Applications close Oct. 31, 2026, and the all-volunteer Pasadena nonprofit said in an Oct. 1 announcement that it gives special consideration to programs in the greater Pasadena area. Awardees are to be notified in April 2027.
The organization said it awarded a record $1.1 million to 92 nonprofits in 2026 and has contributed more than $28 million over its 78-year history.
Guidelines posted on the organization’s website list five funding categories: music education, music therapy, music scholarships, concerts and performances, and instrument purchases. Education and therapy grants must support a specific program, event, activity or scholarship, and concert grants must be for a specific concert or performance series, according to the guidelines.
Grants are made only to organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and to local schools, according to the program’s web page. Grant size varies from program to program, the page states.
Requests the guidelines list as ineligible include debt reduction, lobbying or political activism, fraternal or political organizations, grants to individuals except as part of a program, and projects administered and conducted outside Los Angeles County. Construction is excluded except in very rare circumstances, and capital campaigns and endowments are considered only by invitation.
Private schools and religious organizations may be eligible only for specific programs available to the community in a nonsectarian manner, the guidelines state.
Applications must be submitted online through the Common Grant Application website. Applicants must also upload a signed grant agreement, a Form W-9, an IRS determination letter or letter of public status, a financial statement and operating budget, and a list of board members.
Funded projects must begin no earlier than May 1, 2027, and be completed no later than May 31, 2028, according to the guidelines, which list a tentative award reception date of May 6, 2027.
Organizations may submit more than one application, and each request is reviewed independently, the program page states. Past recipients must meet all reporting requirements before a new application is considered, under the guidelines.
“It’s so rewarding to see first-hand how the money we raise is providing such value to the community,” said Judy Carter, identified in the announcement as Gifts and Grants chair.
The program is funded by the organization’s annual benefit, the Pasadena Showcase House of Design, according to the announcement, which identified Marybeth Rehman-Dittu as this year’s president. Plans are underway for the 2027 Showcase House of Design, with details to be announced, the organization said.
NEED TO KNOW: Action: Apply for a Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts Gifts & Grants award. Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Who may apply: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and local schools with programs administered and conducted in Los Angeles County. How to apply: Online through the Common Grant Application website, https://www.
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