Reflections and Connections: The CMA Foundation’s 10-Year Path to Venture Philanthropy

Music teacher grantee, Michelle Lewis talks with Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director of the CMA Foundation, during the CMA Foundation’s visit to Bloom Elementary School in Louisville, KY in March 2019. Photo Credit: Electric Machine/CMA

By Cillea Houghton

There are two types of giving: donating and making an investment that has an impact. In its 10-year history, the CMA Foundation has been focused on the latter. “Generosity truly at our core is how the Foundation was born,” CMA Foundation Executive Director Tiffany Kerns explained. “I think that we are a part of a genre that is unlike a lot of others, and that generosity is in the DNA of Country Music.”

Over the last 10 years, the CMA Foundation has learned how to take this generosity and turn it into action. Its mission is centered around providing equity in music education, but it didn’t always operate that way. In 2006, CMA Fest, the Foundation’s annual fundraiser that draws tens of thousands of fans to downtown Nashville, started inviting each performing artist to designate a charity to benefit from a portion of the overall funds raised. However, the CMA Foundation narrowed its focus to music education after Kix Brooks’ sister, Lisa Brooks, a teacher, made them aware that schools often cut music programs. The CMA Foundation looked in its own backyard and discovered that Metro Nashville Public Schools were lacking the resources and equipment needed for a strong music program; that became the nonprofit’s first investment in music education.

“When I think about impact, that’s an investment,” Kerns said. “It is not just about donating for the sake of doing good; it is about investing in the partnership and walking in lockstep in reaching students.”

A student at Bloom Elementary School plays the keyboard during the CMA Foundation’s visit to music teacher grantee Michelle Lewis in Louisville, KY in March 2019. Photo Credit: Electric Machine/CMA

Ever since its discovery of Metro Nashville schools’ needs, the CMA Foundation has been intentional about making investments in school districts across the country. More than just a photo op of students receiving new instruments, it’s the equity the CMA Foundation puts into those instruments that creates a lasting impact. The CMA Foundation achieves this by going directly into the schools, conducting data assessments and interviewing principals, teachers and district leaders to get to the root of what is needed in order to bring equity into music education.

“Over time, we’ve gotten much better at asking specific questions and making sure that we’re not naïve — that we aren’t putting Band-Aids on problems that are actually systemic issues, that we are figuring out ‘the why’ before we actually place that instrument in a child’s hand,” Kerns said. “It’s more about the work and getting really deep into why something is broken so we can help find solutions.”

“We’re now able to point to our work and say more students across the U.S. have access to participation in music and arts education, not because we handed them an instrument, but because we fixed the system that was broken that prevented them from having the instrument,” Kerns said of how the CMA Foundation’s approach has evolved over 10 years. “We are in education, but we do it through the vehicle of music. So when someone says, ‘You guys believe in music education,’ I say, ‘Absolutely. But we have to disrupt education first.’”

The CMA Foundation has accomplished this by working strategically with partners, investing in music teachers through Music Teachers of Excellence, and providing school districts with necessary equipment and more. Since its creation, the Foundation has donated more than $27 million in grants, and is building on this effort with a venture philanthropy model that uses data to expand funds across a school district.

“When we think of venture philanthropy, it’s about asking, ‘How do we take $1 million and leverage it to be $10 million?’” Kerns explained. “‘And how do we leverage our investment to attract additional funds, and to make the music and arts education field operate more effectively and efficiently?’”

Kerns points to a recent example in which the CMA Foundation partnered with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to provide instruments to the Houston Independent School District. Using the assessment as the incentive for $500,000 worth of instruments, they discovered that the district lacked personnel to oversee music and arts education. Through the investment, the CMA Foundation was able to employ 10 people to oversee music and arts education in Houston public schools, proving the effectiveness of the model.

“That is leveraging our investment — using data to inform a school system on how best to reach students through music and arts education,” Kerns observed. “Student success is the driving force behind all decisions.”

While the approach has shifted over time, over the next 10 years of its legacy, the CMA Foundation will continue to honor its core mission: to increase access and opportunity for student participation in a high-quality sequential music education program.

