Live Music Society Opens Applications for Third Annual Music In Action Grant, Offering Up to $50,000 to Small U.S. Performance Venues for  Community Engagement and Revenue Growth

The Nonprofit Has Provided $4 Million in Support Since 2020, Including $1 Million in 2024

January 8, 2025 – Live Music Society, the nonprofit organization that has awarded more than $4 million in grants to small venues and listening rooms across the United States since 2020, is excited to announce the opening of applications for their third annual Music in Action grant. This year’s application window runs from January 8 to February 14 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Initially launched in 2023, Music in Action grants are designed to support initiatives that will improve the venue experience for musicians, audiences, and staff, cultivate an engaged and connected community, and achieve long-term health and business growth. Applicants can request up to $50,000 in funding. This year’s grant recipients will be announced in June. 

The Music in Action grant empowers small venue owners and managers to develop strategies that engage local communities, expand audiences, and boost revenue. It supports the creation of committed networks of patrons, volunteers, artists, staff, donors, and sponsors while promoting inclusivity and economic growth in the communities served. Particular focus is given to uplifting historically marginalized groups, including BIPOC, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities. 

To kick off the third annual grant round, Live Music Society is bringing back its American Road Trip series, celebrating grantee venues nationwide. The latest installment, "American Road Trip: Music in Action at Cole's Bar", spotlights the 2023 grantee's Open Jam project in Chicago—a bi-monthly event that provides emerging artists with opportunities to perform with other local musicians. The next event will take place on Monday, January 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mel7QE-4WKE

Since its inception, Music in Action has supported 41 venues in both major cities and small towns across the country, spanning both coasts, the South, and the Midwest. Recipients have included intimate spaces like Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge in Berea, Kentucky, which hosts residencies for emerging artists, and Jalopy Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, home to the expanded Brooklyn International Music Festival. Nonprofits like the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center in Sarasota, Florida,  is using their grant to support the second annual Creative Nexus series while other recipients, such as The Spot on Kirk in Roanoke, Virginia, Devil’s Backbone Tavern in Fischer, Texas, and La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, California, are celebrating  Latinx and Hispanic music in their communities. The Blue Jay Listening Room in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, will host an emerging women songwriters series, while the Acorn Center for the Performing Arts in Three Oaks, Michigan, brought the JazzReach residency to their venue in November, offering free clinics and all-ages concerts to expand music education in rural Michigan.

Go to the Live Music Society website to learn more about the Music in Action grant and the application process: https://www.livemusicsociety.org/grantinfo

General Eligibility Requirements for applicants include venue and grantee business entity locations within the United States or its territories, a legal capacity of 50-300 individuals (including standing room), operational status on or before January 1, 2021, a primary focus on live music (featuring solo artists or bands), a minimum of 50 annual music performances per year.

Music in Action grants will be evaluated based on five general criteria: 

• Innovation/Creativity: The selection committee will evaluate whether projects are novel, solve a meaningful problem, and/or create value for the venue.
• Feasibility: Can the program be implemented and evaluated during the grant period?
• Relevance: To the venue, to the audience, or to the local community.
• Reach/Inclusivity: How might the project increase accessibility for historically marginalized groups?
• Potential Impact:  How will the project be evaluated and its impact measured, including the intended outcome and methods used to track the project’s success.

To complement the grant application process, Live Music Society will host a series of free public webinars this month, offering small venue owners and operators valuable insights and strategies. Topics range from crafting compelling grant proposals to creating realistic and funder-friendly budgets. These webinars grew from the inaugural Music in Action Summit, held in June 2024 alongside the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) in New Orleans. This summit led to the creation of webinars tailored to the distinct challenges of small venues, offering essential tools to not only survive but thrive in the independent music scene. https://www.livemusicsociety.org/webinars

Winter 2025 Live Music Society Webinars:

• January 14 - Aaron Henderson - Grant Writing: The Narrative; Guiding participants through writing a compelling grant proposal. 
• Learn how to craft a compelling story for any grant proposal. This session will help you navigate what funders are looking for, and provide tips for ensuring your venue's unique challenges and mission are effectively communicated. 
• January 21 - Aaron Henderson - Grant Writing: Budgets; Supporting your story through the creation of realistic and funder-friendly budgets. 
• Build a solid, funder-friendly budget to support your grant application. This webinar will cover practical tips for how to link budget items to project goals and avoid common pitfalls in grant budgeting. 

Live Music Society also offers an annual Toolbox Grant, delivering essential practical support to small venues and fostering their long-term growth and success. In November, the nonprofit celebrated a significant milestone, surpassing $1 million in total grant funding within a single year. Of this, the Toolbox Grant alone supported 34 venues—the highest number of recipients awarded in a single grant cycle for the program.

About Live Music Society: 

Live Music Society’s mission is to recognize and protect small venues and listening rooms across the United States so that live music can remain accessible to all. Since its founding in 2020, the nonprofit has distributed $4.1 million through 210 grants to 180 venues, supporting live music spaces, emerging talents, established musicians, and affordable access to music in underserved communities. In 2023, they introduced two grant programs aimed at improving long-term health and business growth, earning them the Community Development Award from the National Independent Venue Association. The Music in Action program focuses on engaging communities and expanding audiences, while the Toolbox program supports practical projects that enhance the live music experience. In 2024, they hosted the first Music in Action Summit, bringing together 31 grantee venues to share knowledge and inspire collaborations, underscoring their commitment to strengthening the independent venue ecosystem nationwide. Their partnerships with organizations like NIVA, the House of Songs, and the Americana Music Association show their dedication to fostering creativity and protecting the spaces where musicians can grow.