Music Maker Relief Foundation

Name

Music Maker Relief Foundation

Legal name

Music Maker Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://musicmaker.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Preservation / Arts Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists) (MPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Traditional music preservation
• Musician grant programs
• Folk music archives
• Artist subsistence funding
• Cultural heritage documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hillsborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly or one-time donations from individual supporters made via credit card, PayPal, or ACH transfer. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making donations tax-deductible.
2. Listener's Circle Subscription: Subscription program where members receive new recordings (CDs or digital formats) every other month, prior to public release. Members get exclusive access to featured releases including new recordings and archive tracks.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of compilation and single-artist CDs, vinyl LPs, books, and Music Maker merchandise through the online shop.
4. Stock and IRA Donations: Accepts donations of stock, securities, and gifts from IRAs as additional giving mechanisms.
5. Planned Giving: Legacy giving opportunities through estate planning, allowing supporters to include Music Maker in their estate plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Music Maker Relief Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides direct cash grants, social services, and emergency assistance to senior (55+) traditional American musicians living in poverty, while also booking their performances, producing and releasing their recorded music, and curating museum exhibitions and books that document America's roots music traditions. Its three flagship programs — Sustenance, Performance, and Education — are supported by individual donations, a Listener's Circle subscription, and merchandise sales through an online store and digital platforms.

Product overview

Music Maker Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a multi-faceted portfolio of programs and products to support traditional American music artists. The organization operates three core programs: Sustenance (emergency grants and monthly stipends for senior musicians in poverty), Performance (booking and career management), and Education (publications, recordings, and museum exhibits). Product offerings include over 200 recorded albums available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music; published books including 'Hanging Tree Guitars', 'Blue Muse', and 'Music Makers'; the Listener's Circle subscription service; touring museum exhibits; and a newly established recording studio in Fountain, NC. Distribution partnerships include Big Legal Mess, Bible & Tire Recording Co., and Cornelius Chapel Records.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustenance Program Flagship program delivering life essentials to senior traditional American musicians through cash grants, monthly stipends, emergency assistance, and (since 2018) social work case management covering home health care, Medicaid applications, subsidized housing, transportation, and instruments.
• Performance Program Books performances for partner artists at venues from their hometowns to international stages, and provides professional development grants and CDs to sell in their home communities to help build sustainable careers.
• Education Program Delivers American roots music through online publications, audio/video documentation, books, museum exhibits, and workshops; maintains the permanent Timothy Duffy Collection at the Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Library, UNC Chapel Hill.
• Recorded Music Catalog (Albums & CDs) Catalog of nearly 200 albums and CDs featuring recordings by Music Maker partner artists, available digitally on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music and distributed through partner record labels.
• Listener's Circle Subscription Subscription program offering members new CD or digital recordings every other month, including exclusive access to new releases and archive tracks prior to public release.
• Shop (Merchandise & Recordings Store) Online gift store selling compilation and single-artist CDs, vinyl LPs, books, and Music Maker merchandise to supporters and the general public.
• Hanging Tree Guitars Book Published book by Freeman Vines about art guitar making and racial history, featuring guitars constructed from wood salvaged from a lynching site; includes a companion CD and is sold through the Music Maker gift store.
• Blue Muse: Timothy Duffy's Southern Photographs Book Tintype portrait photography book of Southern music makers by Timothy Duffy, co-published by UNC Press and the New Orleans Museum of Art, including a companion CD.
• Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America Book Book featuring photographs, biographies, interviews, and lyrics from sixty-six traditional American music artists, published by UNC Press.
• Freeman Vines: Hanging Tree Guitars Exhibit Touring virtual and in-person exhibition featuring sculptor and art guitar maker Freeman Vines' guitars and photography, drawing on the acclaimed Hanging Tree Guitars book project.
• Blue Muse Exhibit Touring museum exhibition of Timothy Duffy's tintype portraits of Southern music makers, curated by Russell Lord with the New Orleans Museum of Art.
• Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Music Makers Exhibit Touring museum exhibition of platinum palladium prints of tintype portraits of roots musicians of the American South.
• Music Maker Studios Recording studio facility in Fountain, NC under development to record albums for Music Maker partner artists, with producer Bruce Watson (Fat Possum Records, Big Legal Mess Records) advising on setup.

