The Muse Fund is one of the Bohemian Foundation's competitive grant making programs. Consideration is given to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (private foundations excluded) providing music related services within the Greater Fort Collins area. The Muse Fund has two goal areas: A) Creating or enhancing opportunities for music expression; and/or B) Supporting musicians in pursuit of their craft. Grants up to $25,000 are available for program support, general operating, technical assistance, equipment/capital and leveraging community support.

Yes. While we encourage you to publicize your organization or project the Bohemian Foundation assisted in funding, please note in the letter agreement that you are required to obtain approval from the Bohemian Foundation prior to the printing or distribution of any publicity materials that reference the foundation, including but not limited to: press releases, advertisements, signage, and event collateral. For all logo requests please include the size and file format needed. Please allow 10 days for Foundation staff to review and approve any proposed publicity.

Please send all publicity and logo approval requests to press@bohemianfoundation.org.
Please note, no changes to the Bohemian Foundation logo are allowed without prior written approval.

The Muse Grant Fund serves the Greater Fort Collins area.

As long as your project serves clients or has a direct impact within the Greater Fort Collins area your application will be considered. For instance, we have funded national organizations that have proposed Fort Collins-specific projects.

The Bohemian Foundation can only award grant funding to designated 501(c)(3) agencies. If your 501(c)(3) status is pending, but you expect to receive notification from the IRS within 30 days of the application deadline, you may submit an application. However, if you do not supply us with IRS notification concerning your nonprofit status within the 30 days, the foundation will not consider your application for the current grant cycle. You may re-apply for future cycles.

The Bohemian Foundation does not fund activities with a specific religious purpose. However, if your church has a charitable music project which does not have a specific religious purpose or intent, it may be eligible for consideration for funding.

For PSD, each school or department may submit one Muse Fund application. Please make sure to coordinate all requests both onsite (to ensure only one application is originating from each school) and with Stacy Poncelow, the District Grants Coordinator. A department request may provide for services at multiple school sites. In this case, the individual school site is not precluded from applying.

For CSU, each department/school may submit one Muse Fund application. Please coordinate all requests both departmentally (to ensure only one application is originating from each department) and with Peter Hartman, Director of Foundation Relations.

Bohemian supported district-wide or university-wide initiatives do not preclude applications from individual schools/departments within the district/university.


Please note that PSD and CSU may also submit Pharos Fund applications. Organizations may apply separately for both a Bohemian Foundation Pharos grant and Muse grant, but these two proposals must be distinctly different projects, programs and requests.

Organizations can apply to the Muse Grant Fund for up to $25,000 only. If the project/program/organization requires more than $25,000 for it to be implemented or to run, then the organization should clearly articulate what the total costs of the project are and state in its grant application how it intends to fund the remaining portion of the need. The Foundation will not consider any request in excess of the $25,000 maximum grant amount and will not consider any request outside of the Muse Grant cycle.

In order to help prospective grantees understand our goals and objectives, the Bohemian Foundation offers pre-grant workshops. Attending a workshop is one of the best ways for an organization to determine if it makes sense to apply.

Additionally, it is in your best interest to thoroughly read the website and goals prior to completing an application as goal fit is the single, most important factor for consideration.

Grant cycles are competitive and therefore having a grant request that is a strong goal fit and provides a compelling narrative as to why the described program fulfills or supports a need in the community, is a prospective grantees best means to receiving funding.

Additionally, although we appreciate your desire for advice and improvement, the Bohemian Foundation does not provide direct feedback to grantees regarding their applications after a grant round. We want organizations to write requests based on their needs and not to tailor them to our feedback.

In order to help prospective grantees understand our goals and objectives, the Bohemian Foundation offers pre-grant workshops. Attending a workshop is one of the best ways for an organization to determine if it makes sense to apply.

No. The Music Event Fund is intended to fund only fund raising or single or multi-day community events while the Muse Fund supports longer-term and on-going projects. Thus, if your program is on-going it would not be an appropriate submission under the Music Event Fund - if it falls under one or both of the two Muse goal areas, we would welcome it.

No. The Muse Fund is intended solely to support music related projects. If you are a non-profit with a music related project request, you should apply for funding through the Muse Fund. All non-music requests should consider Pharos Fund goal fit for a possible grant request.

Organizations may apply separately for both the Pharos Fund and the Muse Fund, but the two proposals must be distinctly different projects and requests.

The Music Event Fund provides support for both community and/or fund raising events for nonprofit organizations within the Greater Fort Collins area. Sponsorship consideration is given to single and multi-day events that showcase nonprofit music organizations and/or local musical talent. By funding music related events, we hope to support meaningful relationship development and support between the public and the 501(c)(3) nonprofit music community. We are looking for events that support that promote the development and performance of diverse music expression and/or support events where music is the centerpiece or main focus of the event. Event Fund requests are accepted on an on-going basis, but not less than 90 days prior to the event date.

No. The Music Event Fund is intended to fund only fundraising or single or multi-day community events while the Muse Fund supports longer-term and on-going projects. Thus, if your program is on-going it would not be an appropriate submission under the Music Event Fund - if it falls under one or both of the two Muse goal areas, we would welcome it.

Awards range from $500 to a maximum of $5,000. Please keep in mind that the Bohemian Foundation prefers to contribute at a level similar to other community supporters and that awards in the higher ranges must provide compelling arguments as to why that level of support is warranted.

No. The Music Event Fund applicants are required to be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.

Yes. The information is required each year as the process is competitive. Funding in one year does not guarantee funding in subsequent years and the application is regularly updated.

No. However, prior awards do not guarantee future funding.

No.

Yes. Applicants need only be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations providing services in the Greater Fort Collins area and support one or more of the following: 1) promotes collaborative participation with other organizations and individuals in supporting music events; 2) promotes the development and performance of diverse music expression; and/or 3) supports events where music is the main focus of the event.

Yes. Prior Muse Grant Fund awards do not preclude an organization from applying to the Music Event Fund.

Yes. However, be sure they are different requests. The Muse Fund and the Music Event Fund were designed to meet different organizational objectives.

No. Applications are accepted on an on-going basis but not less than 90 days prior to the event date.

Award notification will occur within 30 days of receipt of a completed Music Event Fund Application, publicity memo and outline of sponsorship benefits. Please allow enough time for our processing to accommodate any publicity deadlines (i.e. brochures, flyers, etc.).

No.

If a Bohemian Foundation Logo is desired for printed materials one will be provided to the grantee with a written request to press@bohemianfoundation.org. For all logo requests please include size and file format needed.

Organizations are required to obtain Bohemian Foundation staff approval of any proposed publicity including but not limited to, test, signage, and applications related to Foundation recognition prior to release.

**Please allow 10 days** for Bohemian Foundation Staff to review and approve any proposed publicity.

Please note, no changes are allowed to the Foundation logo without prior written approval.