Music teacher grantee Michelle Lewis speaks with her students at Bloom Elementary School in Louisville, KY in March 2019. Photo Credit: Electric Machine/CMA

“We believe all students deserve to have the opportunity to participate in music and arts education, and we do everything in our power to make that a reality. We change music education,” Kerns proclaimed. “I hope we model behavior that is replicated by others. We give people hope. We make sure that they know that we celebrate them. We honor them. We value them. We’re in the business of creating human connection.”

Want to learn more? Check out the articles below highlighting the CMA Foundation’s recent partnerships, resources and initiatives.

For more information about the CMA Foundation and ways you can be involved, visit CMAfoundation.org/get-involved.

From Our Partners

“In the relatively short time since we became a CMA Foundation grantee, a true alchemy has occurred between our organizations that has wonderful implications for our future work and impact. This partnership has challenged and inspired us to put our experience and capacity to the test, taking our work to new heights and possibilities – to make what we do relevant and important for the future of music education. The opportunities that CMA Foundation offers is priceless, and our gratitude is boundless. The kids who benefit may not know who made their lives better, but we do. Thank you, CMA Foundation.”

-Felice Mancini, President & CEO, The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation

“When I joined the district in 2018, I was amazed to learn of the incredible support of the CMA Foundation and its partnership with Music Makes Us and Metro Nashville Public Schools. Their partnership has been transformational for thousands and thousands of music students and their teachers. In addition to $13 million in funding, the CMA Foundation has contributed many volunteer hours, wisdom, research, advocacy, and teaching artists who have visited our schools over the past decade. It’s an innovative organization with incredible leaders who have worked hand in hand with our district leaders to identify problems and opportunity gaps while strategically investing in our music programs to ensure equitable access. Side by side coaching, teacher professional development, private lessons for students, and the amazing Music Teachers of Excellence program are all programs that signify the commitment of the CMA Foundation to elevating the work of music teachers and students, and actively listening to their needs. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”  

– Jeff Smith, Director of Arts and Music Makes Us, Metro Nashville Public Schools

“The CMA Foundation has emerged as the leading force advancing music and arts education. Their unique shared wisdom and strategic approach has helped galvanized the field and assisted many organizations to reflect on, and challenge, current practices. For our project, the CMA Foundation had the foresight to recognize how data would transform music and arts education programs. This early belief has allowed us to scale the arts Education Data Project across the nation. Congratulations to Tiffany, Falon and the entire CMA Foundation Board and CMA members for their support and belief in the power of music to transform lives”

– Bob Morrison, Founder & CEO, Quadrant Research

“The CMA Foundation has been an advocate, thought leader, and strategic partner dedicated to amplifying what works in music education. We at Little Kids Rock are proud of the work we have done with them over the past seven years, and we’re excited to see what their work over the next 10 years will bring! The CMA Foundation has funded Little Kids Rock to empower music teachers to transform the lives of young people through inclusive, culturally relevant music education. Thanks to their generosity, we’ve been able to launch 2,500+ new music programs and offer 20,000+ hours of teacher professional development, reaching more than 500,000 kids in just this past school year. We are inspired by the CMA Foundation and grateful for their support!”

-Dave Wish, Founder & CEO, Little Kids Rock

“Through its grants and support, the CMA Foundation has been an amazing resource for a small-town music program like ours.  With its help, we were able to replace instruments that were over 40 years old, modernize our marching band percussion section, supply students with much needed supplies, and repair many of our older instruments.  The CMA Foundation has allowed us to continue a long tradition of music, and for that we are truly grateful.  Our students are now better equipped due to its generosity, and we hope that another musician like Brett Eldredge will come from our music programs!”

-Dr. Kevin Pruiett, Director of Band, Paris High School, Paris, IL

“With the support of the CMA Foundation, Save The Music has made comprehensive, multi-year investments to rebuild music education programs in school districts across three states – Roanoke, VA; St. John the Baptist, LA; and Zion, IL).  Right now, the CMA Foundation is a core partner in our work with schools and local music nonprofits in the musically and culturally rich city of New Orleans. The bedrock support of the CMA Foundation partnership empowers Save The Music to support music teachers and students in communities nationwide. We know from the data and from experience that music saves lives, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the CMA Foundation to drive opportunities to youth across the country.”