor partnerships to provide teachers with donated or deeply discounted equipment. - Facilitating a national online teacher community to collaborate and share resources.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
To continue to serve our constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Music Will (at the time, Little Kids Rock) accelerated our production and distribution of virtual, digital, and distance solutions. We pivoted the entirety of our operations to meet the needs of our teachers and students online by digitizing our service model. Our investments into our digital learning solutions and the new catalog of courses we developed during the 2020-2021 school year continue to further our efforts to provide technology-driven music education to students across the country. In the wake of the country’s reckoning for racial justice, Music Will created a Black Educators Focus Group, a volunteer-body of Black educators, administrators, and industry professionals, who are similarly advising Music Will on externally facing DEI policies. This focus group supports our organization in overcoming implicit bias to better serve our teachers and students of color. Over the past year, we have seen their impact on our externally facing DEI practices. For example, based on the Focus Group’s recommendation, we are beginning to develop a set of national standards for Hip Hop programming to help empower teachers to advocate for Hip Hop curriculum to their administration.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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