Quantifiable outcome

• 878 grants to 113 artists totaling $229,000 in 2022 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Big Legal Mess RecordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecord label partnership for releasing Music Maker partner artists' recordings. Worked with artists like Alexa Rose. The label produces new recordings by Music Maker artists, expanding their reach to broader audiences.
• Bible & Tire Recording Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSacred soul record label partnership with Fat Possum Records. Bruce Watson scouts talent for Bible & Tire through Music Maker's network. Released 'Sacred Soul of North Carolina' compilation in conjunction with Music Maker.
• Cornelius Chapel RecordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecord label partner for releasing Music Maker artists' recordings and expanding their distribution reach.
• Southern Folklife Collection at Wilson Library, UNC Chapel HillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermanent archive partner where Music Maker's documentation (audio, video, photography) is preserved in perpetuity. The Timothy Duffy Collection is housed there, making the work accessible to researchers and the public.
• Fat Possum RecordscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBruce Watson of Fat Possum Records works with Music Maker on recording projects for artists like Robert Finley and Ironing Board Sam. Watson also helped facilitate Music Maker Studios development.
• GirlsRockNCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic Maker sponsors workshops and programs through GirlsRockNC, connecting partner artists with youth through educational workshops.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Folk Alliance International: Nonprofit that serves folk music and dance communities through annual conferences, advocacy, and artist support. Comparable as a nonprofit supporting traditional and roots music communities with artist services and preservation focus.
• Americana Music Association: Trade organization supporting Americana music through the Americana Music Honors & Awards and conference programming. Comparable as an organization promoting traditional American roots music genres, though focused on industry advocacy rather than direct artist grants.
• Musicares Foundation: MusiCares (a Recording Academy-affiliated nonprofit) provides financial assistance, medical support, and human services to musicians in need. Comparable as a nonprofit providing direct human services and financial support to vulnerable musicians, though serving a broader commercial music population.
• Appalshop: Appalachian-based arts and cultural nonprofit producing films, recordings, and educational content about Appalachian traditions. Comparable as a regional nonprofit documenting and preserving traditional American music and culture.
• Blues Foundation: Memphis-based nonprofit that supports blues musicians and preserves blues heritage through the Blues Hall of Fame, grants, and education programs. Directly comparable as a music preservation nonprofit serving traditional American artists.

Broad incumbents

• Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago-based nonprofit folk music school offering classes, concerts, and community programs. Comparable as a nonprofit supporting folk music traditions, though larger in scale and focused on music education rather than direct artist services.
• Smithsonian Folkways Recordings: The Smithsonian's nonprofit record label dedicated to supporting folk, roots, and traditional music documentation and distribution. Comparable recording catalog and archival mission, but with the institutional backing of the Smithsonian Institution.
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Nashville-based museum and nonprofit dedicated to preserving and celebrating country music history. Comparable mission of preserving traditional American music heritage through documentation and exhibitions, though at much larger institutional scale.

Regional players

• Traditional Arts Indiana: Indiana University-based program documenting and supporting traditional artists in Indiana. Comparable as a regional traditional arts documentation and support organization, though focused on Indiana rather than the Southeast.

Others

• National Endowment for the Arts: Federal agency providing grants and funding for arts and music projects including folk and traditional arts. Comparable as a major funder of traditional American music preservation, though operates as a government grantmaker rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MusicMakerFdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/MusicMakerBlues
• Instagraminstagram.com/musicmakerfdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/music-maker-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Music Maker Relief Foundation